"How can I sleep in such an Inferno as this?"
"Try, you are so weak, you'll soon drop off;" and, laying the cool
tips of her fingers on his eyelids, she kept them shut till he
yielded with a long sigh of mingled weariness and pleasure, and was
asleep before he knew it.
When he woke it was late at night; but little of night's blessed
rest was known on board that boat laden with a freight of suffering.
Cries still came up from below, and moans of pain still sounded from
the deck, where shadowy figures with lanterns went to and fro among
the beds that in the darkness looked like graves.
Weak with pain and fever, the poor man gazed about him half
bewildered, and, conscious only of one desire, feebly called
"Christie!"
"Here I am;" and the dull light of a lantern showed him her face
very worn arid tired, but full of friendliest compassion.
"What can I do for you?" she asked, as he clutched her gown, and
peered up at her with mingled doubt and satisfaction in his haggard
eyes.
"Just speak to me; let me touch you: I thought it was a dream; thank
God it isn't. How much longer will this last?" he added, falling
back on the softest pillows she could find for him.
"We shall soon land now; I believe there is an officers' hospital in
the town, and you will be quite comfortable there.
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