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Friarswood Post Office by Charlotte Mary Yonge
Book, page 121 / 182


jolly hot, Mother, he'll catch his death!'

Mrs. King thought so too: Paul's state looked to her more alarming
than it did even to Harold. He did not seem able to think or speak,
but kept rocking himself towards the fire, and that terrible
shivering shaking him all over.

'Poor lad!' she said kindly. 'I'll tell you what, Harold, all you
can do is put him into your bed at once.--Here, Ellen, you run up
first, and bring me a shirt to warm for him. Then we'll get his own
clothes dried.'

'No, no,' cried Harold, with a caper, 'we'll make a scare-crow of
'em. You don't know what I know, Mother. I've got twelve shillings
and sixpence here all his own; and you'll see what I won't do with it
at old Levi's, the second-hand clothes man, to-night.'

Harold grew less noisy as he saw how little good the fire was doing
to his patient, and how ill his mother seemed to think him. He
quietly obeyed her, by getting him up-stairs, and putting him into
his own bed, the first in which Paul had lain down for more than four
months. Then Mrs. King sent Harold out for some gin; she thought hot
spirits and water the only chance of bringing back any life after
such a dreadful chill; and she and Ellen kept on warming flannels and
shawls to restore some heat, and to stop the trembling that shook the
bed, so that Alfred felt it, even in the next room, where he lay with
the door open, longing to be able to help, and wishing to understand
what could have happened.

At last, the cordial and the warm applications effected some good.
Paul was able to say, 'I don't know why you are so good to me,' and
seemed ready to burst into a great fit of crying; but Mrs. King
managed to stop him by saying something about one good turn deserving
another, and that she hoped he was coming round now.

Harold was now at leisure to tell the story in his brother's room.
Alfred did not grieve now at his brother's being able to do spirited
things; he laughed out loud, and said, 'Well done, Harold!' at the
switching, and rubbed his hands, and lighted up with glee, as he
heard of the Ragglesford boys and their cheers; and then, Harold went

 
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