pinion of you. He says there is no very serious injury, and
that you will be your usual self by-and-by."

Nora's eyes brightened.

"I am very glad," she said. "I didn't want to die. I don't think I'm
quite fit."

"My little daughter will have learnt a severe lesson by this accident,"
said Mrs. Lorrimer; "but now you must lie still, love, and think of
nothing but how quickly you can get well again."

Nora closed her eyes, and Mrs. Lorrimer sat down in an easy chair by the
bedside.

The next day the little girl was considerably better, and Mrs. Lorrimer
proposed that she and Jane should return to the Towers and send Molly to
look after Nora. A good surgical nurse had arrived from town the evening
before; Molly's services, therefore, would only be of the lightest.

Mrs. Lorrimer went into the morning room, where Hester and Annie were
sitting together.

The moment she did so Annie jumped up and came to her.

"How is Nora?" she asked.

"She is much better, my dear; in fact, almost quite like her old self
to-day. She cannot, of course, move without the greatest pain, but when
she lies perfectly still she is tolerably easy."

"Then I may go to see her, may I not?" asked Annie.

"If you will promise to be very quiet. It would not do to excite her in
any way."

"There never was such a good nurse as Annie," exclaimed Hester. "She has
a soothing influence over sick people which is quite marvellous. Did I
ever tell you how she saved Nan's life years ago at Lavender House?"

"Oh, that's an old story," said Annie, laughing and reddening. "Well,
granted that I possess a sort of mesmerism, may I use it for Nora's
benefit?"

"Certainly, my love," said Mrs. Lorrimer, smiling affectionately at
Annie's bright face.

She ran off, singing as she went.

Nora was lying perfectly flat on the little bed which had been hastily
improvised for her in the study. The room was now turned into a
comfortable bedroom, but was also in part a sitting-room. A large screen
effectually shut away the bedroom part of the furniture and partly
screened Nora also.

Annie had not gone straight to the sick room. She had rushed first into
the conservatory and made frantic mad havoc amongst the roses there. The
choicest blooms, any quantity of unopened buds, were cut by her reckless
fingers. She gathered a whole quantity of maidenhair to mix with the
roses, and then, a tender colour on her own cheeks, her dark eyes bright
as well as soft, she ap