Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. II.djvu/443

Rh he did not look astonished. He gazed long and deeply at her as if he would convince himself that it was really herself, after which he stretched out his arms, laid them round her as he said, “If it be a dream, then let me never wake again!”

I made a sign to Rafael and we two went into the ante room, leaving the door of the sick chamber open. All was silent within, silent as when united souls after long separation meet again, never to be parted more. There is then no need of words; words are almost disturbing, the language of the eye is sufficient.

When, after ten minutes, I re-entered the room, the two lay just as before, she upon her knees with her arms around his neck, he gazing blissfully at her and with his fingers lightly stroking away the tears, which again and again swelled from the fountains of the eyes. In the mean time they softly mentioned each other's name,—it was music! I bent softly over them and said:

“Enough now for the moment. You both require rest. The physician has, as I hear, ordered for Waldo a cup of weak bouillon at twelve o'clock in the day. Your little sweetheart shall herself bring it to you; but till that time she must come with me!” But neither of them moved; it was as though they would not or could not understand me. Waldo alone said softly, “Part? part again?” and he clasped her still more fervently in his arms and drew her head to his breast.

“Waldo,” I said to him calmly, “spare her. She requires, perhaps, at this moment more care than you