I were to confide them to her, would rejoice over with me.
You are so cold and heartless! I dare say you will betray me to my
father--"

But Arsinoe did not finish her sentence, for Selene looked up at her with
a mixture of suffering and alarm, and said:

"I cannot be glad--I am in too much pain." As she spoke the tears ran
down her cheeks and as soon as Arsinoe saw them she felt a return of pity
for the sick girl, bent over and kissed her cheeks once, twice, thrice;
but Selene pushed her aside and murmured piteously:

"Leave me--pray leave me; go away, I can bear it no longer." She turned
her face to the wall, sobbing aloud. Arsinoe attempted once more to show
her some marks of affection, but her sister pushed her away still more
decidedly, crying out loudly, as if in desperation: "I shall die if you
do not leave me alone."

And the happier girl, whose best offerings were thus disdained by her
only female friend, went weeping away to await her father's return
outside the door of the widow's house.

When Hannah went to lay fresh handkerchiefs on Selene's wounds she saw
that she had been crying, but she did not enquire into the reason of her
tears. Towards evening the widow explained to her patient that she must
leave her alone for half an hour, for that she and Mary were going out to
pray to their God with their brethren and sisters, and they would pray
for her also.

"Leave me, only leave me," said Selene, "as it is, so it is--there are no
gods."

"Gods?" replied Hannah. "No. But there is one good and loving Father in
Heaven, and you soon shall learn to know him."

"I know him, well!" muttered the sick girl with keen irony.

No sooner was she alone than she sat up in bed, and flung the flowers,
which had been lying on it, far from her across the room, twisted the pin
of the brooch till it was broken, and did not stir a finger to save the
gold setting and engraved stone when they fell between the bed and wall
of the room. Then she lay staring at the ceiling, and did not stir again.
It was now quite dark. The lilies and honeysuckle in the great nosegay
outside the window began to smell more strongly, and their perfume forced
itself inexorably on her senses, rendered painfully acute by fever. She
perceived it at every breath she drew, and not for a minute would it let
her forget her wrecked happiness, and the wretchedness of her heart, till
the heavy sweetness of the flowers became more unendurable than the most