* * * * *
III
Eve slept the sleep of mental and physical exhaustion. Reaction from fear brings a fatigue more profound than that which follows physical overstrain. But the healthy mind, like the healthy body, disposes very thoroughly of toxics which arise from terror and exhaustion.
The girl slept profoundly, calmly. Her bruised young mind and body left her undisturbed. There was neither restlessness nor fever. Sleep swept her with its clean, sweet tide, cleansing the superb youth and health of her with the most wonderful balm in the Divine pharmacy.
She awoke late in the afternoon, opened her flower-blue eyes, and saw
State Trooper Stormont sitting by the window, and gazing out.
Perhaps Eve's confused senses mistook the young man for a vision; for she lay very still, nor stirred even her little finger.
After a while Stormont glanced around at her. A warm, delicate colour stained her skin slowly, evenly, from the throat to hair.
He got up and came over to the bed.
"How do you feel?" he asked, awkwardly.
"Where is dad?" she managed to inquire in a steady voice.