o push her back upon her pillow.

"David!" she exclaimed, "David. Tell me if you know, for it seems to me
I shall die if I do not hear."

"I do not know, my love. It is a long time since we have heard from
David. But thee must lie down. Thee is not strong enough to talk."

She did not need to force her now. The muscles relaxed, and Pepeeta sank
back upon her pillow, sobbing like a little child, while Dorothea
stroked her forehead. The soothing touch of her hand and her gentle
presence calmed the agitated and disappointed heart. The sobs became
less frequent, the tears ceased to flow, and sleep, coming like a
benediction, brought the balm of oblivion.

The boy, with his great brown eyes, looked wonderingly from the face of
the invalid to that of his mother, who sat silently weaving in her
imagination the story of this life, from the few strands which she had
seized in this brief and broken conversation.

The next morning when Pepeeta awakened she was not only rested and
refreshed by this natural sleep, but was restored to the full possession
of her consciousness and her memory.

When Dorothea came in from her morning duties to see how her patient
fared, she was startled by the change, for the invalid had recovered
that calm self-possession which she had lost before beginning her
journey, and now that her uncertainty was ended had already begun to
face disappointment with fortitude and resolution.

The nurse seated herself by the patient, who said humbly:

"May I talk now?"

"If thee feels strong enough and can do it without exciting thyself,
thee may. But if thee cannot, thee had better wait a little longer. Thee
is very weak."

"But I am much better, am I not?"

"Yes, thee is much better, but thee is far from well."

"Yes, I am far from well; but it will do me good to talk. I have much to
tell, and I cannot rest until I tell it all."

"Thee need not hurry--need thee?"

"Yes--I feel in haste. I have no right to all this kindness, for I have
done this household a great wrong and I must confess it. It is a sad,
sad story. Will you listen to it now?"

"If it will do thee good instead of harm, I will."

"Then prop me up in bed, if you please. Place me so that I can talk
freely. There, thank you. You are so gentle and so kind. I have never in
all my life had any one touch me so gently. And now, if you are ready,
be seated in the great chair and turn your face to the wall."

"To the wall?"

"Yes, to the