She went to her own, stuffed her immediate necessities into a bag, let herself out of the house, called a cab, and, with a great lump in her throat, drove to the help of Letty.
First she had a talk with the landlady, and learned all she could tell.
Then she went up, and began to make things as comfortable as she could: all was in sad disorder and neglect.
With the mere inauguration of cleanliness, and the first dawn of coming order, the courage of Letty began to revive a little.

The impossibility of doing all that ought to be done, had, in her miserable weakness, so depressed her that she had not done even as much as she could--except where Tom was immediately concerned: there she had not failed of her utmost.
Mary next went to the doctor to get instructions, and then to buy what things were most wanted.

And now she almost wished Mrs.Redmain had paid her for her services, for she must write to Mr.Turnbull for money, and that she disliked.

But by the very next post she received, inclosed in a business memorandum in George's writing, the check for fifty pounds she had requested.
She did not dare write to Tom's mother, because she was certain, were she to come up, her presence would only add to the misery, and take away half the probability of his recovery and of Letty's, too.

In the case of both, nourishment was the main thing; and to the fit providing and the administering of it she bent her energy.
For a day or two, she felt at times as if she could hardly get through what she had undertaken; but she soon learned to drop asleep at any moment, and wake immediately when she was wanted; and thereafter her strength was by no means so sorely tried.
Under her skillful nursing--skillful, not from experience, but simply from her faith, whence came both conscience of and capacity for doing what the doctor told her--things went well.