Jill laughed, but the fancy pleased her, and she straightened herself out under the gay afghan, while she sang, in a plaintive voice, another little French song her father taught her:—­

  “J’avais une colombe blanche,
  J’avais un blanc petit pigeon,
  Tous deux volaient, de branche en branche,
  Jusqu’au faîte de mon dongeon: 
  Mais comme un coup de vent d’automne,
  S’est abattu là, l’épervier,
  Et ma colombe si mignonne
  Ne revient plus au colombier.”

“My poor Jean had a fine voice, and always hoped the child would take after him.  It would break his heart to see her lying there trying to cheer her pain with the songs he used to sing her to sleep with,” said Mrs. Pecq, sadly.

“She really has a great deal of talent, and when she is able she shall have some lessons, for music is a comfort and a pleasure, sick or well,” answered Mrs. Minot, who had often admired the fresh voice, with its pretty accent.

Here Jill began the Canadian boat-song, with great vigor, as if bound to play her part of Indian victim with spirit, and not disgrace herself by any more crying.  All knew the air, and joined in, especially Jack, who came out strong on the “Row, brothers, row,” but ended in a squeak on a high note, so drolly, that the rest broke down.  So the hour that began with tears ended with music and laughter, and a new pleasure to think of for the future.

After that day Jill exerted all her fortitude, for she liked to have the boys call her brave and admire the cheerful way in which she endured two hours of discomfort.  She found she could use her zither as it lay upon her breast, and every day the pretty music began at a certain hour, and all in the house soon learned to love and listen for it.  Even the old cook set open her kitchen door, saying pitifully, “Poor darlint, hear how purty she’s singin’, wid the pain, on that crewel boord.  It’s a little saint, she is.  May her bed above be aisy!”

Frank would lift her gently on and off, with a kind word that comforted her immensely, and gentle Ed would come and teach her new bits of music, while the other fellows were frolicking below.  Ralph added his share to her amusement, for he asked leave to model her head in clay, and set up his work in a corner, coming to pat, scrape, and mould whenever he had a spare minute, amusing her by his lively chat, and showing her how to shape birds, rabbits, and queer faces in the soft clay, when the songs were all sung and her fingers tired of the zither.

The girls sympathized very heartily with her new trial, and brought all manner of gifts to cheer her captivity.  Merry and Molly made a gay screen by pasting pictures on the black cambric which covered the folding frame that stood before her to keep the draughts from her as she lay on her board.  Bright birds and flowers, figures and animals, covered one side, and on the other they put mottoes, bits of poetry, anecdotes, and short stories, so that Jill could lie and look or read without the trouble of holding a book.  It was not all done at once, but grew slowly, and was a source of instruction as well as amusement to them all, as they read carefully, that they might make good selections.