the other end of the broad aisle, and that
Mrs Greenleaf had much ado to keep fast hold of her impatient boy till
she should speak a word with her. But she could not trust herself to
meet them and to answer them quietly, and hurried away. So she went
home again, over the valley and up the hill with the darkness still
round her, till Menie's bright smile and cheerful welcome chased both
pain and darkness away.

But when the rest were gone, and the sisters were left to the Sabbath
quiet of the deserted home, the fear came back again, for in a little
Marian laid herself down with a sigh of weariness, and slept with her
cheek laid on the Bible that she held in her hand. As Graeme listened
to her quick breathing, and watched the hectic rising on her cheek, she
felt, for the moment, as though all hope were vain. But she put the
thought from her. It was too dreadful to be true; and she chid herself
for always seeing the possible dark side of future events, and told
herself that she must change in this respect. With all her might she
strove to reason away the sickening fear at her heart, saying how
utterly beyond belief it was that Menie could be going to die--Menie,
who had always been so well and so merry. She was growing too fast,
that was all; and when the spring came again, they would all go to some
quiet place by the sea-shore, and run about among the rocks, and over
the sands, till she should be well and strong as ever again.

"If spring were only come!" she sighed to herself. But first there were
weeks of frost and snow, and then weeks of bleak weather, before the
mild sea-breezes could blow on her drooping flower, and Graeme could not
reason her fears away; nor when the painful hour of thought was over,
and Menie opened her eyes with a smile, did her cheerful sweetness chase
it away.

After this, for a few days, Graeme grow impatient of her sister's
quietness, and strove to win her to her old employments again. She
would have her struggle against her wish to be still, and took her to
ride and to visit, and even to walk, when the day was fine. But this
was not for long. Menie yielded always, and tried with all her might to
seem well and not weary; but it was not always with success; and Graeme
saw that it was in vain to urge her beyond her strength; so, in a
little, she was allowed to fall back into her old ways again.

"I will speak to Doctor Chittenden, and know the worst," said Graeme, to
herself, but