"Who are they who care for me besides mamma and perhaps granny?"
"Of course, granny cares for you very much indeed," said Fanny, who did
not like her brother to say that. "And so do others;" and then she told
him how day after day old Alec and Robby had come to the house to
inquire for him, how grieved Robby had been when he heard that he was
ill, and how thankful when he was told that he was recovering.
"That little boy!" exclaimed Norman; "why, I always abused him and
scolded him, and now I remember I kicked him in the carriage, and called
him names when he ran after me. It was he who threw the end of his
handkerchief to me, when I fell into the water. Oh yes! and I pulled
him in too, when he was trying to help me, and he might have been
drowned. He can only hate me, I should think."
"Far from hating you, he has forgotten entirely how ill you treated him,
and has been as anxious as any one about you," said Fanny.
"Oh, I have been a very naughty boy, I will try to be so no more. I
know I said that before, but now I will really try to do what I am told,
and be kind and gentle to everybody, as granny said I ought to be, and I
will pray to God to help me to be so. I before thought that I was going
to be good, but I did not pray, I wanted to be good all by myself, and I
know that I was very soon as bad as ever."
How thankful Fanny felt when she heard Norman say this; again and again
she kissed him, and with joy afterwards told her granny and her mamma
what he had said.
From this time Norman rapidly got better, and was soon able to be
dressed and go downstairs. Fanny was delighted to draw him about the
grounds in the little cart, and in two or three days the doctor thought
that he might take a drive in the pony carriage.
"Oh then, let me go and see Robby," he exclaimed. "I want so much to
thank him for saving me from being drowned, and for coming to ask about
me."