Every moment that she could spare from her duties, Miss Lane devoted to the sufferer. Her soft fingers soothed when none others had the power, and when the pain was torture she sang the young girl into quietness, lifting her soul to God in prayer, and cheering her when the fear of death was strong. So two days passed, and a second night of watching came.
CHAPTER V.
Lillie had never spent such miserable days as those two when the warfare with her conscience was waging continually. Everything went wrong, nothing gave her any pleasure, she was thoroughly miserable, and so irritable that she had to be sent two or three times each day to her room for cross answers and ill conduct.
She knew quite well that she could have no peace till she confessed her fault, she saw that she could not do right till that spot on her usual truth and sincerity had been washed out. But timidity held her back; she kept putting off the evil day, and rose each morning with a sense of heaviness and depression about her, resolving to get rid of the weight before another night came.
She could not pray, for while she said the words she knew the act was mockery, because she was continuing in wilful sin. So, this safeguard being removed, the child fancied herself falling into sins innumerable, and darkening all the hours of the day with the shadow of one fault.
Two or three times she had gone to Miss Lane, intending to confess; but when there, the words died on her lips, and remained unsaid—such a trembling and terror seized her. She tried to persuade herself that opportunity was wanting, as her teacher was so much engaged with the dying Phœbe that she was only seen at meals and in school hours; but that was poor comfort.
The very next afternoon Lillie determined to meet her teacher in the hall, and tell her the whole truth; but when she heard Miss Lane going quickly down the steps, her feet almost refused to move, and when she opened the hall door, Frank was there, kneeling on the rug, and fitting on the small over-shoe for his idol.