nd "it wasn't her wish"; but Mr Harford, who was on the
watch, began to answer her, so as to keep her from going upstairs with
the visitors. Little Judy, now a nice, neat girl of fourteen, was
sitting by her, but rose to go away when the lady came in.

Judith was leaning against pillows, and the pink flush in her cheeks and
her smile of greeting prevented Sophy from seeing how ill and wasted she
looked, thin and weak as were the fingers that lay on the coverlet.

"Why, Judith, you look much better than I expected. You will soon be as
well as ever."

Judith only smiled, and said, "Thank you, ma'am! I hope Mrs Carbonel
is better."

"Yes. She is getting better now, and she is very sorry not to come and
see you; but perhaps she may be able before we go away."

"And little Miss Mary, ma'am?"

"She has been quite another creature since we have been at Poppleby--not
at all fretty, and almost rosy."

"I am glad. And you are going away, ma'am?"

"Yes; off to a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea, close to all
the places where Saint Paul preached. You know Dora is at Malta, where
he was shipwrecked."

"Yes, ma'am; I like to know it. You will give my duty to her, Miss
Sophy, and thank her--oh! so much,"--and Judith clasped her hands--"for
all she and you and Mrs Carbonel have been to me. You seemed to bring
the light back to me, just as my faith was growing slack and dull."

"Yes; I will tell her, Judith. I don't like leaving you, but it won't
seem long till we come back; and we will send you those beautiful
Maltese oranges."

Judith smiled that beautiful smile again. "Ah, Miss Sophy, you have
been very good, and helped me ever so much; but my time is nearly over,
and I shall not want even you and madam where I am going. I shall see
His face," she murmured; and lifted up her hands.

Sophy was rather frightened, and felt as if she had done wrong in
talking of oranges. She did not know what to say, and only got out
something about Johnnie and a comfort.

"Yes, that he is, Miss Sophy, and little Judy too. The boy, he is that
shy and quiet, no one would believe the blessed things he says and reads
to me at night. He _be_ a blessing, and so be Judy, all owing to the
Sunday School."

"Oh! to you, Judith. You made him good before we had him, though Mary
and Dora did help," said Sophy, with rising tears.

"And oh! I am so thankful," she said, clasping her hands, "for what the
captain is doing for t