"
"Poor child!" said Alice, "you have had a worse time than I."
"I used to lie and watch that crack in the door, at the foot
of my bed," said Ellen, "and I got so tired of it I hated to
see it; but when I opened my eyes I couldn't help looking at
it, and watching all the little ins and outs in the crack,
till I was as sick of it as could be; and that button too,
that fastens the door, and the little round mark the button
has made, and thinking how far the button went round. And
then, if I looked towards the windows, I would go right to
counting the panes, first up and down, and then across — and I
didn't want to count them, but I couldn't help it; and
watching to see through which pane the sky looked brightest.
Oh! I got so sick of it all! There was only the fire that I
didn't get tired of looking at; I always liked to lie and look
at that, except when it hurt my eyes. And oh! how I wanted to
see you, Miss Alice! You can't think how sad I felt that you
didn't come to see me. I couldn't think what could be the
matter."
"I should have been with you, dear, and not have left you, if
I had not been tied at home myself."
"So I thought, and that made it seem so very strange. But oh!
don't you think," said Ellen, her face suddenly brightening —
"don't you think Mr. Van Brunt came up to see me last night?
Wasn't it good of him? He even sat down and read to me — only
think of that! And isn't he kind? — he asked if I would like a
rocking-chair, and of course I said yes, for these other
chairs are dreadful — they break my back; and there wasn't
such a thing as a rocking-chair in Aunt Fortune's house — she
hates 'em, she says; and this morning, the first thing I knew,
in walked Mr.
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