Possibly it was more than one regret that found utterance then.
"You'll be all well and walking about when I come back, won't you dear ?" said she, at last, in a shaking voice.
"I shall get well thinking what a splendid time you're having, darling." "Sophie--will you be quite the same to me when I come back ?" "Why, Neelie, dear, what a question! I shall always be the same to you." "But I feel as if there were going to be something--that something was going to come between us;" and Cornelia began to droop like a flower under an icy wind.

"You never could hate me, could you, Sophie ?" "Hate you! Neelie! What makes you speak so, dear?
I have no misgivings." "Oh! I don't know--I don't know! it must be because I'm wicked!" "_You_ wicked, my darling sister! Come," said Sophie, with an earnest smile, "think only of how much we love each other; let the misgivings go." "Yes, we do love each other now, don't we?
Whatever happens we'll always remember that.

Good-by, Sophie!" said Cornelia, with a strong hug and a long kiss.
"Good-by, dear Neelie!" Cornelia ran down-stairs; her papa had just gone out to the wagon; she went into Bressant's room, and walked quickly up to the bedside.
"Here's your watch," said she.

"I've kept it all safe, and wound it up and every thing." She had also slept with it under her pillow, and worn it all day in her bosom, but that she did not mention.

She laid it down on the table as she spoke.
"Have you a watch ?" asked Bressant.
"I had one, but it did not go very long.