it
would never end. Towards morning he became to all appearance
unconscious.

At seven o'clock the front-door bell rang; there was a stir in the hall
and the sound of Mrs. Rogers' voice whispering.

Then the door opened and closed softly. Audrey was standing there, a
strange figure in the dim white room, wrapped in her bearskins, and
glowing with life and the fresh morning air.

At first she could distinguish nothing in the shaded light. Then she
made out Ted, sitting with his back to her at the foot of the bed, and
Katherine standing at the head of it. But when she saw the motionless
figure raised by pillows, and vaguely defined under the disordered
bedclothes, a terror seized her, and she hid her face in her hands.

"Come here, Audrey," said Katherine, gently. And she came--gliding,
trembling, as she had come to him that afternoon at Chelsea, a year and
a half ago. But she kept her eyes fixed on Katherine. She was afraid to
look _there_.

"Take his hand. Speak to him."

Audrey looked round, but Ted had left the room. Her small white hand
slid out of her muff, warm with the warm fur, and rested on Vincent's
hand; but no words came. She was sick with fear.

The touch was enough. Warm and caressing, the little fingers curled into
the hollow of his hand and Vincent woke from his stupor. He opened his
eyes, but their look was vague and wondering; he was not conscious yet.
Katherine moved aside and drew up the blind, and the faint daylight fell
on Audrey's face, as her eyes still followed Katherine.

For one instant his brain seemed to fill suddenly with light. It
streamed from his brain into the room, and he saw her standing in the
midst of it.

"Audrey!" The loud hoarse voice startled Katherine, and made Audrey
shake with fright. His hand closed tightly on hers, and he sank back
into unconsciousness.

For two hours the two women kept watch together by his bed: Katherine at
the head, holding Vincent in her strong arms; Audrey sitting at the foot
with her back turned to him, pressing her handkerchief to her mouth. At
nine o'clock she shivered and looked round, as Vincent's head sank
forward on his breast.

Katherine, standing at the back of the bed, first saw what had happened
by the change on Audrey's face. The corners of her mouth had suddenly
straightened, and she started up, white and rigid.

"He's dead! Take me away, Katherine--take me away!"

But this time Katherine neither saw nor heard her.