'I know this, that you are not going to bully Hilda the very first day
she comes down.'

Kenneth turned away with his low chuckle, and Nelly came up, and
sitting down by me, put her hand on mine caressingly. 'You look as
white and fragile as a piece of china, Hilda. I am so glad you are
better. You don't know how we have missed you, and when I thought we
were going to lose you altogether I was miserable. I thought over all
the nasty things we had said to you, and how you had borne it like an
angel, and then I thought you were going to be taken away because you
were too good for us, and I was wretched!'

Her eyes were full of tears. She added impulsively, 'I prayed that you
might be spared to us. I promised God I would turn over a new leaf and
be more serious, and I want to keep that promise. You will help me,
will you not? I so often wish I was more like you!'

'Dear Nelly,' I said, tears coming to my own eyes, 'I will do what I
can to help you. I know you will never regret it if you do keep that
promise!'

More we could not say then, for others came up, Mr. Stanton amongst
them. He smiled as he took my hand. 'Welcome back, Miss Thorn. Are
you glad to be amongst us again?'

'Yes,' I said, looking up at him, 'I think I am, though at one time I
thought I should like to go. I did not think I would be missed.'

He did not answer for a minute, then he said in a low voice, 'I think
the Lord has more work for you to do yet in this corner of His
vineyard.'

I thought of Nelly, and wondered if that was to be my work. How often
I had prayed that she might have the desire given to her to be
different! She had always appeared so perfectly content with her life,
that I wondered if anything would ever convince her of its emptiness.

I saw a great deal of Mr. Stanton during my convalescence; he would
sometimes come into the morning-room where Nelly and I spent most of
our time, and bring me a book or paper to read, often sitting down and
reading it himself to us. And I soon lost all sense of constraint with
him, and could talk to him as unrestrainedly as I could to any one.

Miss Graham would often join us in her spare time, and the days passed
so pleasantly that I dreaded a change in them.

One afternoon I was lying back in an easy chair by the fire alone, when
Mr. Stanton came in.

'I thought I would enjoy a little chat with you before dinner,' he
said. 'I am going away in two days' time, so may not