ok," he wrote; "I have not the least idea
what the doctors have said of her, but when I spoke on the subject to
her mother, she shirked it. There is not the least doubt that Mrs.
Ogilvie can never see a quarter of an inch beyond her own selfish
fancies. It strikes me very forcibly that the child is in a precarious
state. I can never forgive myself, for she met with the accident on
the pony I gave her. She likes you; go to her if you can."

It so happened that by the very same post there had come an urgent
appeal from Mrs. Ogilvie.

"If you cannot come to the bazaar," she wrote to Lady Helen, "it will
be a failure. Come you must. Your presence is essential, because you
are pretty and well born, and you will also act as a lure to another
person who can help me in various ways. I, of course, allude to our
mutual friend, Jim Rochester."

Now Lady Helen, even with the attraction of seeing Mr. Rochester so
soon again, would not have put off a series of visits which she was
about to make, had not Lord Grayleigh's letter decided her. She
therefore arrived at Silverbel on the 22d of September, and was
quickly conducted to Sibyl's room. She had not seen Sibyl for a couple
of months. When last they had met, the child had been radiant with
health and spirits. She was radiant still, but that quick impulsive
life had been toned down to utter quiet. The lower part of the little
body was paralyzed, the paralysis was creeping gradually up and up. It
was but a question of time for the loving little heart to be still for
ever.

Sibyl cried with delight when she saw Lady Helen.

"Such a lot of big-wigs are coming to-morrow," she said, "but Lord
Grayleigh does not come until the day of the bazaar, so you are quite
the first. You'll come and see me very, very often, won't you?"

"Of course I will, Sibyl. The fact is I have come on purpose to see
you. I should not have come to the bazaar but for you. Lord Grayleigh
wrote to me and said you were not well, and he thought you loved me,
little Sib, and that it would cheer you up to see me."

"Oh, you are sweet," answered the child, "and I do, indeed I do love
you. But you ought to have come for the bazaar as well as for me. It
is darling mother's splendid work of charity. She wants to help a lot
of little sick children and sick grown up people: isn't it dear of
her?"

"Well, I am interested in the bazaar," said Lady Helen, ignoring the
subject of Mrs. Ogilvie's noble action.

"It is s