at you would do if you could."

As Mrs. Carleton took the child in her arms and turned her steps toward
the castle, the moon rose slowly from the sea and made a long, golden,
glimmering path from the horizon to the shore. It was the harvest moon,
which was almost at the full. The night was light and still, with the
exception of the sound of the waves, which broke upon the beach below in
one long, continuous moan.

Anna watched beside her charge, sometimes moistening his parched lips,
sometimes arranging his improvised pillow, and listening to every sound
both near and distant, with that quick, discriminating sense of hearing
which we acquire from watching over those we love, and which she had
learned during the last illness of her mother. The night was now far
advanced. Close beside her came the quick, hard breathing, and the
indistinct murmuring of the sufferer.

From down below, still arose the mournful tones of the heavily rolling
waves, and from the forest came the howling of the wolves, but she could
hear they were not near; and resolved if they should approach to scare
them away, by setting light to a pile of wood which Mrs. Carleton had
laid together for that purpose.

As she sat there on the ground and realized her situation, a feeling
almost of terror came over her. During the past few years, she had gone
through the discipline of a long lifetime. This night, the past and
present seemed to combine to crush out the remnant of courage that had
been left to her. She buried her face in her hands and rocked to and
fro, struggling with her feeling, struggling with destiny, and
struggling to call back some of her former self; that as her day, so her
strength might be.

At that moment, Ralph awoke; he turned his face on his pillow, and
regarding her with great earnestness, he said, "Where is Ronald, my
brother? I want him here now."

Anna went nearer to him and, looking at the flushed face and the
brilliant, restless eyes, saw that he was delirious.

"Ronald," he repeated. "Are you there?"

"Perhaps he is near you," said Anna, wishing to solace him.

"That is well," he answered. "I will play my new composition to him."

He immediately began to move his hands over the rugs which covered him,
as if he were playing the organ.

"Ah," said he, "that is the chord I sought,--thank heaven.--Listen to
this.--Hark, hear this resolution. Now do you see what that chord leads
up to?--How is that harmonic progression?--