"I wish--" gasped the weak voice, "I wish--I need not----"
"Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty," said Diana, bravely.
She felt the responsive thrill in him. She knew he was smiling again.
"Ah yes," he said. "Yes. In the Land that is very far off. Not so far as--as----"
"No, darling. Not so far as Central Africa."
"But--no--return," whispered David.
"Yet always near, my own, if I keep close to Him. You will be in His presence; and He will keep me close to Him. So we cannot be far apart."
He put up his hand again, and touched her lips. She kissed the cold fingers before they dropped, once more, to her breast.
"Has our love--helped?" asked David.
"Yes," she said. "It brought me to the King. It was the guiding Star."
"The King of Love," murmured David. "The King of Love--my Shepherd is.
Can you--say it?"
Then, controlling her voice for David"s sake, Diana repeated, softly:
"The King of Love, my Shepherd is, Whose goodness faileth never, I nothing lack, if I am His, And He is mine forever.
"In death"s dark vale I fear no ill, With Thee, dear Lord, beside me; Thy rod and staff, my comfort still, Thy Cross before, to guide me.
"And so, through all the length of days, Thy goodness faileth never; Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise, Within Thy house forever."
"Forever!" said David. "Forever! It is not death, but life--everlasting life! This is life eternal--to know Him."
After that he lay very still. He seemed sinking gently into unconsciousness. She could hardly hear him breathing.
Suddenly he said: "I don"t know what it is! It seems to come from your arms, and the pillow--you did put your hand on the pillow, didn"t you, Diana?--I feel so rested; and I feel a thing I haven"t felt for months.
I feel sleepy. Am I going to sleep?"
"Yes, darling," she answered, bravely. "You are going to sleep."
"Don"t let"s say "Good-bye,"" whispered David. "Let"s say "Good-night.""
For a moment Diana could not speak. Her tears fell silently. She prayed he might not feel the heaving of her breast.
Then the utter tenderness of her love for him came to the rescue of her breaking heart.
"Good-night, David," said Diana, calmly.
He did not answer. She feared her response had been made too late.
Her arms tightened around him.
"Good-night--good-night, my Boy, my own!"
"Oh--good-night, my wife," said David. "I thought I was slipping down into the long gra.s.ses in the jungle. They ought to cut them. I wish you could see my oleanders."
Then he turned in her arms, moving his head restlessly to and fro against her breast, like a very tired little child seeking the softest place on its pillow; then settled down, with a sigh of complete content.
Thus David fell asleep.
CHAPTER x.x.xVIII
THE BUNDLE OF MYRRH
""If he sleep, he shall do well,"" quoted the doctor, quietly. "Nothing but this could give him a chance of pulling through."
Diana looked up, dazed.
Sir Deryck was bending over her, scrutinizing closely, in the dim light, the quiet face upon her breast.
"Is he alive?" she whispered.
The doctor"s fingers had found David"s pulse.
"Alive? Why, yes," he said; "and better than merely alive. He has fallen into a natural sleep. His pulse is steadying and strengthening every moment. If he can but sleep on like this for a couple of hours, we shall be able to give him nourishment when he wakes. Don"t move! I can do what has to be done, without disturbing him.... So! that will do. Now tell me. Can you remain as you are for another hour or two?"
"All night, if necessary," she whispered.
"Good! Then I will place a chair behind the screen, and either a nurse, or Walters, or myself will be there, without fail; so that you can call softly, if you need help or relief."
He bent, and looked again closely at the sleeping face.
"Poor boy," he whispered, gently. "It seems to me he has, in G.o.d"s providence, reached, just in time, the only thing that could save him.
Keep up heart, Mrs. Rivers. Remember that every moment of contact with your vital force is vitalizing him. It is like pouring blood into empty veins; only a more subtle and mysterious process, and more wonderful in its results. Let your muscles relax, as much as possible. We can prop you with pillows, presently."
The doctor went softly out.
"All night, if necessary," repeated Diana"s happy heart, in an ecstasy of hope and thankfulness. "A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night--all night--Oh, G.o.d, send me strength to kneel on, and hold him!"
She could feel the intense life and love which filled her, enveloping him, in his deathly weakness. She bent her whole mind upon imparting to him the outflow of her vitality.
The room was very still.
Distant clocks struck the hour of midnight.
It was Christmas-day!