"Darling! darling, I am here!"
He stirred restlessly without changing his position. Virginia said, as though continuing a conversation, "I am sure she would say you left nothing undone that could possibly be done for her."
"She is right," I whispered.
"Still she was alone at the last," he moaned.
"Yes, dear, but who could know it was the last? She sank so suddenly under the pain. What can I say to comfort you? Oh, Will, come home with us! She would want you to, I am sure."
He shook his head sadly, while the tears were in his eyes, as he said: "Work is my only salvation. I must go back in a very few days."
She said no more, and he leaned back wearily in his easy-chair. I crept more closely to him and suddenly his arms closed about me. I whispered, "There, dear, do you not see that I am really with you?"
He was very still, and the room was very quiet but for the ticking of my little clock still standing upon the dressing-case. Presently I knew by his regular breathing that he had found a short respite from his sorrow. I slipped gently from his arms and went to my friend, kneeling beside her, and folding my arms about her.
"Virginia, Virginia! You know I am not dead! Why do you grieve?"
She looked over at the worn face of the man before her, then dropped her face into her hand, whispering, as though she had heard me and would answer: