hour, Juliet woke again, vaguely remembering a heavenly dream,
whose odorous air yet lingered, and made her happy, she knew not why.
Then what a task would have been Faber's! For he must not go near her.
The balance of her life trembled on a knife-edge, and a touch might
incline it toward death. A sob might determine the doubt.

But as soon as he saw sign that her sleep was beginning to break, he all
but extinguished the light, then having felt her pulse, listened to her
breathing, and satisfied himself generally of her condition, crept from
the room, and calling the nurse, told her to take his place. He would be
either in the next room, he said, or within call in the park.

He threw himself on the bed, but could not rest: rose and had a bath;
listened at Juliet's door, and hearing no sound, went to the stable.
Niger greeted him with a neigh of pleasure. He made haste to saddle him,
his hands trembling so that he could hardly get the straps into the
girth buckles.

"That's Niger!" said Juliet, hearing his whinny. "Is he come?"

"Who, ma'am?" asked the nurse, a stranger to Glaston, of course.

"The doctor--is he come?"

"He's but just gone, ma'am. He's been sitting by you all night--would
let no one else come near you. Rather peculiar, in my opinion!"

A soft flush, all the blood she could show, tinged her cheek. It was
Hope's own color--the reflection of a red rose from a white.

CHAPTER LIV.

NOWHERE AND EVERYWHERE.

Faber sprung upon Niger's back, and galloped wildly through the park.
His soul was like a southern sea under a summer tornado. The slow dawn
was gathering under a smoky cloud with an edge of cold yellow; a thin
wind was abroad; rain had fallen in the night, and the grass was wet and
cool to Niger's hoofs; the earth sent up a savor, which like a soft warp
was crossed by a woof of sweet odors from leaf-buds and wild flowers,
and spangled here and there with a silver thread of bird song--for but
few of the beast-angels were awake yet. Through the fine consorting mass
of silence and odor, went the soft thunder of Niger's gallop over the
turf. His master's joy had overflowed into him: the creatures are not
all stupid that can not speak; some of them are _with us_ more than we
think. According to the grand old tale, God made his covenant with all
the beasts that came out of the ark as well as with Noah; for them also
he set his bow of hope in the cloud of fear; they are God's creatures,
God b