g ship:

"La main morte,
La main morte,
Tapp' a la porte,
Tapp' a la porte."

She shuddered. Why should the dead hand tap at her door? Yet there it
was tapping louder, louder.... She struggled, she tried to cry out, then
suddenly she grew quiet, and the tapping got fainter and fainter--her
eyes opened: she was awake.

For an instant she did not know where she was. Was it a dream still? For
there was a tapping, tapping at her door--no, it was at the window.
A shiver ran through her from head to foot. Her heart almost stopped
beating. Some one was calling to her.

"Guida! Guida!"

It was Philip's voice. Her cheek had been cold the moment before; now
she felt the blood tingling in her face. She slid to the floor, threw a
shawl round her, and went to the casement.

The tapping began again. For a moment she could not open the window. She
was trembling from head to foot. Philip's voice reassured her a little.

"Guida, Guida, open the window a moment."

She hesitated. She could not--no--she could not do it. He tapped still
louder.

"Guida, don't you hear me?" he asked.

She undid the catch, but she had hardly the courage even yet. He heard
her now, and pressed the window a little. Then she opened it slowly, and
her white face showed.

"O Philip," she said breathlessly, "why have you frightened me so?"

He caught her hand in his own. "Come out into the garden, sweetheart,"
he said, and he kissed the hand. "Put on a dress and your slippers and
come," he urged again.

"Philip," she said, "O Philip, I cannot! It is too late. It is midnight.
Do not ask me. Why, why did you come?"

"Because I wanted to speak with you for one minute. I have only a little
while. Please come outside and say good-bye to me again. We are sailing
to-morrow--there's no doubt about it this time."

"O Philip," she answered, her voice quivering, "how can I? Say good-bye
to me here, now."

"No, no, Guida, you must come. I can't kiss you good-bye where you are."

"Must I come to you?" she said helplessly. "Well, then, Philip," she
added, "go to the bench by the apple-tree, and I shall be there in a
moment."

"Beloved!" he exclaimed ardently. She shut the window slowly.

For a moment he looked about him; then went lightly through the
garden, and sat down on the bench under the apple-tree, near to the
summer-house. At last he heard her footstep. He rose quickly to meet
her, and as she c