"Never mind," I said, soothingly. I saw this was not the time to commence her education. "Go to sleep," I said, and bending forward I touched her forehead lightly with my lips. Her eyes looked full back into mine. I had never seen such a wealth of love in any eyes. The lids fell languidly over them. She obeyed me with a happy, satisfied sigh. CHAPTER FIVE. LADY URSULA. Hetty slept fairly well. I sat broad awake by her bedside. I was too young, too fresh, too strong to be exhausted by this evening's excitement and hurry. I was not tired enough to drop asleep in the hard chair by my sister's bedside. My pulses were beating high. I sat all through the long night, excited, anxious, full of a thousand forebodings and troubles. I gave my patient Brand's jelly and grapes when she woke in the night, and early in the morning I boiled an egg, made some crisp toast, and a teapot of fragrant tea, and gave Hetty her breakfast. Afterwards I washed and dressed her; I combed out her hair, and tied it into a soft mass. I straightened the bed, and made it look as tidy as such a miserable bed could be, and then putting some grapes within reach, and the flowers on a little table, where she could look at them, I ran down-stairs to interview the landlady. "I am glad to tell you," I said, "that my sister seems much better this morning." "Oh, ay, miss, I'm sure I'm pleased to hear it." The landlady was all beams and curtsies. "I always said, pore dear, that it was care she wanted--and all I could I give her, as Mr Gray can testify; but when a woman has got to 'arn her living 'ard, she has no power to spend much time a-cookin', and a-cleanin', and a-nursin', and a-messin'. It's always a-nursin' and a-messin' with the sick, and I han't got the time, so I'm glad you has come in, miss." "Yes, but I must go away for some hours," I said, "and I want my sister to be taken all possible care of in my absence. Will you do that for me, Mrs Ashton? I will come back as early in the afternoon as I can." "To be sure I will, my dear." "Here is a piece of paper on which I have written what she is to eat, and how often she is to be fed." "Well, dear, I'll do my 'umble best. I'm not good at readin' and writin', but Mary Ann in the kitchen can spell out what you has writ down, miss, I make no doubt." I left the paper in Mrs Ashton's hands, and went back again to Hetty. "Hetty," I said, "I must go away for a few hours. Mrs Ashton will take all possible care of you." I stopped, distressed by the piteous, helpless expression on her face. "Mrs Ashton doesn't take any care of me," said Hetty. "She leaves me all day long, and never, never comes near the room. Yesterday the fire went out, and I got so hungry, so dreadfully hungry. Then the hunger went off, and I felt only cold and very faint. I thought perhaps I was dying. Don't leave me with Mrs Ashton, miss."