nate
fervour. They walked on in silence the length of the block, then
stopped instinctively, and exchanged a long, earnest look. Mrs
Asplin's eyes were shining with a deep inward glow, the colour had come
back to her cheeks, her expression was calm and peaceful.

"Peggy, child!" she exclaimed softly; "you are so white! This has been
a strain for you, dearie. You must have lunch at once."

Even at this supreme moment of her life her first thought was for
others, not herself!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

The pre-occupation of Peggy's manner during the next week was easily
attributed to the responsibility of superintending the settling down in
the new house. From morning until night she was rushing about from one
worker to another, planning, instructing, superintending, and when night
came she crawled into bed, a weary, sore-footed little mortal, to fall
asleep before her head well touched the pillow. The revelation of Mrs
Asplin's danger lay like a shadow across her path, but beyond a few
brief words in the train, the subject had never been mentioned between
them after leaving the doctor's study.

"I hope I have not been selfish, Peggy, in taking you with me to-day,"
Mrs Asplin had then said anxiously. "I can only tell you that you have
helped me greatly, and thank you with all my heart for your sympathy.
Later on, dearie, we will have a talk together, and I will tell you what
is in my mind; but first of all I must fight my own battles, and gain
the prize of which the doctor spoke. `_The quiet mind_,' Peg! When
that comes, it will take away the sting!"

That was all, nor through the weeks that followed did ever a word or a
look in the presence of her family betray the dread that lay at Mrs
Asplin's heart. Peggy, running in and out of the vicarage, would always
find a smile awaiting, and a cheery word of greeting. At first she felt
awkward and constrained, but by degrees the first painfulness of the
impression wore away, and with the natural hopefulness of youth it
seemed that the doctor must have taken an unnecessarily gloomy view of
the case, since a patient in so precarious a condition could surely not
be so bright, so cheery, so interested in the affairs of others! On her
first few visits to the vicarage, the girl had felt that it would be
sacrilege to smile or jest as of yore, but it was impossible to keep up
this attitude when Mrs Asplin herself sparkled into mischief and led
the bursts of laughter. Th