utside
to lift it up to any level of hope.

'The loud, stunning tide of human care and crime,' as Keble has it, beat
more remorselessly and hopelessly on her ears as she looked up to the
smoke-obscured sky that wet and dismal day. She felt as if heaven had
never been so far away. Almost her faith had lost its hold. These sad
thoughts, which gave a somewhat worn and wearied look to her face, were
arrested by their arrival at the Infirmary gates. It was not the
visiting hour, but a word of explanation to the porter secured them
admittance, and they found their way to the portion of the old house
where Lizzie Hepburn lay. The visiting surgeons and physicians had just
left, so there were no impediments put in their way, and one of the
housemaids speedily brought Nurse Rutherfurd to them. She was a
pleasant-faced, brisk little body, whose very presence was suggestive of
skill and patience and kindly thought for others.

'Oh yes, you are Miss Graham, and have come to see poor Lizzie,' she
said. 'Will you just come in here a moment? Her brother is with her. I
will tell her you have come.'

She took them into a little room outside the ward door, and lingered
only a moment to give them some particulars.

'She has been here three weeks,' she explained; 'she was over in the
surgical wards first, and then came to us; it was too late for us to do
any good. The doctor said this morning that she will probably slip away
to-day.'

The little seamstress turned away to the grey window and wept silently;
Gladys remained composed, but very pale.

'And her brother is with her? Is this the first time?' she asked.

'Yes; it was only when we told her there was no hope that she mentioned
the names of anybody belonging to her. She spoke of you yesterday, and
asked only this morning that her brother might be sent for. Shall I tell
her you have come?'

'If you please. Tell her her old chum is with me; she will quite
understand,' said Gladys quietly, and the nurse withdrew. Not a word
passed between her and Teen while they were alone.

The nurse was not many moments absent, and the two followed her in to
the long ward. It was a painful sight to Gladys, who had never before
been within the walls of an hospital. Teen, however, looked about her
with her usual calm self-possession, only her heart gave a great beat
when the nurse stopped at a bed surrounded and shut off by
draught-screens from sight of the other beds. She knew, though Gladys