Part 27 (1/2)
said the woht These are those twelve which you saw”
”And where--where, O God, is SHE!”
”There,” replied the wo to one which was the third froly ”Are you sure? For I will tear up all these till I find her”
”I am sure, for I was the one who buried her I and a man--”
I seized the spade and turned up the soil I labored incessantly for what seemed an endless period I had thrown out much earth but had not yet reached her I feltinto a state of deliriuave way, and I sank down just as ave back a hollow sound
My knees gave way, and I sank down But I would not give up I tore up handfuls of earth and threw them into the air
”Oh, Edith!” I cried, ”I a!”
”Co voice, yet pityingly ”You can do nothing I will dig her out in a minute”
[Illustration: ”I TOOK HER IN MY ARMS AND BROUGHT HER FORTH FROM THE GRAVE,” ETC]
”God forever bless you!” I cried, leaping out and giving place to her I watched her as she threw out the earth Hungrily I gazed, devouring that dark aperture with h boards appeared
Then I leaped down I put ave way The lid was only fastened with a few nails My bleeding fingers clutched it It yielded to ht on earth like that which now met my eyes as I raised the lid and looked below? The h in the sky, streamed down directly into the narrow cell It showed ht beams threw a lustre round that face which was upturned toward me Ahmaiden carved in alabaster Bathed in the moonbeams it lay before me, all softened and refined and ht the moon's rays, and encircled the head like a crown of ih in slumber; still the lips were fixed into a smile She lay as one who had fallen into a deep, sweet sleep--as one who in that sleep has dreams, in which are visions of more than earthly beauty, and scenes of h at that unequaled vision I had drawn intosoth; strength no longer fitful and spasmodic, but firm, well fortified and well sustained
I took her in rave into the life of earth
Ah ure which had been worn down by the unparalleled suffering through which she had passed This thought transfixed uish--even awed the rapture that I felt at clasping her in my arms
But now that I had her, where was I to seek for a place of shelter? I turned to the woman and asked: ”Is there any secluded place where she may sleep undisturbed till she wakes--”
”No, there is none but what is croith the sick and dying in all this island”
”I must have some place”
”There is only one spot that is quiet”
”What one?”
”The dead-house”
I shuddered ”No, not there See,” said I, and I handed her a piece of gold ”Find me some place and you shall have still ly, ”I have the rooive up that”
”Take me there, then”