ng unwholesome sweets, and
partaking mostly of grapes. Especially was she polite to Lord
Grayleigh, who called her to his side, and even put his arm round her
waist. He wondered afterwards why she shivered when he did this. But
she stood upright as a dart, and looked him full in the face with
those extraordinary eyes of hers.

At last the children's hour, as it was called, came to an end, and the
four went round kissing and shaking hands with the different guests.
Mrs. Ogilvie put her hand for an instant on Sibyl's shoulder.

"I am pleased with you," she said; "you behaved very nicely. Go to bed
now."

"Will you come and see me, Mumsy--mother, I mean--before you go to
bed?"

"Oh no, child, nonsense! you must be asleep hours before then. No,
this is good-night. Now go quietly."

Sibyl did go quietly. Mrs. Ogilvie turned to her neighbor.

"That is such an absurd custom," she said; "I must break her of it."

"Break your little girl of what?" he asked. "She is a beautiful
child," he added. "I congratulate you on having such a charming
daughter."

"I have no doubt she will make a very pretty woman," replied Mrs.
Ogilvie, "and I trust she will have a successful career; but what I
was alluding to now was her insane wish that I should go and say
good-night to her. Her father spoils that child dreadfully. He insists
on her staying up to our late dinner, which in itself is quite against
all my principles, and then will go up to her room every evening when
he happens to be at home. She lies awake for him at night, and they
talk sentiment to each other. Very bad, is it not; quite out of date."

"I don't know," answered Mr. Rochester; "if it is an old custom it
seems to me it has good in it." As he spoke he thought again of the
eager little face, the pathetic soft eyes, the pleading in the voice.
Until within this last half-hour he had not known of Sibyl's
existence; but from this instant she was to come into his heart and
bear fruit.

Meanwhile the child went straight to her room.

"Won't you come to the schoolroom now?" asked Gus in a tone of
remonstrance.

"No; mother said I was to go to bed," answered Sibyl.

"How proper and good you have turned," cried Mabel.

"Good-night," said Sibyl. She could be quite dignified when she
pleased. She allowed the girls to kiss her, and she shook hands with
Gus, and felt grown-up, and, on the whole, notwithstanding the
unsatisfied feeling at her heart, rather pleased with her