The fire went out, and all night long she slumbered thus before the ashy grate.

At first I was painfully awake and vainly tried to lose myself, with my eyes closed, among the scenes of the day.

At length, by slow degrees, they became indistinct and mingled.

I began to lose the identity of the sleeper resting on me.

Now it was Ada, now one of my old Reading friends from whom I could not believe I had so recently parted.