Some soft kisses and warm tears were dropped upon the child’s sleepy face. She had moved, and the voices ceased, but both parents were bending over her little bed. She opened her eyes drowsily, smiled and kissed them, and then she sank off to sleep again holding her mother’s hand in hers. CHAPTER II. WINIFRED’S TROUBLE. Winifred awoke early the following morning, to find the sunshine playing over the window-blind and the swallows twittering in the eaves. She fancied that something unusual had happened in the night; but she could not, all in a moment, recollect what it was. Gradually some of the sense of what had passed between her parents in her night-nursery came back to her as she lay in bed puzzling things over, and she began to talk softly to herself as she had a way of doing. “I think they said I was going away somewhere, to some nice place where I should be very happy. I can’t quite remember, and I thought Dr. Howard meant I was to stay at home; but I don’t always understand what people mean. I’m almost sure papa and mamma said I was to go--I suppose it’s to some nice place where little children get strong and well again. I should like to be able to run about again and play with the boys. I should like to do what other children can.” But a little more thinking brought other considerations. “Mamma was sorry--I think she cried. I’m afraid she isn’t coming with me, because she talked about losing me. I suppose nurse will take me--that will be next best; and mamma could not be spared. Papa wants her and the boys, and there are the servants and the house. Oh no, they could not possibly spare her. I must try to be brave, and not to cry and make her more sorry. I won’t seem to mind leaving her, if I can help it, though it will be very, very hard; and I will try to get better as fast as ever I can, so as to come back soon strong and well as Charley did when he had measles, and nurse took him to the seaside. “I wonder where I am going--a good way off, I think, because I don’t think mamma would have cried if it had been only a little way or for a little while. Perhaps I am going where the swallows go--perhaps I shall see them again. I should like to do that. I think I am going when they go--I will try to get well to come back when they come. That would be very nice, for I think they would miss me when they began to build their nests; and I don’t think I _could_ do without mamma longer than that--Oh no, I must come back when the swallows come.” Winifred was smiling now; but by-and-by her face grew grave. “I wonder if people will miss me when I am gone. I wonder if they will be sorry. Mamma will, I know, but is there any one else? I should like to think some of them would miss me and want me to come back; but--but--I’m not sure that they would!” and here the child’s face grew rather red.