en so happy in telling how happy
she was that she firmly believed that her story must bring brightness
into the gloom of the sick girl's soul, like sunshine after a dark
night; and Selene had nothing to give her but scornful words and looks.
If a friend refuses to share in joys it is hardly less wounding than if
he were to abandon us in trouble.

"How you always contrive to embitter my happiness!" cried Arsinoe. "I
know very well that nothing that I can do can ever be right in your
eyes; still, we are sisters, and you need not set your teeth and grudge
your words, and shrug your shoulders when I tell you of things which,
even a stranger, if I were to confide them to her, would rejoice over
with me. You are so cold and heartless! I dare say you will betray me to
my father--"

But Arsinoe did not finish her sentence, for Selene looked up at her
with a mixture of suffering and alarm, and said:

"I cannot be glad--I am in too much pain." As she spoke the tears ran
down her cheeks and as soon as Arsinoe saw them she felt a return of
pity for the sick girl, bent over and kissed her cheeks once, twice,
thrice; but Selene pushed her aside and murmured piteously:

"Leave me--pray leave me; go away, I can bear it no longer." She turned
her face to the wall, sobbing aloud. Arsinoe attempted once more to show
her some marks of affection, but her sister pushed her away still more
decidedly, crying out loudly, as if in desperation: "I shall die if you
do not leave me alone."

And the happier girl, whose best offerings were thus disdained by her
only female friend, went weeping away to await her father's return
outside the door of the widow's house.

When Hannah went to lay fresh handkerchiefs on Selene's wounds she saw
that she had been crying, but she did not enquire into the reason of her
tears. Towards evening the widow explained to her patient that she must
leave her alone for half an hour, for that she and Mary were going out
to pray to their God with their brethren and sisters, and they would
pray for her also.

"Leave me, only leave me," said Selene, "as it is, so it is--there are
no gods."

"Gods?" replied Hannah. "No. But there is one good and loving Father in
Heaven, and you soon shall learn to know him."

"I know him, well!" muttered the sick girl with keen irony.

No sooner was she alone than she sat up in bed, and flung the flowers,
which had been lying on it, far from her across the room, twisted the
pin of