paused to listen. From within came the
sound of soft singing, and the faint rustle of a wood fire. What was
Grace singing? one of the quaint French songs that she loved,--

"Trois anges sont venus ce soir,
M'apportaient de bien belles choses;
L'un d'eux avaient un encensoir,
Le deuxieme un chapelet de roses.
Et le troisieme avait en main
Une robe toute fleurie,
De perles, d'or et de jasmin,
Comme en a Madame Marie.
Noel! Noel!
Nous venons du ciel,
T'apporter ce que tu desires;
Car le bon Dieu,
Au fond du ciel bleu,
A chagrin lorsque tu soupires!"

The two girls crept softly past, Viola wiping the tears from her eyes.
They went down to the study, and, knocking gently, were bidden to enter.
Miss Russell and Miss Cortlandt were sitting together, and at their feet
sat the Snowy and the Fluffy Owls, curled up on two hassocks. Peggy
looked in timidly.

"Come in, Peggy!" said Miss Russell's cheerful voice. "Who is that with
you? Oh, Viola? come in, my dear! Do you want anything?"

"No, Miss Russell," said Peggy. "I--I just wanted to come in, that was
all."

"So did we!" said the Fluffy. "We just came, and we feel so much better.
Sit down here, Peggy."

She patted the floor beside her, and Peggy and Viola sat down. Peggy
heaved a sigh of relief. "I thought you would let us come," she said.
"It's so dreadful not to be able to do anything, isn't it, Miss Russell?
If we could help in any way, or feel that we were doing anything at
all, it wouldn't be so bad. I came by the door just now, and Grace was
singing, and it all sounded so quiet and peaceful. You think it is all
going well, don't you, Miss Russell? You don't think she is worse
to-day, do you, Miss Russell?"

Miss Russell put back Peggy's hair, which had fallen into her eyes as
she looked up eagerly. "Dear," she said, "I was just telling Gertrude
and Bertha how it is. Doctor Hendon thinks there will be a change
to-day; he thinks the crisis is coming. It is a time of great danger,
but he has good hope, and we must have it, too. And, girls, you are all
longing to help; now, you can help us to-day. You can help very much
indeed. The house must be kept absolutely quiet this afternoon. The
girls are in their rooms now; but if you could get them off for a walk,
some of them, and send the rest to the gymnasium, you would be doing us
al