"Sir Jasper desires you will both go to bed now," she said, looking commiseratingly at the young people on the sofa; "he will send to the Vicarage to inquire for Miss Joy the first thing in the morning."
"I shall get up early and go myself," Eric declared, decidedly. "I don't believe I shall sleep a wink."
"Nor I," Celia sighed; "but I suppose it's no good our sitting up any longer."
The sister and brother said good-night to each other, and repaired to their respective rooms.
Celia found her box awaiting her, and examined it to see if it had been injured. It had not; but she was unsatisfied until she had unstrapped and opened it, and found the butterfly brooch was perfectly safe.
"I hope I shall soon be able to put it back in its proper place," she thought, as she examined the jewel. "How could I have been so foolish as to take it? It has brought me nothing but trouble."
She placed it at the bottom of her box again, and prepared for bed. When she knelt down to say her prayers, her frame shook with sobs as she thought of Joy, and tried to commend her to God's care; but no words came to her lips, and her attempt to pray ended in a fit of weeping. She crept into bed then, and lay awake thinking of her sister. Remorse was in her heart that she had allowed her to bear Sir Jasper's displeasure, when she alone had been the culprit. How generous it had been of Joy to hold her peace when she might so easily have cleared herself from the suspicion of untruthfulness! Oh, if God would only spare Joy's life, Celia felt she would do anything, bear anything, to atone for what she had allowed her to suffer in the past! At that moment she acknowledged herself vain, and false, and selfish, and a great abhorrence of her own character filled her soul. Yet, though her faults were plain to herself, no thought of going to Sir Jasper with confession upon her lips entered her mind; it never occurred to her that that course would have shown her truly repentant. At length, worn out mentally and physically, exhaustion overcame her, and she fell asleep. Meanwhile, Eric had likewise retired to rest; but, before lying his head upon the pillow, he had poured out all the trouble of his sorrowful heart to his Father in Heaven, and had committed his well-beloved sister to the infinite mercy and love of Almighty God.
[CHAPTER XXIII.]
SIR JASPER BESTIRS HIMSELF.
ERIC was up betimes the morning following the carriage accident; and seven o'clock found him at the Vicarage hearing the latest news of the invalid, which was anything but reassuring, for Joy was no better, and had shown no signs of returning consciousness.