Her mother was glad to let her go, and glad too that Fred offered to accompany his sister.

The children were admitted to the house, and shown into the room where Nora lay upon a snow-white bed; herself as white and cold as marble.
Mrs.Stanhope was kneeling by the bedside, her face buried in the coverlet.

Emma laid her flowers upon the bed, and, with fast flowing tears, looked upon the peaceful face, and remembered sadly that she had not done a friendly act for the little invalid, nor helped to wile away her lonely hours.

She left the room sorry and ashamed, regretting her selfishness, when it was too late to do any good.
A little while after, Mrs, Stein came softly into the quiet room.

Mrs.
Stanhope raised her head, and, as she returned the kindly greeting, her grief broke out, and she exclaimed with sobs:-- "Oh, if you knew how miserable I am! Why--ah, why! does God take from me my only child?
Fortune and lands, everything else he might have taken, if he would only have left me my child! This is the very hardest fate that could have befallen me! Why must I suffer more than any one else in the world ?" "Dear Mrs.Stanhope," said the doctor's wife, as she took the poor lady's hand and pressed it tenderly in her own; "I feel for your sorrow, but I beg you to think of what your child has gained.