"The big doll with the wings is in that box over there. Take it out
and sit down by the sofa so that I can see you, and put the wings on
properly. There's plenty of white gauze and wire. I want you to make
the doll as like an angel as you can."
Lady Helen commenced her pretty work. Sibyl watched her, not caring to
talk much now, for Lady Helen seemed too busy to answer.
"It rests me to have you in the room," said the child, "you are like
this room. Do you know Miss Winstead has given it such a funny name."
"What is that, Sibyl?"
"She calls it the Chamber of Peace--isn't it sweet of her?"
"The name is a beautiful one, and so is the room," answered Lady
Helen.
"I do wish Mr. Rochester was here," was Sibyl's next remark.
"He will come to the bazaar, dear."
"And then, perhaps, I'll see him. I want to see him soon, I have
something I'd like to say."
"What, darling?"
"Something to you and to him. I want you both to be happy. I'm
tremendous anxious that you should both be happy, and I think--I
wouldn't like to say it to mother, for perhaps it will hurt her, but I
do fancy that, perhaps, I'm going to have wings, too, not like
dolly's, but real ones, and if I have them I might----"
"What, darling?"
"Fly away to my beautiful Lord Jesus. You don't know how I want to be
close to Him. I used to think that if I got into father's heart I
should be quite satisfied, but even that, even that is not like being
in the heart of Jesus. If my wings come I must go, Lady Helen. It will
be lovely to fly up, won't it, for perhaps some day I might get tired
of lying always flat on my back. Mother doesn't know, darling mother
doesn't guess, and I wouldn't tell her for all the wide world, for she
thinks I'm going to get quite well again, but one night, when she
thought I was asleep, I heard Nursie say to Miss Winstead, 'Poor
lamb, she'll soon want to run about again, but she never can, never.'
I shouldn't like to be always lying down flat, should you, Lady
Helen?"
"No, darling, I don't think I should."
"Well, there it is, you see, you wouldn't like it either. Of course I
want to see father again, but whatever happens he'll understand. Only
if my wings come I must fly off, and I want everyone to be happy
before I go."
Lady Helen had great difficulty in keeping back her tears, for Sibyl
spoke in a perfectly calm, contented, almost matter-of-fact voice
which brought intense conviction with it.
"So you must marry Mr. Rochester," she continued, "for you both love
each other so very much."
"That is quite true," replied Lady Helen.
Sibyl looked at her with dilated, smiling eyes. "The Lombard Deeps
Mine is full to the brim with gold," she said, in an excited voice. "I
know--Lord Grayleigh told me. He has it all wrote down in his
pocket-book, and you and Mr. Rochester are to have your share. When
you are both very, very happy you'll think of me, won't you?"
"I can never forget you, my dear little girl. Kiss me, now--see! the
angel doll is finished."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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