What can I do now, at this moment, to be of use to any one?
Set me my task." But Frank was following with his eyes Valencia, as she went hurriedly across to Lucia.

He saw her take two of the children at once off her sister's hands, and carry them away down a walk.

A few minutes afterwards he could hear her romping with them; but he could not have guessed, from the silver din of those merry voices, that Valencia's heart was heavy within her.
For her conscience was really smitten.

Of what use was she in the world?
Major Campbell had talked to her often about her duties to this person and to that, of this same necessity of being useful; but she had escaped from the thought, as we have seen her, in laughing at poor little Scoutbush on the very same score.

But why had not Major Campbell's sermons touched her heart as this one had?
Who can tell?
Who is there among us to whom an oft-heard truth has not become a tiresome and superfluous commonplace, till one day it has flashed before us utterly new, indubitable, not to be disobeyed, written in letters of fire across the whole vault of heaven?
All one can say is, that her time was not come.