st Sara Crewe's sake."

The library door opened and Mr. Carmichael appeared, calling Sara to
him with a gesture.

"Mr. Carrisford is better already," he said. "He wants you to come to
him."

Sara did not wait. When the Indian gentleman looked at her as she
entered, he saw that her face was all alight.

She went and stood before his chair, with her hands clasped together
against her breast.

"You sent the things to me," she said, in a joyful emotional little
voice, "the beautiful, beautiful things? YOU sent them!"

"Yes, poor, dear child, I did," he answered her. He was weak and
broken with long illness and trouble, but he looked at her with the
look she remembered in her father's eyes--that look of loving her and
wanting to take her in his arms. It made her kneel down by him, just
as she used to kneel by her father when they were the dearest friends
and lovers in the world.

"Then it is you who are my friend," she said; "it is you who are my
friend!" And she dropped her face on his thin hand and kissed it again
and again.

"The man will be himself again in three weeks," Mr. Carmichael said
aside to his wife. "Look at his face already."

In fact, he did look changed. Here was the "Little Missus," and he had
new things to think of and plan for already. In the first place, there
was Miss Minchin. She must be interviewed and told of the change which
had taken place in the fortunes of her pupil.

Sara was not to return to the seminary at all. The Indian gentleman
was very determined upon that point. She must remain where she was,
and Mr. Carmichael should go and see Miss Minchin himself.

"I am glad I need not go back," said Sara. "She will be very angry.
She does not like me; though perhaps it is my fault, because I do not
like her."

But, oddly enough, Miss Minchin made it unnecessary for Mr. Carmichael
to go to her, by actually coming in search of her pupil herself. She
had wanted Sara for something, and on inquiry had heard an astonishing
thing. One of the housemaids had seen her steal out of the area with
something hidden under her cloak, and had also seen her go up the steps
of the next door and enter the house.

"What does she mean!" cried Miss Minchin to Miss Amelia.

"I don't know, I'm sure, sister," answered Miss Amelia. "Unless she
has made friends with him because he has lived in India."

"It would be just like her to thrust herself upon him and try to gain
his sympathies in som