'Thee did, indeed. The night was wild and
cold."

"Did I fall on the threshold?"

"Upon the very threshold, and let us thank God
for that, because if thee had fallen at the gate or in
the path we should never have heard thee."

Pepeeta struggled to a sitting posture as her
memory clarified, fixed her wide open eyes upon
Dorothea and asked, pathetically, "Where is he?"

"I do not know who thee means," said Dorothea,
laying her hand on the invalid's shoulders and try-
ing gently to 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



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266 THE REDEMPTION OF DAVID CORSON

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 fre-
quent, the tears ceased to flow, and sleep, coming
like a benediction, brought the balm of oblivion.
The boy, with his great brown eyes, looked won-
deringly from the face of the invalid to that of his
mother, who sat silently weaving in her imagina-
tion the story of this life, from the few strands
which she had seized in this brief and broken con-
versation.
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.
