it all so much more difficult for her. She doesn't
see it, of course, but what she is trying to do is to accept the burden
and refuse the consolation which comes with it."

"I must say I fail to see much consolation in an injured spine," I said
hastily, and he looked across the room, opening his eyes with that
quick, twinkling light which I loved to see.

"Ask Rachel," he said, "ask Rachel! If she broke her back to-morrow she
would have at least twenty good reasons for congratulation with which to
edify me for the first time we met. Wouldn't you, dear? I am quite
sure you would accept it as a blessing in disguise."

"If I broke my back I should die, Will. It is always fatal, I believe!"
quoth Rachel the literal, blushing with pleasure at his praise, but
talking as primly and properly as if she were addressing a class in a
school. She is a queer girl to be engaged to!

I saw Will's eyebrows give just one little twitch on their own account,
as if he thought so himself, but the next moment he sat down beside her
and said gently--

"But if you were in Miss Sackville's place, how would you feel? How
would you face the truth?"

She leant back in her chair and stared before her with big, rapt eyes,
her fingers clasping and unclasping themselves on her knee.

"There is only one way--to look to God for help and courage. Pride and
anger can never carry her through the long days and nights that will be
so hard to bear. They must fail her in the end, and leave her more
helpless than before. The consolations are there, if she will open her
eyes to see them, and afterwards--afterwards she will have learnt her
lesson!"

We sat quiet for quite a long time, and then came the inevitable
summons, and Rachel went away and left us alone.

"I told you she was the best woman in the world!" Will said, smiling at
me proudly. I didn't feel inclined to smile at all, but the tears came
suddenly to my eyes, and I began to sob like a baby.

"Oh, yes, yes, but I am not, and Vere is my sister, and she was so
pretty and gay. I can't be resigned for her! I can't bear to see her
lying flat on her back; I can't bear to think of that awful chair. How
can I talk to her of submission when I'm rebellious myself? I'm all
hot, and sore, and miserable, and I want to know why, why, why? Why was
our dear old home burnt when other houses are safe and sound? Why
should we be crippled and made sad and gloomy just when we thought it
was g