them, and had not run about or romped since they were almost babies;
they would not have known how; and Jane was always sickly and feeble,
and would have been very unhappy with loud or active ways.

As time passed on, Jane became more weakly and delicate while Barbara
grew up very handsome, and full of life and spirit, but fonder of her
sister than ever, and always coming home from her parties and
gaieties, as if telling Jane about them was the best part of all.

At last, Lady Barbara was engaged to be married to a brother officer
of her second brother, James; but just then poor Jane fell so ill,
that the doctors said she could not live through the year. Barbara
loved her sister far too well to think of marrying at such a time,
and said she must attend to no one else. All that winter and spring
she was nursing her sister day and night, watching over her, and
quite keeping up the little spark of life, the doctors said, by her
tender care. And though Lady Jane lived on day after day, she never
grew so much better as to be fit to hear of the engagement and that
if she recovered her sister would be separated from her; and so weeks
went on, and still nothing could be done about the marriage.

As it turned out, this was the best thing that could have happened to
Lady Barbara; for in the course of this time, it came to her father's
knowledge that her brother and her lover had both behaved
disgracefully, and that, if she had married, she must have led a very
unhappy life. He caused the engagement to be broken off. She knew
it was right, and made no complaint to anybody; but she always
believed that it was her brother James who had been the tempter, who
had led his friend astray; and from that time, though she was more
devoted than ever to her sick sister, she was soft and bright to