"Elena," called the boy softly; "here are some visitors to see you." "For me?" said a voice from the darkness--a voice which we recognized at once. "Well, then, Gabriel, please take the shawl from the window; they will find it too dark here." "But Elena, the light will make your head ache." "No, no, dear; it's alright now I've slept a bit, and I feel better." Presently the shawl came down from the window, allowing us to see the form of poor Mlle. Virtud on the bed. "Oh," she said, "so it's you! It's very kind of you, dear children, to come and see me!" We stood near the door transfixed as we looked on the face of our poor sick teacher and we saw what a terrible change a few days had made. The little boy came and stood near his elder sister with a mixed air of concern and deep affection. "And how is everybody at the school?" asked the invalid. And Paula told her a bit about the small happenings in the class. "And so Mademoiselle Virginia has taken the class. I am sure you must love her very much." "Not as much as we do you, dear teacher," said Paula. "Oh, Paula, you just say that to make me feel good; do you not?" and poor Mlle. Virtud looked from one to the other of us a bit sadly I thought. At this, Paula came over to the bed and placed her warm hand on the thin cheek of the sick one, as she said, "No, Mademoiselle; it is because it is true, that I said it You are our dear teacher, and we know that you have sacrificed so much and worked so hard to give us knowledge, and so that is why we love you." "I did my fifty lines!" I burst out, "that is to say, Paula did twenty-five, and I did the rest." "What's that you say?" and a smile of amusement passed over the thin features of the teacher, and yet a certain tender look came into her eyes as she said, "You poor little thing! I'd forgotten all about it!" "Gabriel," she said, turning to the boy who had been examining us minutely, "these are the young ladies who have been sending you such beautiful flowers. You see, he loves flowers so!" explained Mademoiselle. "Poor child, he cannot walk, and so he has to stay here in this stuffy room all day long. Before I was ill, I was able to take him out in his little carriage, and sometimes we would go as far as the open fields where he could see all the flowers he wanted to, to his heart's desire, but now that I'm confined to my bed with this heart-attack, those little excursions have become impossible." "Are you very sick, Mademoiselle?" Paula asked.