Madeleine put her arms round her neck and kissed her.
"My poor--poor child!" said she pityingly.

"I never dreamed of this! What a fool I have been! How could I have been so thoughtless! Tell me!" she added, with a little hesitation; "has he--does he care for you ?" "No! no!" cried Sybil, fairly breaking down into a burst of tears; "no! he loves you! nobody but you! he never gave a thought to me.

I don't care for him so very much," she continued, drying her tears; "only it seems so lonely now he is gone." Mrs.Lee remained on the couch, with her arm round her sister's neck, silent, gazing into vacancy, the picture of perplexity and consternation.
The situation was getting beyond her control..