hink
of,--even while my eyes were blinded by my tears; and at last, oh! at
length she opened her large blue eyes. Then I put her into her warm
bed, and sent Dorothy down to tell Miss Furnivall that all was well;
and I made up my mind to sit by my darling's bedside the live-long
night. She fell away into a soft sleep as soon as her pretty head had
touched the pillow, and I watched by her till morning light; when she
wakened up bright and clear--or so I thought at first--and, my dears,
so I think now.

She said, that she had fancied that she should like to go to Dorothy,
for that both the old ladies were asleep, and it was very dull in the
drawing-room; and that, as she was going through the west lobby, she
saw the snow through the high window falling--falling--soft and steady;
but she wanted to see it lying pretty and white on the ground; so she
made her way into the great hall; and then, going to the window, she
saw it bright and soft upon the drive; but while she stood there, she
saw a little girl, not so old as she was, 'but so pretty,' said my
darling, 'and this little girl beckoned to me to come out; and oh, she
was so pretty and so sweet, I could not choose but go.' And then this
other little girl had taken her by the hand, and side by side the two
had gone round the east corner.

'Now you are a naughty little girl, and telling stories,' said I. 'What
would your good mamma, that is in heaven, and never told a story in her
life, say to her little Rosamond, if she heard her--and I daresay she
does--telling stories!'

'Indeed, Hester,' sobbed out my child, 'I'm telling you true. Indeed I
am.'

'Don't tell me!' said I, very stern. 'I tracked you by your foot-marks
through the snow; there were only yours to be seen: and if you had had
a little girl to go hand-in-hand with you up the hill, don't you think
the footprints would have gone along with yours?'

'I can't help it, dear, dear Hester,' said she, crying, 'if they did
not; I never looked at her feet, but she held my hand fast and tight in
her little one, and it was very, very cold. She took me up the
Fell-path, up to the holly-trees; and there I saw a lady weeping and
crying; but when she saw me, she hushed her weeping, and smiled very
proud and grand, and took me on her knee, and began to lull me to
sleep; and that's all, Hester--but that is true; and my dear mamma
knows it is,' said she, crying. So I thought the child was in a fever,
and pretended to believ