ys so. You see, she has always been weakly, but there
never seemed much amiss to us; and now my father says that he never
expects her to make an old woman, and that there is something wrong with
her heart, and he is afraid that she may go off in one of these attacks,
and that is why he wants Bessie to come home at once."

"Yes, I see; it looks very serious. Oh, there is the luncheon-bell. I
have ordered the carriage round directly afterward, so you will be in
plenty of time."

When the two young men returned to the house they found Bessie in the
dining-room. She took her old place by Richard, and made some pretense
of eating. Once, when Richard spoke to her, begging her to remember the
long journey before her, she looked up at him with a faint smile; that
smile, so gentle and childlike, haunted Richard during the remainder of
the day.

Bessie was battling bravely with her feelings all luncheon, and during
the short interval that elapsed before the carriage was brought round
she managed to say a few words to Mrs. Sefton, thanking her for all her
kindness, and just before she left the house she found an opportunity to
speak to Edna.

"Edna," she whispered, holding her friend's hand, "you will not forget
our talk. I shall be thinking of you even when I am with Hatty." And
then for the moment she could say no more.

"Will you come, Miss Lambert?" urged Richard gently. He had followed the
girls, and had overheard this little speech; but Bessie did not heed
him.

"Will you try to be brave, Edna?" But her voice was almost inaudible.

"Go with Richard, Bessie, darling; he is waiting for you." And then
Bessie got into the carriage.

She looked back and waved her hand as they drove away, but this time
there was no smile on her face. Edna was standing on the porch, and the
afternoon sun was shining on her face and hair and white dress, and her
large wistful eyes were full of sadness. Bessie's lip quivered, her
heart ached. How beautiful it all was! The world seemed glorified in
sunshine; every one they met seemed happy, and yet Edna was wretched,
and Hatty ill--perhaps dying; and a great black cloud seemed to
overshadow everything, a sense of terror and confusion, of utter chaos.
"In the midst of life we are in death." Why did those words come to
Bessie? Just before the train moved Richard broke the silence.

"You will let us hear how things are, Miss Lambert?"

"Oh, yes, I will write to Edna."

"And you will take ca