CHAPTER XII.

gouttheblackremnant,beforesheraisedittoherlips.Inthatmomentthemother’slovepleadedforpainfulconsciousnessratherthanoblivion—pleadedtobeleftinachingweariness,ratherthantohavetheencirclingarmsbenumbedsothattheycouldnotfeelthedearburden.InanothermomentMollyhadflungsomethingaway,butitwasnottheblackremnant—itwasanemptyphial.Andshewalkedonagainunderthebreakingcloud,fromwhichtherecamenowandthenthelightofaquicklyveiledstar,forafreezingwindhadsprungupsincethesnowinghadceased.Butshewalkedalwaysmoreandmoredrowsily,andclutchedmoreandmoreautomaticallythesleepingchildatherbosom. Slowlythedemonwasworkinghiswill,andcoldandwearinesswerehishelpers.Soonshefeltnothingbutasupremeimmediatelongingthatcurtainedoffallfuturity—thelongingtoliedownandsleep.Shehadarrivedataspotwhereherfootstepswerenolongercheckedbyahedgerow,andshehadwanderedvaguely,unabletodistinguishanyobjects,notwithstandingthewidewhitenessaroundher,andthegrowingstarlight.Shesankdownagainstastragglingfurzebush,aneasypillowenoughandthebedofsnow,too,wassoft.Shedidnotfeelthatthebedwascold,anddidnotheedwhetherthechildwouldwakeandcryforher.Butherarmshadnotyetrelaxedtheirinstinctiveclutchandthelittleoneslumberedonasgentlyasifithadbeenrockedinalace-trimmedcradle. Butthecompletetorporcameatlast:thefingerslosttheirtension,thearmsunbentthenthelittleheadfellawayfromthebosom,andtheblueeyesopenedwideonthecoldstarlight.Atfirsttherewasalittlepeevishcryof“mammy”,andanefforttoregainthepillowingarmandbosombutmammy’searwasdeaf,andthepillowseemedtobeslippingawaybackward.Suddenly,asthechildrolleddownwardonitsmother’sknees,allwetwithsnow,itseyeswerecaughtbyabrightglancinglightonthewhiteground,and,withthereadytransitionofinfancy,itwasimmediatelyabsorbedinwatchingthebrightlivingthingrunningtowardsit,yetneverarriving.Thatbrightlivingthingmustbecaughtandinaninstantthechildhadslippedonall-fours,andheldoutonelittlehandtocatchthegleam.Butthegleamwouldnotbecaughtinthatway,andnowtheheadwashelduptoseewherethecunninggleamcamefrom.Itcamefromaverybrightplaceandthelittleone,risingonitslegs,toddledthroughthesnow,theoldgrimyshawlinwhichitwaswrappedtrailingbehindit,andthequeerlittlebonnetdanglingatitsback—toddledontotheopendoorofSilasMarner’scottage,andrightuptothewarmhearth,wheretherew