Yet she lay like a beautiful piece of marble. Her hands were folded on her breast, and she looked peaceful, so peaceful. How I loved her, and how I longed for one word, one movement whereby I could know she loved me! I do not know how long I stayed there. I lost all thought of time as I stood gazing at the face of my darling. Everything like fear passed, for in spirit I was with her. I kissed her cold lips, as if to bid her good-bye, then seeing the candle in my lantern had burnt low, I began to think in a dazed kind of way that I must go. But it was so hard, so terrible! If I could only have some memento to take, something I might aways keep until I, too, should be laid under the cold sod! What was that? Flashing from her finger that lay on her heart I saw a ring. Dare I take it? At first I shuddered at the thought. Robbing the dead seemed sacrilege, yet it did not seem like robbery. And was I not sure that she would wish me to take it? It might comfort me during the little time I had to live, for I could carry it everywhere with me. I took her hand in mine. Slowly I began to remove the ornament. It was a thick gold circle, and three large diamonds had been inlaid and flashed brightly. It was rather hard to pass over the joint, but I was determined to possess it. Then I stopped as if stunned, and trembled like an aspen leaf. I felt the hand move! Yet I did not drop it. I could not, it seemed welded to mine. Was it the judgment of God for seeking to rob the dead? I looked at her face, as if expecting a curse, and my heart seemed to come into my mouth. Her eyelids began to quiver, her mouth to twitch,[*] and her whole body to give signs of life. To say that I was awed would be but to hint at my feelings. At first I thought it was her ghost rising to denounce me, but soon I saw it was physical life, and then I thought God was working a miracle. Almost unconsciously I went on rubbing her hands, while evidence of returning life became plainer and plainer. Then I trembled lest the shock of seeing me there in that silent vault should kill her, or do her serious injury, and yet I longed to hear her speak, I longed for expressions of her love. Still more plainly did life appear, until I saw her open her eyes. They were dull and had a blank expression, but by and by they became brighter. She looked around the vault as if in wonder, then her eyes rested on the lantern, and again she turned them towards me. For a minute she gazed, then with a cry she sat upright.