"Never mind now, dear," whispered Annie, "only keep still or you will
bring on your fever again."

"I believe I have been very ill, and have said many strange things,"
murmured Charlotte, "but I know you now and understand what I say. Do
you think you can forgive me, Annie?"

"Yes, dear Charlotte, and I love you better than ever now, so do not
talk any more." Annie kissed her tenderly as she spoke, and the sick
girl laid her head upon the pillow still holding Annie's hand in her
own.

From this time Charlotte rapidly improved, and one afternoon, when her
mother and Mrs. Grey and Annie were sitting with her, she told them the
whole truth about the lost money, and begged them to forgive her. Little
Annie, whose tears were flowing fast, kissing her again and again,
assured her of her entire forgiveness, and told her never to mention it
again.

Mrs. Grey then said, "I think that we all forgive your fault, my dear
child, but there is One whose forgiveness you must first seek before
your repentance can be sincere. The sin you have committed against God
is far greater than any injury you have done us. In the first place, my
dear Charlotte, you wished to give with a wrong motive; you did not seek
to please God and serve Him, by giving your trifle with a sincere heart
and earnest prayers. You sought rather the praise of your teachers; and
worse even than this, you wished to awaken the envy of your companions.
Such a gift, however large, could never be acceptable to the just God,
who knows all hearts, and bids us to do good in secret and He will