Page 123 (1/1)

"Miss Jessie! You awake!" she said "I go get Master Robbie"

Ian to return to my consciousness; , of pain, and of blood I re reat effort I ed at last to place my hand on my belly; and I knew the child was not there I was too weak even to feel sadness I only felt emptiness

I heard feet on the steps, heard the cabin door open, and Robbie came toward me At the bedside he stopped, and I looked up at him

He knelt beside the bed and took my hand from where it lay, and held it to his lips

"Jessie, lass," he said "Lass, oh, lass Thank God, you are awake"

I tried to nod ain

Robbie's face was pale, as if it intertiainst his white skin; his cheeks and chin were rough with beard His shirt was open, his throat glistening with sweat His eyes were dark as they searched mine

I opened my mouth

"Do not try to speak, lass," he said quickly "Rabbit is fetching food for you You will have sothen you It's been a week since" His voice trailed away

I looked away frothen I wanted to die

Eleanor and Granny Moira appeared beside the bed; Robbie stepped back Eleanor said so about a doctor; Granny's face looked down at me and I felt her wrinkled hand stroke rasped me, their arms beneath me, and propped me up on pillows The roo flat again

Rabbit was touching my lips with a spoon; I tried to move my face away

The next time I openedfroain I did not want to wake I did not want to see I wanted to slip into darkness and not return

The candle went out Slowly thetook shape as day dawned Someone stirred in the room; a flint was struck, a new candle lit Rabbit stood beside the bed, holding the candle over me I looked up at her but could not speak

"Miss Jessie," she whispered, putting the candle down on the table, "Miss Jessie