-the train was just
coming in!" Anne's voice died away in an awful impressive silence.
"M'amzelle Lucille sprang to catch him--"

"Oh!" gasped Esther, in horror.

"They saved _her_," he added significantly; "but she was injured, she was
lame always from that day, and her eyes were injured. She may be blind,
some day--if she lives. He was killed before her eyes."

"Oh, poor M'amzelle Leperier," groaned Esther, her heart aching with the
tragedy of the terrible story. "I wonder it did not kill her."

"It nearly did," said Anne significantly.

"And her singing?"

"She never sang again, m'amzelle. She says her voice broke with the
shock--but it was her heart that broke. She loved him so; it was too
cruel, too terrible."

"Did you come here to live then?"

"No, m'amzelle, not for a long time. We travelled from place to place.
M'amzelle Lucille said she would go alone, but my wife and I would not
leave her, she was so lonely, so _triste_, she had no one but us.
Wherever we went people stared at her and annoyed her so. Very often they
recognised her, she was so well known; or they saw she was beautiful, and
they knew her story, or found it out, and they had no delicacy, no
feeling. We always had to leave. Last year we came here. M'amzelle does
not suffer here, except from loneliness, and I think she never will, but
it is too lonely for her. I hope you will come to see her, m'amzelle.
She likes you, I can see."

Esther was delighted. Here, at last, was some one who really needed her.
In her heart she determined to devote all her spare time to M'amzelle
Lucille. The walk home was over much sooner than she wished. She could
have gone on listening to Anne for miles further, but the bridge was
crossed, the lights began to show in the cottage windows, and soon they
were at the gate of Moor Cottage.

Here Esther's new joy began to moderate. It was quite dark now.
Anne told her it was nearly six o'clock. What would Cousin Charlotte be
thinking? Now she had time to spare a thought for her, Esther felt sorry
and ashamed.

The sounds of their footsteps or voices must have reached the anxious ears
within, for even while she was saying 'good-night' to her companion the
cottage door was opened wide, letting a flood of light pour along the
pathway. "Esther, dear, is that you?" asked Cousin Charlotte's gentle
voice reproachfully, and Esther flew to her and flung her arms about her.

"Oh, Cousin Charlotte, I _a