One evening when the river was very high and it was said that Brydon’s drives of logs would soon be down, a strange thing happened at the Bridge House.
The young doctor had gone, whispering to Mr. Rupert that he would come back later. He went out on tiptoe, as from the presence of an angel. His selfishness had dropped away from him. The evening wore on, and in the little back room a woman’s voice said:
“Is it morning yet, father?”
“It is still day. The sun has not set, my child.”
“I thought it had gone, it seemed so dark.”
“You have been asleep, Judith. You have come out of the dark.”
“No, I have come out into the darkness—into the world.”
“You will see better when you are quite awake.”
“I wish I could see the river, father. Will you go and look?”
Then there was a silence. “Well?” she asked.