Part 53 (1/2)

When Mary woke she found her husband sitting by her bedside, with the light of such a great joy in his eyes, that a glad wonder at once came into her own. She felt that some very happy thing must have come to pa.s.s, and she raised herself in the bed, and, taking his hand in hers, she gazed expectantly into his face.

”Mary, I have some very good news indeed for you,” he said gently but very earnestly.

”I knew it! I knew it!” she exclaimed, trembling violently.

”Mary, can you bear to hear it now?--how do you feel?”

”Oh, now--now!” she cried vehemently. ”Tell it to me now, at once, before I go away again. Oh! Harry--you don't understand--sometimes the whole world seems to slip away from me. I feel as if my soul was being carried right away into some dark place--and I leave memory and love and everything but sensation behind me--I cannot think then, Harry. Tell me quick, for I can understand now. Tell me at once, or the darkness will come again, and it will be too late!”

”My darling! my darling! The darkness will never come to you again.

Mary, dear, listen to me. I know your secret, and your enemies can never trouble you more.”

She pa.s.sed her hand across her brow several times, then said in a feeble puzzled voice, ”You cannot know all, or you would hate me.”

”I do know all, and I love you more than ever!” he exclaimed pa.s.sionately as he put his arms about her and kissed her.

She hid her head on his breast and sobbed in the fulness of her great joy.

”Mary,” he continued, ”you need no longer fear Susan Riley's plots. She will never molest you again. And who do you think is the friend who has saved us? It is Mrs. King--she is coming to see you to-morrow.”

Gradually he told her all that Catherine King had revealed to him. At first she could not bring herself to believe that this was more than a very happy dream; she feared she would awake again soon and find herself in the presence of the shadow. But before he left her, she had realized all that had happened on that day; and with tears and inarticulate prayers of grat.i.tude to the G.o.d who had not deserted her, she relieved her o'er-wrought spirit, until a sweet sleep closed her weary eyes.

Catherine King called as she had promised on the following afternoon.

”How is she? Shall I be able to see her?” she asked anxiously, as soon as the doctor came into the room.

”Mary is very much better. Indeed there is very little the matter with her now,” he replied. ”But I wish to say a few words to you before we go upstairs. Mrs. King, I have had a long talk with Mary about you. My dear friend!--I hope you will allow me to call you that now--we have decided that you are to stay with us; you must live here with Mary. She insists on it. You know how she loves you--it will be cruel of you to refuse. It has been settled that you are not to leave us even this night. The weather is very bad, and you are too ill to be out in it. Indeed you must be looked after. A room has been got ready for you, and to-morrow you can give up your lodgings. No! No refusal! I am your doctor now, and my orders are peremptory. You will be happy yet and live long with us.”

She shook her head and smiled. ”I will not trouble you long. But oh, Dr.