led apart
the reticulated layers, and of these had soon begun to fashion two loose
garments, one to hang from her waist, the other from her shoulders.
With the stiletto-point of an aloe-leaf and various filaments, I sewed
together three thicknesses of the tissue.

During the week that followed, there was no farther sign except that she
more evidently took the grapes. But indeed all the signs became surer:
plainly she was growing plumper, and her skin fairer. Still she did not
open her eyes; and the horrid fear would at times invade me, that her
growth was of some hideous fungoid nature, the few grapes being nowise
sufficient to account for it.

Again I was bitten; and now the thing, whatever it was, began to pay me
regular visits at intervals of three days. It now generally bit me in
the neck or the arm, invariably with but one bite, always while I slept,
and never, even when I slept, in the daytime. Hour after hour would I
lie awake on the watch, but never heard it coming, or saw sign of its
approach. Neither, I believe, did I ever feel it bite me. At length
I became so hopeless of catching it, that I no longer troubled myself
either to look for it by day, or lie in wait for it at night. I knew
from my growing weakness that I was losing blood at a dangerous rate,
but I cared little for that: in sight of my eyes death was yielding to
life; a soul was gathering strength to save me from loneliness; we would
go away together, and I should speedily recover!

The garments were at length finished, and, contemplating my handiwork
with no small satisfaction, I proceeded to mat layers of the fibre into
sandals.

One night I woke suddenly, breathless and faint, and longing after air,
and had risen to crawl from the cave, when a slight rustle in the leaves
of the couch set me listening motionless.

"I caught the vile thing," said a feeble voice, in my mother-tongue; "I
caught it in the very act!"

She was alive! she spoke! I dared not yield to my transport lest I
should terrify her.

"What creature?" I breathed, rather than said.

"The creature," she answered, "that was biting you."

"What was it?"

"A great white leech."

"How big?" I pursued, forcing myself to be calm.

"Not far from six feet long, I should think," she answered.

"You have saved my life, perhaps!--But how could you touch the horrid
thing! How brave of you!" I cried.

"I did!" was all her answer, and I thought she shuddered.

"Where is it? Wha