"Lift me up, Guy, so I can breathe better while I tell you."
He lifted her up and held her in his arms, while through the open window the summer air and the silver moonlight streamed, and in the distance was heard the sound of music as the dance went merrily on. And just then, when she was in the minds of both, Daisy came, and her gentle knock broke the silence of the room and startled both Guy and Julia.
Who was it that sought entrance to that death-laden, disease-poisoned room? Not the doctor, sure, for he always entered unannounced, and who else dared to come there? Thus Guy questioned, hesitating to answer the knock, when to his utter surprise the door opened and a little figure, clad in airy robes of white, with its bright hair wreathed with flowers and gems, came floating in, the blue eyes shining like stars, and the full red lips parted with the smile, half pleased, half shy, which Guy remembered so well.
"Daisy, Daisy!" he cried, and his voice rang like a bell through the room, as, laying Julia's head back upon the pillow, he sprang to Daisy's side, and taking her by the shoulder, pushed her gently toward the door, saying:
"Why have you come here? Leave us at once; don't you see? don't you know?" and he pointed toward Julia, whose face showed so plainly in the gaslight.
"Yes, I know, and I came to help you take care of her. I am not afraid," Daisy said, and freeing herself from his grasp, she walked straight up to Julia and laid her soft white hand upon her head. "I am Daisy," she said, "and I've come to take care of you. I just heard you were here. How hot your poor head is; let me bathe it; shall I?"
She went to the bowl, and wringing a cloth in ice water, bathed the sick woman's head and held the cool cloth to the face and wiped the parched lips and rubbed the feverish hands, while Guy stood, looking on, bewildered and confounded, and utterly unable to say a word or utter a protest to this angel, as it seemed to him, who had come unbidden to his aid, forgetful of the risk she ran and the danger she incurred. Once, as she turned her beautiful face to him and he saw how wondrously fair and lovely it was, lovely with a different expression from any he had ever seen there, it came over him with a thrill of horror that that face must not be marred and disfigured with the terrible pestilence, and he made another effort to send her away. But Daisy would not go.
"I am not afraid," she said. "I have just been vaccinated, and there was already a good scar on my arm; look!" and she pushed back her sleeve, and showed her round, white arm with the mark upon it.
Guy did not oppose her after that, but let her do what she liked, and when, an hour later, the doctor came, he found his recent visitor sitting on Julia's bed, with Julia's head lying against her bosom and Julia herself asleep. Some word which sounded very much like "thunderation" escaped his lips, but he said no more, for he saw in the sleeping woman's face a look he never mistook. It was death; and ten minutes after he entered the room Julia Thornton lay dead in Daisy's arms.
There was a moment or so of half consciousness, during which they caught the words, "So kind in you; it makes me easier; be good to the children; one is called for you, but Guy loved me too. Good-bye. I am going to Jesus."