s
the picture was Hester loathed it, for Hester thought during these
wretched days that her heart would break.

Not that Nan turned away from Hetty; she petted her and kissed her, and
sometimes put an arm round Hetty and and an arm round Annie, as though,
if she could, she would draw them together; but any one could see that
her heart of hearts was given to Annie, and that Hester ranked second in
her love. Hester would not for worlds express any of her bitter feelings
before Annie; nay, as the doctor and Miss Danesbury both declared that,
however culpable Annie might have been in causing the accident, she had
saved little Nan's life by her wonderful skill in soothing her to sleep
on the first night of her illness, Hester had felt obliged to grumble
something which might have been taken for "thanks."

Annie, in reply to this grumble, had bestowed upon Hester one of her
quickest, brightest glances, for she fathomed the true state of Hester's
heart toward her well enough.

These were very bad days for poor Hester, and but for the avidity with
which she threw herself into her studies she could scarcely have borne
them.

By slow degrees Nan got better; she was allowed to come down stairs and
to sit in Annie's arms in the garden, and then Mrs. Willis interfered,
and said that Annie must go back to her studies, and only devote her
usual play hours and half-holidays to Nan's service.

This mandate, however, produced woe and tribulation. The spoiled child
screamed and beat her little hands, and worked herself up into such a
pitch of excitement that that night she found her way in her sleep to
Annie's room, and Annie had to quiet her by taking her into her bed. In
the morning the doctor had to be sent for, and he instantly prescribed a
day or two more of Annie's company for the child.

Mrs. Willis felt dreadfully puzzled. She had undertaken the charge of the
little one; her father was already far away, so it was impossible now to
make any change of plans; the child was ill--had been injured by an
accident caused by Annie's carelessness and by Hester's want of
self-control. But weak and ill as Nan still was, Mrs. Willis felt that an
undue amount of spoiling was good for no one. She thought it highly
unjust to Annie to keep her from her school employments at this most
important period of the year. If Annie did not reach a certain degree of
excellence in her school marks she could not be promoted in her class.
Mrs. Willis did