wed and boomed, some small and far
away, some near, the blowers of the collieries and the other works.
Then there was silence. He mended the fire. The great breaths broke the
silence--she looked just the same. He put back the blind and peered out.
Still it was dark. Perhaps there was a lighter tinge. Perhaps the snow
was bluer. He drew up the blind and got dressed. Then, shuddering, he
drank brandy from the bottle on the wash-stand. The snow WAS growing
blue. He heard a cart clanking down the street. Yes, it was seven
o'clock, and it was coming a little bit light. He heard some people
calling. The world was waking. A grey, deathly dawn crept over the snow.
Yes, he could see the houses. He put out the gas. It seemed very dark.
The breathing came still, but he was almost used to it. He could see
her. She was just the same. He wondered if he piled heavy clothes on top
of her it would stop. He looked at her. That was not her--not her a bit.
If he piled the blanket and heavy coats on her--

Suddenly the door opened, and Annie entered. She looked at him
questioningly.

"Just the same," he said calmly.

They whispered together a minute, then he went downstairs to get
breakfast. It was twenty to eight. Soon Annie came down.

"Isn't it awful! Doesn't she look awful!" she whispered, dazed with
horror.

He nodded.

"If she looks like that!" said Annie.

"Drink some tea," he said.

They went upstairs again. Soon the neighbours came with their frightened
question:

"How is she?"

It went on just the same. She lay with her cheek in her hand, her mouth
fallen open, and the great, ghastly snores came and went.

At ten o'clock nurse came. She looked strange and woebegone.

"Nurse," cried Paul, "she'll last like this for days?"

"She can't, Mr. Morel," said nurse. "She can't."

There was a silence.

"Isn't it dreadful!" wailed the nurse. "Who would have thought she could
stand it? Go down now, Mr. Morel, go down."

At last, at about eleven o'clock, he went downstairs and sat in the
neighbour's house. Annie was downstairs also. Nurse and Arthur were
upstairs. Paul sat with his head in his hand. Suddenly Annie came flying
across the yard crying, half mad:

"Paul--Paul--she's gone!"

In a second he was back in his own house and upstairs. She lay curled
up and still, with her face on her hand, and nurse was wiping her mouth.
They all stood back. He kneeled down, and put his face to hers and his
arms round her:

"My