the
day-time while she rested, Nanna and Margaretta took turns to be in the
sick-room. Buskin bent her whole mind on beef-tea, broth, and jelly,
became shorter in her speech, and less inclined to answer questions as
the days went on. Only Susan, in spite of her most earnest wish, was
not allowed to go into Sophia Jane's room, and found there was very
little she could do to help. She had no opportunity, therefore, of
telling her companion that she was sorry for her past unkindness; she
could only sit on the stairs outside her room ready to carry messages
when wanted, watching for the visits of the doctor, and trying to gather
from the expression of his face whether Sophia Jane were better.

It was hard to be left out when every one else was doing something, and
at last Susan bethought herself that Grace might be a comfort to the
invalid, and sent her in by Nanna. To her disappointment, however, she
brought the doll back almost directly, dropped it into Susan's lap, and
said:

"She's too ill to take any notice of it."

Too ill to take any notice of Grace dressed in her new bonnet, Sophia
Jane must indeed be unlike herself. Perhaps her head ached very badly
like Freddie's. "How I wish they would let me help with the bandages!"
sighed Susan to herself. Day after day followed, till Sophia Jane had
been ill a week. No improvement. The fever did not leave her; each
morning she seemed a little weaker and less able to bear it, and each
morning Aunt Hannah's face looked graver and more conscious, so that
Susan did not like to ask the question always in her mind, "May I see
Sophia Jane to-day?"

One afternoon, however, she was in her usual place on the stairs reading
when the door behind her opened, and some one said softly, "Susan." She
looked up; Aunt Hannah stood there beckoning her to come in.

"You may see Sophia Jane for five minutes," she said; "she wants to ask
you something. You must promise her to do whatever she wishes, and
speak very gently."

Susan followed on tip-toe through the first room, where there were
medicine bottles and a strong smell of vinegar, into the second. She
looked timidly towards the bed and felt as though she should see a
stranger there and not Sophia Jane. This was almost the case, for the
little figure sitting propped up with pillows had nothing familiar about
it. Her hair had been cut quite short, and stood up in spikes all over
her head, there was a burning pink flush on e