Hitherto this good woman had not seen her brother-in-law; and it was both Helen's and Polly's constant aim to keep her from the sick room.

It was several days now since the Doctor was p.r.o.nounced quite out of danger; but the affection of his eyes which had caused his children so many anxious fears, had become much worse. As the London oculist had told him, any shock or chill would do this; and there was now no doubt whatever that for a time, at least, he would have to live in a state of total darkness.

"It is a dreadful fate," said Helen to Polly. "Oh, yes, it is a dreadful fate, but we must not complain, for anything is better than losing him."

"Anything truly," replied Polly. "Why, what is the matter, Flower? How you stare."

Flower had been lying full-length on the old sofa in the school-room; she now sprang to her feet, and came up eagerly to the two sisters.

"Could a person do this," she said, her voice trembling with eagerness--"Could such a thing as this be done: could one give their eyes away?"

"Flower!"

"Yes, I mean it. Could I give my eyes to Dr. Maybright--I mean just do nothing at all but read to him and look for him--manage so that he should know everything just through my eyes. Can I do it? If I can, I will."

"But, Flower, you are not father's daughter," said Polly in an almost offended tone. "You speak, Flower--you speak as if he were all the world to you."

"So he is all the world to me!" said Flower. "I owe him reparation, I owe him just everything. Yes, Helen and Polly, I think I understand how to keep your father from missing his eyes much. Oh, how glad I am, how very glad I am!"

From that moment Flower became more or less a changed creature. She developed all kinds of qualities which the Maybrights had never given her credit for. She had a degree of tact which was quite astonishing in a child of her age. There was never a jarring note in her melodious voice. With her impatience gone, and her fiery, pa.s.sionate temper soothed, she was just the girl to be a charming companion to an invalid.

However restless the Doctor was, he grew quieter when Flower stole her little hand into his; and when he was far too weak and ill and suffering to bear any more reading aloud, he could listen to Flower as she recited one wild ballad after another.

Flower had found her mission, and she was seldom now long away from the Doctor's bedside.

"Don't be jealous, Polly," said Helen. "All this is saving Flower, and doing father good."

"There is one comfort about it," said Polly, "that as Aunt Maria perfectly detests poor Flower, or Daisy, as she calls her, she is not likely to go into father's room."

"That is true!" said Helen. "She came to the room door the other day, but Flower was repeating 'Hiawatha,' and acting it a little bit--you know she can't help acting anything she tries to recite--and Aunt Maria just threw up her hands and rolled her eyes, and went away."

"What a comfort!" said Polly. "Whatever happens, we must never allow the dreadful old thing to come near father."

Alack! alas! something so bad had happened, so terrible a tragedy had been enacted that even Flower and Hiawatha combined could no longer keep Mrs. Cameron away from her brother-in-law's apartment.

On the second day after Scorpion's disappearance, the good woman called Helen aside, and spoke some words which filled her with alarm.

"My dear!" she said, "I am very unhappy. The little dog, the little sunbeam of my life, is lost. I am convinced, Helen! yes, I am convinced, that there is foul play in the matter. You, every one of you, took a most unwarrantable dislike to the poor, faithful little animal. Yes, every one of you, with the exception of David, detested my Scorpion, and I am quite certain that you all know where he now is."

"But really, Aunt Maria," said Helen, her fair face flushing, "really, now, you don't seriously suppose that I had anything to say to Scorpion's leaving you."

"I don't know, my dear. I exonerate David. Yes, David is a good boy; he was attached to the dog, and I quite exonerate him. But as to the rest of you, I can only say that I wish to see your father on the subject."

"Oh! Aunt Maria! you are not going to trouble father, so ill as he is, about that poor, miserable little dog?"

"Thank you, Helen! thank you! poor miserable little dog indeed. Ah! my dear, you have let the cat out of the bag now. Yes, my dear, I insist on seeing your father with regard to the _poor, miserable little dog_.

Poor, indeed, am I without him, my little treasure, my little faithful Scorpion." Here Mrs. Cameron applied her handkerchief to her eyes, and Helen walked to the window, feeling almost driven to despair.

"I think you are doing wrong!" she said, presently. "It is wrong to disturb a man like father about any dog, however n.o.ble. I am sure I am right in saying that we, none of us, know anything about Scorpion's disappearance. However, if you like, and rather than that father should be worried, I will send for all the children, and ask them the question one by one before you. I am absolutely sure that they won't think Scorpion worth a lie."

CHAPTER XVI.

FIREFLY.

Helen experienced some little difficulty in getting her scattered brothers and sisters together. She could not get any of them to think seriously of Scorpion's departure. They laughed and lingered over their own pursuits, and told Helen to her face that she made a great fuss about nothing; in short, the best part of an hour had gone by before the Maybrights and the two Dalrymples a.s.sembled in Mrs. Cameron's presence in the morning room.

"It is just this, children," said Helen. "Aunt Maria feels very low about Scorpion; you see she loved him." Groans here came audibly from the lips of Bob and Bunny. "Yes!" said Helen, looking severely at her two little brothers, "Aunt Maria did love Scorpion. She feels very lonely without him, and she has taken an idea into her head that one or other of you had something to say to his disappearance. Of course I know that none of you could be so cruel and heartless, but to satisfy Aunt Maria, I have asked you all to come here just to tell her that you did nothing to make Scorpion run away."

"Only we are very glad he did run away!" said Bob, "but as to touching him, why, I wouldn't with a pair of tongs."

"I wish to say a word!" said Mrs. Cameron. She came forward, and stood looking very flushed and angry before the a.s.sembled group. "I wish to say that I am sure some of you in your malice deprived me of my dog. I believe David Dalrymple to be innocent, but as to the rest of you, I may as well say that I do not believe you, whatever you may tell me."

"Well, after that!" exclaimed all the children.

"I suppose, Helen, after that we may go away?" said Firefly, who was looking very pale.

"No, Miss!" said Aunt Maria, "you must stay. Your sister Helen does not wish me to do anything to disturb your father, but I a.s.sure you, children, there are limits even to my patience, and I intend to visit him this morning and tell him the whole story, unless before you leave the room you tell me the truth."

Firefly's sallow little face grew whiter and whiter. She glanced imploringly at David, who looked boldly and unconcernedly back at her; then, throwing back his head, he marched up to Mrs. Cameron's side.

"You believe that _I_ am innocent, don't you?" he said.

"Certainly, my dear boy. I have said so."

"In that case, perhaps you would not mind my going out a little way on the moor and having a good look round for the dog, he _may_ have wandered there, you know, and broken his leg or something." Mrs. Cameron shuddered. "In any case," continued David, with a certain air of modest a.s.surance, which became him very much, "it seems a pity that I should waste time here."

"Certainly; go, my dear lad," answered Mrs. Cameron. "Bring my little innocent suffering treasure back with you, and I will give you half a crown."

David instantly left the room, unheeding a short, sharp cry which issued from Firefly's lips as he pa.s.sed her.

Most of the other children were laughing; it was impossible for them to think of anything in connection with Scorpion except as a joke.

"Listen, Aunt Maria," said Helen. "I am afraid you must not treat my brothers and sisters as you propose. Neither must you trouble father without the doctor's permission. The fact is, Aunt Maria, we are Maybrights, and every one who knows anything about us at all _must_ know that we would scorn to tell a lie. Our father and our dear, dear mother--your sister whom you loved, Aunt Maria, and for whose sake you are interested in us--taught us to fear a lie more than anything, _much_ more than punishment, _much_ more than discovery. Oh, yes, we have heaps and heaps of faults; we can tease, we can be pa.s.sionate, and idle, and selfish; but being Maybrights, being the children of our own father and mother, we can't lie. The fact is, we'd be afraid to."

Helen's blue eyes were full of tears.

"Bravo! Helen!" said Polly, going up to her sister and kissing her. "She says just the simple truth, Aunt Maria," she continued, flashing round in her bright way on the old lady. "We _are_ a naughty set--_you_ know that, don't you?--but we can't tell lies; we draw the line there."

"Yes, we draw the line there," suddenly said Firefly, in a high-pitched voice, which sounded as if it was going to crack.

"I admire bravery," said Mrs. Cameron, after a pause. "Ask your questions, Helen. For my dead sister's sake I will accept the word of a Maybright. 'Pon my word, you are extraordinary young people; but I admire girls who are not afraid to speak out, and who uphold their parents' teaching. Ask the children quickly, Helen, if they know anything about the dog, for after David's hint about his having strayed on that awful moor, and perhaps having broken one of his dear little legs, I feel more uncomfortable than ever about him. For goodness' sake, Helen! ask your question quickly, and let me get out on the moor to look for my dog."

"Children," said Helen, coming forward at once, "do you know anything about Scorpion's loss, _any_thing? Now, I am going to ask you each singly; as you answer you can leave the room. Polly, I begin with you."