g that she ought to atone for her petulance in
the morning. At any rate, she wanted to be sure that Christie did not
resent it.

But Christie said nothing. She sat quite still, and her thoughts were
far-away. When she roused herself, it was not to speak, but to take up
her little Bible, that lay within reach of her hand.

"How fond you seem to be of that book!" said Miss Gertrude, as she
watched her turning over the leaves.

"Yes," said Christie, quietly. "Effie gave it to me."

"Are you going to read now?"

"I was looking for something that Effie wrote about. I can't mind the
exact words, and I am not sure where to find them." And she still
turned over the leaves.

"Have you found it?" said Miss Gertrude, when she paused.

"Yes; I have found it. Here it is. `And whosoever shall give to drink
unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a
disciple, shall in no wise lose his reward.'"

She read it slowly and gravely, but Miss Gertrude could by no means
understand the look of mingled doubt and pleasure that she saw on her
face when she had done.

"Well?" she said, inquiringly.

But Christie had nothing to say. Her face was bowed down on her hands,
and she did not raise it till she heard the door open and shut; and when
she looked up, Miss Gertrude was gone.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

A TALK IN THE GARDEN.

The next day was rainy, and the next, and the next. There was not a
glimpse of sunshine till Friday, and then it was only a glimpse. There
was no such thing as going into the garden, or even into the wide
gallery that ran along the ends of the house. The only change that
little Claude enjoyed all that time was being daily taken into the
drawing-room while the green room was aired, or into the dining-room
when his father was at home, a little while before he went to bed. He
did not grow worse, however. He seemed quite contented with Christie,
and fretted less when Clement left him than he used to do.

He was growing very fond of his nurse. She was gentle and patient with
him, never sparing herself when he needed to be amused. But her
firmness was equal to her gentleness. She never suffered herself to be
persuaded to indulge him in anything that had been forbidden by the
doctor; and she was faithful to the letter in obeying all his
directions. The little boy soon learned to yield to her in all things,
and the fretful violence that used to excite fever and exhaust h