That night the Russians did not fire; perhaps the typhus was among them, too. I do not know.
About midnight, when by God's goodness we were asleep, I heard a terrible cry.
I listened, and Sorlé said to me:
"It is Zeffen!"
I rose at once, and tried to light the lamp; but I was so much agitated that I could not find anything.
Sorlé struck a light, I drew on my pantaloons and ran to the door. But I was hardly in the passage-way when Zeffen came out of her room like an insane person, with her long black hair all loose.
"The child!" she screamed.
Sorlé followed me. We went in, we leaned over the cradle. The two children seemed to be sleeping; Esdras all rosy, David as white as snow.
At first I saw nothing, I was so frightened, but at last I took up David to waken him; I shook him, and called, "David!"
And then we first saw that his eyes were open and fixed.