t was at Galvaston House.

"Mrs. Crampton begged to have her, and Mr. Gaythorne thought it would
be a good plan, so she fetched her this afternoon. I hope I have done
right, Livy;" and Marcus spoke in an apologetic tone, as though he felt
that he had trenched on the mother's prerogative; "but, you see, I am
so much out, and Martha is so busy, that I thought that we should both
be less anxious to know that Mrs. Crampton was looking after her," and
Olivia agreed to this.

Olivia had already arranged to take the earlier part of the night in
the sick-room, and when Dr. Randolph had paid his evening visit, Deb
took possession of the couch again. Olivia had promised faithfully to
wake her at three o'clock.

A long afternoon nap had refreshed Olivia, and a few hopeful words from
the doctor had cheered her immensely. A little after midnight she was
sitting down by the bedside with some knitting to keep her awake, when
a movement from the bed made her look up. Aunt Madge's eyes were fixed
on her; there was a strange solemnity and deep sadness in their
expression, and as Olivia rose hastily and bent over her with a tender
inquiry, the feeble voice whispered:

"Don't fret any more, Livy, the Master does not need me yet--not yet,"
and then scarcely audibly, "I shall not die, but live and declare the
works of the Lord," and then it seemed to Olivia that the weary eyelids
closed in sleep again.

When her turn for rest came, Olivia felt almost too agitated to sleep;
the sad yearning in the sunken eyes haunted her; too well she knew that
the fresh gift of life would only be an additional cross laid on the
weary shoulders. What was life to Aunt Madge now but suffering and
deprivation, a daily stumbling among shadows, as she had once called it.

There was no reserve and hesitation in Dr. Randolph's manner when he
came out of the sick-room the next day.

"She has turned the corner now, but it was a narrow squeak," he said,
rubbing his hands. "Now, all we have to do is to build up her
strength. Your aunt is a wonderful woman, Mrs. Luttrell. I should not
wonder if she is good for twenty years yet, but we must be careful
still. I suppose you will be here for another day or two? Oh, that's
all right," as Olivia gave a decided assent to this. "It would be a
pity to knock Mrs. Higgins up. There are not many women like her; she
is simply invaluable."

As the days went on the tension of anxiety was visibly relaxed. The
inva