ause I came on purpose
to see Edgar."

As soon as the other children saw Minnie and Arthur going away, there was
a general cry, "Minnie, where are you going?"

"Never mind," said Minnie resolutely.

"We wanted to have 'post'. There won't be enough without you. Come now,
stop," said Harold, putting his hand on the door handle.

"Oh, Harold, do let us go!" said Minnie pitifully.

"Well, tell us where you are going then?" Minnie saw that this was the
only chance.

"We are going to Edgar's room, I shall be back soon, Harold."

"Yes; but we wanted Arthur Vivyan to play. Boys are twice the fun of
girls."

"But, you know, he came on purpose to see Edgar; and don't you remember
how very, very ill, Edgar is, Harold?" said his sister gravely.

Harold let go his grasp of the door, and Arthur and his new little friend
found themselves safely outside.

"Now," said Minnie, as they stood on the landing at the top of the
stairs, "you stop here, and then I will come back in a minute."

She opened the door very cautiously, and looked in for a moment; then
Arthur saw her go inside and shut the door. It was several minutes before
she came back.

"I told him," she said. "Oh, I hope I did not do him any harm. He was so
very glad."

"Why," said Arthur, "I should think that would be a good thing."

"But he is so ill, you know. I think you had better go in now. Oh," she
said, just as she was turning away, "if you think him looking very
different from what he was last summer, don't you think you had better not
seem surprised? I know my mother never likes people to say anything about
her looks."

"Very well," said Arthur.

It was only the firelight that brightened Edgar's room, and it danced and
sparkled around, and gave quite light enough for Arthur to see every thing
distinctly. The room felt very warm and comfortable as he went in, and the
sound of Edgar's quick, hard breathing was very plain. Arthur drew very
quietly near the bedside. Little Minnie's caution was well given; for it
needed an effort on his part to be quiet and composed, as he saw the
change in his friend; and he had to try very hard to keep the tears from
coming to his eyes. Edgar was lying so very still and quiet; his cheeks
were white and sunken, and his eyes looked large, and dark, and shining;
but there was a much happier look in them than in the old times when they
used to talk together.

"Oh, Arthur," said Edgar, trying to stretch out his hand, "I am