Night and morning . r. Morton, after a pause;I will admit you. He shut the window, stole to the door, unbarred it gently,and admitted his visitor. He bade her follow him; and,shading the light with his hand, crept up the stairs. Cathe-rines step made no sound. They passed, unmolested and unheard, the room in whichthe wife was drowsily reading, according to her custom beforeshe tied her nightcap and got into bed, a chapter in some piousbook. They ascended to the chamber where Sidney laj^; Mor-ton opened the door cautiously, and stood at the threshold, soholding the candle that its light might n
Night and morning . r. Morton, after a pause;I will admit you. He shut the window, stole to the door, unbarred it gently,and admitted his visitor. He bade her follow him; and,shading the light with his hand, crept up the stairs. Cathe-rines step made no sound. They passed, unmolested and unheard, the room in whichthe wife was drowsily reading, according to her custom beforeshe tied her nightcap and got into bed, a chapter in some piousbook. They ascended to the chamber where Sidney laj^; Mor-ton opened the door cautiously, and stood at the threshold, soholding the candle that its light might not wake the child,though it sufficed to guide Catherine to the bed. The roomwas small, perhaps close, but scruj^ulously clean; for cleanli-ness was Mrs. Eoger Mortons capital virtue. The motherwith a tremulous hand drew aside the white curtains, andchecked her sobs as she gazed on the young quiet face thatwas turned towards her. She gazed some moments in pas-sionate silence. Who shall say, beneath that silence, what. NIGHT AND MORNING. 83 thoughts, what prayers moved and stirred! Then bendingdown, with pale, convulsive lips she kissed the little handsthrown so listlessly on the coverlet of the pillow on which thehead lay. After this she turned her face to her brother witha mute appeal in her glance, took a ring from her finger, — aring that had never till then left it, —the ring which PhilipBeaufort had placed there the day after that child was him wear this round his neck, said she, and stopped,lest she should sob aloud and disturb the boy. In that giftshe felt as if she invoked the fathers spirit to watch over thefriendless orphan; and then, pressing together her own handsfirmly, as we do in some paroxysm of great pain, she turnedfrom the room, descended the stairs, gained the street, andmuttered to her brother, I am happy now; peace be on thesethresholds! Before he could answer she was gone. CHAPTER IX. Thus things are strangely wrought, While joyful May doth la
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