But Ivor held her back. "I must see Evan first," he besought. "If he's asleep, I won't speak a word; but if he's awake, he'll understand. I must peep at him, Barbara. Do let me." The little girl was terribly frightened, especially as Ivor was already at the door and half-way across the passage. Fear of making matters worse by causing a commotion made her follow him through the half-open door, but no words could express her dismay at what she was made a party to. There lay Evan in that sort of unconscious sleep which had so alarmed every one, and in the dim, darkened room—surely that was the doctor sitting by the bedside, holding his watch in his hand! Ivor saw him too, and without a sound the two children crept back to the other room. CHAPTER X. A PROMISE. "IVOR," said Barbara solemnly, "you ought not to have gone like that, not till we had asked Lucia. Now what is it you want to tell?" Ivor looked first one way and then the other. "Oh, Barbara, would Evan wish me to? He said I wasn't to till he said; but—if he were to die?" Barbara took her brother's hand, and knelt down silently by the bed; but she could feel it being drawn away unwillingly. "Had we not better tell God first, Ivor?" "I can't—oh, Barbara, we've been so naughty—we ought to have told, and we haven't—" "Told what? Oh, Ivor! Why don't you now?" "About having a fall—he fell on his head." "Ivor!" "It was the tricycle—" "Tricycle?" echoed Barbara. "Yes; we didn't mean to get into any harm. But we saw a jolly one, and we hired it for an hour, and then we ran into a bank, and Evan hurt his head and his foot; and we thought it wasn't much, and we hoped—" He laid his head down beside her and cried bitterly. "Do you think he will die?" he sobbed. "I don't know; but, oh! Do ask God to forgive you for being so deceitful, and then we'll go down and tell Lucia. How can we ask for him to be made well while you haven't told the dear Lord Jesus that you are sorry?" Ivor threw his arms round her neck. "I am, Barbara, I am sorry! Oh, do tell God how sorry I am! I'll tell Him too!" So with broken little words the boy asked forgiveness for their deception, and then he passively let Barbara lead him down to where Lucia sat in the dark, counting the minutes till the doctor should come down to tell her—what? But when the doctor came down, he had nothing very decisive to say. He reported that Evan was sleeping more naturally, that nurse was with him, and that he would call again in an hour or two, but that the house must be kept perfectly quiet. Lucia had already taken Ivor back to his room, and now told the doctor of the fall from the tricycle. He shook his head. "I guessed as much; I thought it was more than the sun," he said, and went out into the moonlight. As Lucia crossed the little passage, feeling as if she had lived days instead of hours since yesterday, she heard from above a low sound of crying.