him. Hugh came and went, and Nora took
herself to her chamber. The hours of the night went on, and Mrs.
Trevelyan was still sitting by her husband's bed. It was still
September, and the weather was very warm. But the windows had been
all closed since an hour before sunset. She was sitting there
thinking, thinking, thinking. Dr. Nevill had told her that the time
now was very near. She was not thinking now how very near it might
be, but whether there might yet be time for him to say that one word
to her.

"Emily," he said, in the lowest whisper.

"Darling!" she answered, turning round and touching him with her
hand.

"My feet are cold. There are no clothes on them."

She took a thick shawl and spread it double across the bottom of
the bed, and put her hand upon his arm. Though it was clammy with
perspiration, it was chill, and she brought the warm clothes up close
round his shoulders. "I can't sleep," he said. "If I could sleep,
I shouldn't mind." Then he was silent again, and her thoughts went
harping on, still on the same subject. She told herself that if ever
that act of justice were to be done for her, it must be done that
night. After a while she turned round over him ever so gently, and
saw that his large eyes were open and fixed upon the wall.

She was kneeling now on the chair close by the bed head, and her hand
was on the rail of the bedstead supporting her. "Louis," she said,
ever so softly.

"Well."

"Can you say one word for your wife, dear, dear, dearest husband?"

"What word?"

"I have not been a harlot to you;--have I?"

"What name is that?"

"But what a thing, Louis! Kiss my hand, Louis, if you believe me."
And very gently she laid the tips of her fingers on his lips. For a
moment or two she waited, and the kiss did not come. Would he spare
her in this the last moment left to him either for justice or for
mercy? For a moment or two the bitterness of her despair was almost
unendurable. She had time to think that were she once to withdraw
her hand, she would be condemned for ever;--and that it must be
withdrawn. But at length the lips moved, and with struggling ear she
could hear the sound of the tongue within, and the verdict of the
dying man had been given in her favour. He never spoke a word more
either to annul it or to enforce it.

Some time after that she crept into Nora's room. "Nora," she said,
waking the sleeping girl, "it is all over."

"Is he--dead?"

"It is all over. Mrs. Ric