CHAPTER XXXVI. THE EVENING STAR.

r!" "There'snouseinsending,"saidNina"heisdriventodeath,andcan'tcome.Besides,there'snothingthematterwithme,onlyIamalittletiredandcold.Shutthedoorsandwindows,andcovermeup.No,no,don'ttakemeupstairs!Iliketolieherejustputashawloverme,that'sall.Iamthirsty,—givemesomewater!" Thefearfulandmysteriousdisease,whichwasthenintheascendant,hasmanyformsofapproachanddevelopment.One,andthemostdeadly,isthatwhichtakesplacewhenapersonhassolongandgraduallyimbibedthefatalpoisonofaninfectedatmosphere,thattheresistingpowersofnaturehavebeeninsidiouslyandquietlysubdued,sothatthesubjectsinksunderit,withoutanyviolentoutwardsymptom,byaquietandcertainyieldingofthevitalpowers,suchashasbeenlikenedtothebleedingtodeathbyaninternalwound.Inthiscase,beforeanhourhadpassed,thoughnoneoftheviolentanddistressingsymptomsofthediseaseappeared,itbecameevidentthatthesealofdeathwassetonthatfairyoungbrow.Amessengerhadbeendispatched,ridingwiththedesperatespeedwhichloveandfearcangive,butHarryremainedinattendance. "Nothingisthematterwithme—nothingisthematter,"shesaid,"exceptfatigue,andthischangeintheweather.IfIonlyhadmoreoverme!and,perhaps,youhadbettergivemealittlebrandy,orsomesuchthing.Thisiswater,isn'tit,thatyouhavebeengivingme?" Alas!itwasthestrongestbrandybuttherewasnotaste,andthehartshornthattheywereholdinghadnosmell.Andtherewasnochangeintheweatheritwasonlythecreepingdeadness,affectingthewholeouterandinnermembraneofthesystem.Yetstillhervoiceremainedclear,thoughhermindoccasionallywandered. Thereisastrangeimpulse,whichsometimescomesintherestlessnessanddistressofdissolvingnature,tosingand,asshelaywithhereyesclosed,apparentlyinasortoftrance,shewouldsing,overandoveragain,theverseofthesongwhichshewassingingwhentheblowoftheunseendestroyerfirststruckher. "Thesummerhathitsheavycloud, Therose-leafmustfall Butinourlandjoywearsnoshroud, Neverdothitpall." Atlastsheopenedhereyes,and,seeingtheagonyofallaround,thetruthseemedtocometoher. "IthinkI'mcalled!"shesaid."Oh,I'msosorryforyouall!Don'tgrievesomyFatherlovesmesowell,—hecannotsparemeanylonger.Hewantsmetocometohim.That'sall—don'tgrieveso.It'shomeI'mgoingto—home!'Twillbeonlyalittlewhile,andyou'llcometoo,allofyou.Youaresatisfied,areyounot,Edward?" Andagainsherelapsedintothedreamytrance,andsang,inthatstrange,sweetvoice,solow,soweak,— "Inourlandjoywearsnoshroud, Neverdothitpall." Clayton,—whatdidhe?Whatcouldhedo?Whathaveanyofusdone,whohavesatholdinginour