subject might not be brought into discussion, and also, that the paper
should be destroyed. "I will not take any false steps," she thought;
"I will be true to my determination, and therefore I will not go to
see Margaret Brown this afternoon; there would be a double motive in
the visit, I fear." Rising, she went slowly up the stairs to Aunt
Faith's room; the door was partly open, and she could hear the rustle
of book-leaves. "Aunt Faith!" she said, standing outside in the hall,
"I have decided not to go with you this afternoon, if you will excuse
me. I shall go over to the cottage to see Rose Saxon. And I have
written down some ideas of mine on this paper; perhaps you may be
interested in reading them."

She did not wait for a reply, but laying down the folded paper on a
chair by the door, she went down the stairs, took her little straw
round hat, and walked over to the cottage, the residence of Mrs. Marr,
whose niece, Rose Saxon, had been one of her schoolmates. Aunt Faith
laid aside her book and read Sibyl's paper several times over; then
she arranged her dress, and went alone to see Margaret Brown, leaving
an order for some work, and inviting the children to come and play in
the large garden at the old stone house. Her voice was gentle, her
words cordial, and Margaret felt cheered by the visit; but the
visitor's heart was sad, and when, on her way home, she met Mr.
Leslie, she merely bowed, without stopping as usual to exchange a
pleasant greeting. But the young clergyman joined his old friend in
spite of her constrained manner, and began talking: "You have been to
see Margaret Brown, I presume, Mrs. Sheldon. I am very glad. I am sure
she will interest you, and she has so few friends to help her, that I
feel anxious to gain for her your good will. Miss Warrington has also
visited her, I believe?"