She involuntarily threw her hand over the side of the bed. He took it up, and held it; and then touched his lips to her small fingers--fingers so small and delicate and white now that they were like chiseled marble, pliable in his. She did not resist, through inability mostly to draw it away, had she been so disposed. She made no pretense to conceal her fondness for him, nor did she attempt to talk with any design to hurry him away, when he suggested that she would better rest in absolute quiet. John saw all this. But he believed that, in her frailty, he should be very prudent in how he acted, and leave nature, and what little he could do himself, to restore her to her former mental and physical health. "You will remain awhile longer, Mr. Winthrope? I am growing better," she said. "I hesitate about remaining, Miss Jarney, for fear of disturbing your peace," he answered. "I rest better after seeing you," she whispered, with a trembling voice, as if she would break into crying. "Then I am assured that I may come again?" he asked. "You must come often--very often--every day--will you?" "If your father continues his permission to that extent?" "Oh, he will; papa is so good." Is it an hallucination she is laboring under, thought John; or is it the will of a pure heart, feebly speaking? He was still perplexed; but his hopes were not deserting him. "Mr. Winthrope," she said, after a silent spell, "will you go with Miss Barton on Sunday to her home, and act for me in what I had planned to do before I took ill?" "Indeed, I shall be glad to accompany her, and shall do anything you wish," he answered. "I had planned to do so much for the poor in Miss Barton's district," she continued. "I brought her here to be my companion and my aid--such a good girl she is--but I cannot do anything now, unless you will help. Will you?" "I will, willingly," he responded, wonderingly. "When I recover I shall enlist you in my service; we can do so much good for those distressed people." "Nothing would please me better than to help you in this work." "Then, you and Miss Barton may begin it now; I shall join you when I have recovered." "That will be a fine combination for charity's sake," he replied, enthusiastically. "I knew you would enter into the scheme. How good you are!" she said, with a feeble effort to express her gratitude for him in a smile. "I am afraid you flatter me, Miss Jarney," he answered, still holding her trembling hand. "Oh, no; papa says you are so good; and I know you are." "What time Sunday shall we go, Miss Barton?" asked John, turning to that young lady, with increasing enthusiasm over his accumulating duties. "About ten o'clock, perhaps. You call here at that hour, when the auto will be in waiting for us," answered Star, sitting by him, with as much interest in him as Edith had herself. "I shall be prompt to the minute," he replied.