Mayhew observed with
satisfaction that her respiration was as regular and natural as
that of a little child. Wronged nature will, to a certain extent,
forgive the young and restore to them the priceless treasures of
health and strength they throw away. Ida had been a sad spendthrift
of both lately, but now that the evil spell was broken, the poor
worn body and mind sank into a long and merciful oblivion, during
which a new life began to flow back from the, as yet, unexhausted
fountain of youth.
She awoke late in the morning, and it was some moments before she
could recall all that had happened. Then, as she remembered her
dreadful purpose, there came a strong rush of grateful feeling that
she HAD awakened--that life and its opportunities were still hers.
For a moment she portrayed to herself what she had supposed would
have happened that day--she imagined herself lying white and
still--the people coming and going on tiptoe and speaking in hushed
tones, as if death were but a troubled and easily broken sleep;
while they looked at her with faces in which curiosity and horror
were equally blended; she saw her father staring at her in utter
despair, and her mother trying, in a pitifully helpless way, to
think how appearances might still be kept up and a little shred of
respectability retained.
Pages:
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463