od. She had risen
already to a higher conception of love than the bride whose
predominating joy was still in being loved--in receiving rather than
giving! At that moment Rowena had a flash-like glimpse into the
nobility of Susan Webster's nature, and her former disdain turned into
admiration and love.

When the first painful days had passed, it cannot be denied that Dreda
thoroughly enjoyed her position of invalid, with all the petting and
consideration which it involved. She was inclined to pose as a heroine,
moreover; for had not her own sufferings been the result of standing by
a companion in distress! "I could not leave her," she announced to the
doctor when he cross-questioned her concerning the events of the fateful
afternoon. "She shrieked every time I made the least movement. It was
the knee that was broken, but the pain seemed to stretch all the way up.
It would have been cruel to move her."

"One has sometimes to be cruel to be kind, Miss Dreda. It would have
been better for her, as well as for yourself, if you had insisted upon
going for help at once," said the doctor in reply; but even as he spoke
he laid his hand on her shoulder with a friendly pat, and Dreda felt
complacently convinced that he considered her a marvel of bravery and
self-sacrifice.

Mrs Saxon was the most devoted of nurses, and shed tears of
thankfulness over each step of the invalid's progress towards
convalescence; but Dreda was by no means satisfied with the attitude of
her elder sister. Rowena floated in and out of the sick-room with a
smile and a kiss; but instead of begging to be allowed to stay, she
seemed always in a hurry to be gone, and on one or two occasions when
Dreda made feeble efforts at conversation, her attention wandered so
hopelessly that she said "Yes" and "No" in the wrong places, or
blushingly requested to have the question repeated.

"How odd Rowena is! So absent-minded and stupid. She doesn't listen to
half one is saying, and smiles to herself in the silliest way.--I think
the housekeeping must be too much for her brain!" Dreda declared to her
mother, and Mrs Saxon smiled in response and skilfully turned the
conversation to a safer topic. Dreda was not strong enough to bear any
excitement yet awhile.

It was nearly a week later, when one morning, as Rowena stood by the
bedside, the invalid's quick eyes caught the flash of diamonds on the
third finger of her sister's left hand. She pounced upon it,