"I felt as if God's eye had turned, full of pity and forgiveness, towards me, the sinner. A pure, holy joy streamed through me. I fell across my sister's body, and hid my face at her neck. "In the midst of her pain she began to smile, with an effort placed her hand upon my head, and murmured, with hardly audible voice, 'I suppose I have been giving you all a great fright?' "The breath of her words enveloped me like a peace-bringing chant, and for a moment I felt as if the burden at my heart must give way--but I was unable to weep. "'How do you feel?' I asked. "'Well, quite well!' she replied, 'only the sheet weighs so heavily upon me!' "It was the lightest I had been able to find. I told her so; then she sighed and said she knew she was a fidget, and I was to have patience with her. "And then she lay again quite still, and constantly looked at me as if in a dream. At length she nodded several times and remarked: 'It is well thus--quite well!' "'What is well?" I asked. "Then she smiled again and was silent. And then the pains returned. She shook all over and clenched her teeth, but she did not utter a complaint. "'Shall I call for Robert?' I asked, for terror overwhelmed me anew. "She nodded. 'And bring the child too,' she murmured. "I did as she had bid. She had the little creature laid on the bed beside her, and looked down at it for a long time. She also made an attempt to kiss it, but she was too weak to do so. "Even before Robert came she had relapsed into her sleep. "He gave me a reproachful look, and remarked, 'Why did you not send for me sooner?' "'Believe me, it is better thus,' I answered, 'it would have excited her too much to see you.' "'You always seem to know what is best,' said he, and went out, fortunately without noticing the glow which suffused my face at his praise. "Now she lay there again unconscious--her cheeks red, and her forehead wet with perspiration. And added to that, the gruesome play of her lips! They kept on twitching and smacking. "Towards one o'clock the doctor came, took her temperature, and certified a diminution of fever. "'That will go up and down many a time yet,' he said; nor did he enter into our joy over her awakening. 'Do not speak to her when she regains consciousness,' he urged, 'and above all, do not allow her to speak herself. She needs every atom of her strength.' "Before he left, he fixed his eyes on me for a long time, and shook his head doubtfully. I felt how the consciousness of guilt drove the blood to my cheeks. It was as if he could look me through and through. "... In the afternoon I had fetched myself a book from my room, the first I happened to lay my hands upon and tried to read in it; but the letters danced before my eyes, and my head buzzed as if it were full of bats.