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rd over the woman whose face was turned a little from her. "She is sleeping"--she said looking up again. "She will not hear you any more," said the doctor. "She breathes, regularly,--" "Yes--so she will for perhaps some hours. But she will not waken again,--probably." "Are you sure?" Faith said with another look at the calm face before her. "Very sure!"-- Was it true? Faith looked still at the unconscious form,--then her bible fell from her hands and her head wearily sunk into them. The strain was over--broken short. She had done all she could,--and the everlasting answer was sealed up from her. Those heavy eyelids would not unclose again to give it; those parted lips through which the slow breath went and came, would never tell her. It seemed to Faith that her heart lay on the very ground with the burden of all that weight resting upon it. She was not suffered to sit so long. "May I take you away?"--Mr. Linden said,--"you must not stay any longer." "Do you think it is no use?" said Faith looking up at him wearily. "It is of no use," said Dr. Harrison. He had come near, and took her hand, looking at her with a moved face in which there was something very like tender reproach. But he only brought her hand gravely to his lips again and turned away. Mr. Linden's words were very low-spoken. "I think the doctor is right.--But let me take you home, and then I will come back and stay till morning if you like--or till there comes a change. _You_ must not stay." "I don't like to go,"--said Faith without moving. "She may want me again." "There may be no change all night," said the doctor;--"and when it comes it will not probably be a conscious change. If she awakes at all, it will be to die. You could do nothing more." Faith saw that Mr. Linden thought so, and she gave it up; with a lingering unwillingness got off the bed and wrapped her furs round her. Mr. Linden put her into the sleigh, keeping Jerry back to let the doctor precede them; and when he was fairly in front, Faith was doubly wrapped up--as she had been the night of the fire, and could take the refreshment of the cool air, and rest. Very wearily, for a while, mind and body both dropped. Faith was as still as if she had been asleep; but her eyes were gazing out upon the snow, following the distant speck of the doctor's sleigh, or looking up to the eternal changeless lights that keep watch over this little world and mock its changes. Ye
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