In the meantime Captain Clare was their dearest friend after their brother Edgar went away; and it was in this way that their friendship began: They were sitting--Selina and Frederica--one day in old Mrs Bentham's garden, where the sunshine made it, to Selina at least, just like a summer day. Frederica had been reading a word or two, as her sister liked to have her do when they were alone together; and to-day it had been the first verses of the twelfth of Hebrews that she had chosen. They had not gone beyond the first two or three verses; there was enough in them to talk and wonder over. "Perhaps it means this, Fred," said Selina, after a minute's silence; "these people, `so great a cloud of witnesses'--the people in the last chapter, you know--are all looking at us, and so we must `run with patience the race set before us.' Or is it that all these people looked to Jesus, and so got strength and patience to `subdue kingdoms,' to `stop the mouths of lions'? Don't you remember? They were `destitute, afflicted, tormented,--of whom the world was not worthy.' Oh! Fred dear, how little we know!" But it was not Fred that answered her, but Captain Clare. Fred had gone down the garden path, not caring less than her sister for the reading, or for the meaning of what they read, but less intent upon it for the moment, because she could see so much that was beautiful around her. For even in winter Grandmamma Bentham's garden was beautiful, and not every visitor at Eastwood Park was admitted to it. But when Captain Clare took up the book which Frederica had laid down, and reading over again the words Selina had found so difficult, added afterwards a few words of his own, she came back again, and leaned on the garden chair on which her sister sat. It was nothing very new or very wonderful that he said to them. He only told them in a few clear words what he thought the apostle meant in writing thus to the suffering Hebrews, touching incidentally on other points of interest in other parts of the Bible, over which the sisters had pondered together with varying interest and profit. Selina listened eagerly, only saying now and then with smiling lips, "Do you hear, Frederica?" "Are you listening, dear Fred?" Fred was listening, forgetting the holly leaves and the bright berries with which she had filled her apron to make wreaths for some young friends in the house. She listened silently. She had less to say on all subjects than she used to have in the old days, before care had been laid so heavily upon her. But she listened earnestly, for she knew that all would have to be gone over again with her sister when they were alone. They listened till Miss Agnace came to warn them that the sun had gone behind the clouds, and that they must return to the house. "But you will tell us more," said Selina, softly passing her fingers over the hand that had taken hers in saying good-bye. "Another day you will tell us more."