h she
could not have looked forward hopefully or patiently, but upon which she
could look back without regret, was her separation from her sister. At
first all things had happened as had been planned. They made their
preparations for their long talked of visit to Merleville; they enjoyed
the journey, the welcome, the wedding. Will went away, and then they
had a few quiet, restful days with Janet; and then there came from home
sad tidings of Fanny's illness--an illness that brought her in a single
night very near to the gates of death, and Graeme did not need her
brother's agonised entreaties to make her hasten to her side. The
summons came during a brief absence of Rose from Merleville, and was too
imperative to admit of Graeme's waiting for her return, so she was left
behind. Afterwards, when Fanny's danger was over, she was permitted to
remain longer, and when sudden business brought their brother Norman
east, his determination to take her home with him, and her inclination
to go, prevailed over Graeme's unwillingness to consent, and the
sisters, for the first time in their lives, had separate homes. The
hope of being able to follow her in the spring, had at first reconciled
Graeme to the thought, but when spring came, Fanny was not well enough
to be left, nor would Norman consent to the return of Rose; and so for
one reason or other, more than two years passed before the sisters met
again. They were not unhappy years to Graeme. Many anxious hours came
in the course of them, to her and to them all; but out of the cares and
troubles of the time came peace, and more than peace at last.

The winter that followed her return from Merleville, was rather a dreary
one. The restraints and self-denials, which the delicate state of her
health necessarily imposed upon her, were very irksome to Fanny; and
Graeme's courage and cheerfulness, sometimes during these first months,
were hardly sufficient to answer the demands made upon her. But all
this changed as the hour of Fanny's trial approached--the hour that was
to make her a proud and happy mother; or to quench her hope, perhaps,
her life, in darkness. All this was changed. Out of the entire trust
which Fanny had come to place in her sister Graeme, grew the knowledge
of a higher and better trust. The love and care which, during those
days of sickness and suffering, and before those days, were made
precious and assured, were made the means of revealing to her a love