"My God, my God!" he groaned. He recalled having seen Aileen
embroidering these very handkerchiefs last summer up under the pines.
One of the sisterhood, Sister Ste. Croix, was with her giving
instruction, while she herself wrought on a convent-made garment.
What did it mean? With multiplied thoughts that grasped helplessly
hither and thither for some point of attachment, he went on with his
work. Two hours later, he had the satisfaction of knowing the man before
him was physically cared for as well as it was possible for him to be
until he should regain consciousness. His practised eye recognized this
to be a case of collapse from exhaustion, physical and mental. Now
Nature must work to replenish the depleted vitality. He could trust her
up to a certain point.
He sat by the cot, his elbows on his knees, his head dropped into his
hands, pondering the mystery of this life before him--of all life, of
death, of the Beyond; marvelling at the strange warp and woof of
circumstance, his heart wrung for the anguish of that mother far away in
the quarries of The Gore, his soul filled with thankfulness that she was
spared the sight of _this_.
The gray November dawn began to dim the electric light in the room. He
went to a window, opened the inner blinds and looked out. The storm was
not over, but the wind had lessened and the flakes fell sparsely. He
looked across over the neighboring roofs weighted with snow; the wires
were down. A muffled sound of street traffic heralded the beginning day.
As he turned back to the cot he saw that Champney's eyes were open; but
the look in them was dazed. They closed directly. When they opened
again, the full light of day was in the room; semi-consciousness had
returned. He spoke feebly:
"Where am I?"
"Here, safe with me, Champney." He leaned over him, but saw that he was
not recognized.
"Who are you?"
"Your friend, Father Honore."
"Father Honore--" he murmured, "I don't know you." He gave a convulsive
start--"Where are the Eyes gone?" he whispered, a look of horror
creeping into his own.
"There are none here, none but mine, Champney. Listen; you are safe with
me, safe, do you understand?"
He gave no answer, but the dazed look returned. He moistened his parched
lips with his tongue and swallowed hard. Father Honore held a glass of
water to his mouth, slipping an arm and hand beneath his head to raise
him. He drank with avidity; tried to sit up, but fell back exhausted.
The priest busied himself with preparing some hot beef extract on the
little stove. When it was ready he sat down by the cot and fed it to him
spoonful by spoonful.
"Thank you," Champney said quietly when the priest had finished his
ministration. He turned a little on his side and fell asleep.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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