g in a splint, and bandages about his
body and chest where big gashes had been stitched and strapped up.
His pain was so great he could scarcely drag himself in, but he crept
forward, wagging his tail bravely; and when Esther laughed a little weak,
almost tearful laugh, at the sight of his long nose coming out of his
'nightcap,' as she called it, he smiled and wagged his tail again,
and tried to raise himself to kiss her.

The other victim Esther did not see until the next day, for Penelope was
too ill to bear anything more that night, and when Esther went into the
sickroom the next day she could hardly recognise her bonnie, smiling
sister in the pale, bandaged face on the pillow, so drawn with pain, so
dark about the eyes, so wan and changed in even that short time.

She was too weak and exhausted even then to speak much, but the old smile
flickered for a moment in her tired eyes, and the sound arm was stretched
out to creep around Esther's neck.

"I am all--all right," she whispered. "I shall be well--soon. It isn't--
so very--bad, now."

"Pen," Esther whispered back in an agony, "oh, Pen, you don't know all,
but--I'll never, never--"

Penelope put up her lips to be kissed. "Never--mind," she whispered
faintly. "Nothing shall--ever--come between us--again, shall it, dear?"

"Never," said Esther decisively, "if I can help it." And she honestly
tried to keep her word.

CHAPTER XVIII.

It often happens that a big shock which pulls us up with a sharp jerk on
the road we are travelling will show us the danger of the way before us,
and teach us to walk warily all our days. So it was with Esther.
The shock and horror, and the awful fear she endured that afternoon,
showed her, as nothing else could, the way she was going. I do not for a
moment mean to say that she conquered her unfortunate temper all at once,
and became perfectly good and gentle and free from all jealousy from that
moment. That would have been impossible to any one, certainly to a child
of such strong feelings, so reserved and sensitive, so full of failings as
Esther. But she did try, and if she failed she did her best to conquer
next time, and only those who have tried too know how hard that is.

Others helped her a little without her knowledge. Penelope tried to
restrain herself in a half unconscious habit she had got into of putting
herself before her shyer elder sister.

Mademoiselle was careful, too, to show her how much she va