It is the end, now."
She had brought with her a cup of water. Now she handed it to him
without comment. His hand trembled as he took it.
"You saw that--?" He nodded toward the ruins. All she did was to
nod, in silence. "Yes, I saw you come out--with--that--in your
arms."
"Who--what--do you suppose it was?"
"I don't know." Then, suddenly,--"Tell me. Tell me! _Was it
she_?"
"Send them away!" he said to her after a time. She turned, and
those who stood about seemed to catch the wish upon her face. They
fell back for a space, silent, or talking in low tones.
"Come," he said.
He led her a pace or so, about the scanty wall of shrubbery. He
pulled back a bit of old and faded silk, a woman's garment of years
ago, from the face of that something which lay there, on a tiny
cot, scarce larger than a child's bed.
It was the face of a woman grown, yet of a strangely vague and
childlike look. The figure, never very large, was thin and
shrunken unbelievably.
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