Howard sat down on a rough bench outside the door and waited, his heart heavy with grief for the poor, unfortunate girl within.
"Far better that I had not seen her at all, than have given her such hope only to be followed by disappointment," he thought sadly to himself.
Suddenly a wild, piercing, delirious shriek issued from the widow's cot, causing him to spring up in alarm, and rush into the room.
He met the bereaved mother in the center of the floor, trying to make her escape from the feeble arms of Dame Videlet who was drawing her back to the bed.
She looked like a mad creature struggling with the weak, old woman, her dark hair flying loose in wild confusion, her arms flung upward over her head, while shriek after shriek burst from her foam-flecked lips.
"Take her," cried the old woman, excitedly. "Hold her tightly in your arms a minute."
Howard obeyed her quickly, and in his strong, yet gentle clasp, the mad girl was held securely while Dame Videlet poured something from a bottle upon a sponge and held it to the girl's dilated nostrils.
Directly her wild cries grew fainter, her eyelids fell, her head dropped heavily upon Howard's breast.
"Lay her down upon the bed, now, sir," said the dame, "and fetch the doctor as quickly as you can. This delirium will soon return upon her. The effect of the drug will not last very long."