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In great astonishment Mrs. Holmes did allow the little girl to come into the house. She took her into a small room and looked at once at the baby. One glance showed her that he was very ill indeed.

“My dear child,” she said, “what a good thing you came when you did. In an hour’s time the poor baby might have died.”

Mrs. Holmes rang the bell briskly.

“Bring a hot bath here and some mustard immediately,” she said to the servant; “and be quick, please, and then go round to Dr. Ross at the corner and say that Mrs. Holmes wants to see him at once.”

All these things were done. The baby was taken out of Netty’s arms, undressed, and put into the bath. The doctor called, felt his little swollen gums, and said they were really at the root of the mischief. He lanced them and the baby got immediate relief. In less than an hour he was lying in a soft sleep in Netty’s arms.

“He will do now,” said Dr. Ross; “but if matters had been postponed I would not have given much chance of his life.”

“And now, Susy, what is it?” said Mrs. Holmes, looking for the first time attentively at the child. “Don’t cry, my dear, the little fellow will live; but what was that you said to me about not being Susy?”

“Oh! I must tell you,” cried Netty; “I know you’ll turn me out, but it doesn’t matter now, for you have saved baby’s life.”

And then she did tell her story; with sobs, bitter sobs, she told it, and somehow Mrs. Holmes had never felt nearer crying in her life than as she listened.

At last the poor little accusing voice was silent, and Netty looked up with swollen eyes of misery to receive her sentence.

“You did very wrong, of course, Netty,” said Mrs. Holmes; “and I shall be obliged to tell my Vicar, for we must enquire immediately where Tom and Susy Minchin really were. But, my dear child, I am not going to be very angry with you. I think when Daniel suffered so much this morning you received your punishment, and I am not going to give you another. I mean to forgive you, and to try to give you a chance in life.”

“Oh, you’re an angel,” said poor Netty; “will you be my friend even though I have done this?”

“You must promise never to do anything of the kind again.”

“Do you think I would want to?” said Netty; “and will you please forgive Ben too, ma’am; he isn’t bad really, but we did so pine to look at the sea. We had never seen it, and it was such a big temptation.”

“I quite understand,” said Mrs. Holmes, and she stooped and kissed Netty. “I will come round this evening to your house in order to see your Mother,” she said. “I am going to be your friend in the future.”

Mrs. Holmes was as good as her word. The baby quickly got well again, Netty and Ben were forgiven, and were made bona-fide scholars at the Sunday-school. When the school feast came round the following year they were able to go to the feast, and as a matter of course had tickets; but a greater treat was in store, for there was a special ticket sent by the Ladies’ Committee to no less a person than Dan himself. He was the only baby allowed to come, and he had his own ticket.