The end came very suddenly at last.

I had intended to question her about her husband's family; but the subject was a difficult one to approach, and I had put it off from day to day, hoping that she might rally a little, and would be in a better condition to discuss business matters.
"She never did rally.

I was with her when she died, and her last act was to draw her child towards her with her feeble arms and lay my hand upon the little one's head, looking up at me with sorrowful pleading eyes.

She was quite speechless then, but I knew what the look meant, and answered it.
"'To the end of my life, my dear,' I said, 'I shall love and cherish her--to the end of my life.' "After this the child fell asleep in my arms as I sat by the bedside sharing the long melancholy watch with the landlady, who behaved very well at this sorrowful time.

We sat in the quiet room all night, the little one wrapped in a shawl and nestled upon my breast.