It was Violet's turn to say good-bye now. She did so kindly, but somewhat hurriedly, and joined Ann who was waiting for her at the door. Glancing back the two girls saw that Malvina had raised herself on her elbow, and was gazing after them. They smiled and nodded, and so bright was her smile in return that Violet thought she could not be so very ill. She made some remark to that effect as soon as she and her companion had left the hospital and were out in the street, but received no reply, and, glancing at Ann, she saw that she was incapable of speech, and that her eyes were almost blinded with tears.
For a few minutes the girls walked on, side by side, in silence; but Ann soon regained her composure, and then Violet asked in awed tones:—
"Do you think that she is going to die—that she won't get over this?"
"I have a feeling that she is not going to live very long, and I know father considers her very ill," was the grave response.
"And yet you agreed with her when she said you would meet again!" cried Violet, considerably surprised.
"Yes, but I did not mean that we should meet in this world, nor, I think, did she," Ann replied, in a voice which was still tremulous with emotion.
"How dreadful!" exclaimed Violet, with a faint shudder.
"Dreadful? Why? It would be dreadful if I thought we should not meet again—if we looked forward no further than this life."
"You are such a strange girl," Violet said wonderingly, "so very different to what I expected you would be."
"You have several times told me that," Ann said gravely, "you make me curious to know what you had pictured I should be like."