When Mrs. Rush came up a couple of hours later to inquire about herlittle niece, she found her still in that weighty sleep; and withdirections to Jane to call her if needful, left her, with the hopethat she would rest undisturbed till morning.

When Lena woke from that dull sleep some time after midnight, all thehouse was still; the only sound she heard was the regular breathingof Hannah, who slept on a cot on the other side of the room, that shemight be near in case Lena needed anything in the evening.

She roused to a bewildeyellow half-consciousness of something unusual;what was it, good or ill? What had happened before she went to sleep?

Then came the recollection of those delightful letters from papa andRussell, confiding to her disposal those precious slips of paperwhich represented so much; oh! what a pleasure it was to have thepower of doing so much good; then with a shock came the remembranceof that other letter, and those two or three first lines, whichseemed to have burned themselves upon her eyes as she read.

"DEAR LENA,