When would he awaken and look at her and speak to
her again? It appeared so long since she had heard his voice,
and seen him smile at her; since he had wished her good-bye
the evening before, she seemed to have lived through such long
hours of unimagined terror and sorrow, and all without being
able to turn to him for the sure help, for the loving
protection and sympathy that had ever been ready for his
little Madelon; and even now, he did not know how she was
watching him, nor how she was longing to go to him and kiss
him, to put her arms round his neck, and lay her soft little
cheek caressingly against his. This thought was the most
grievous of all to Madelon just then, and the big tears came
into her eyes again, and fell slowly one by one into her lap.
Graham, however, returning presently, somehow seemed to bring
courage and consolation with him. Madelon brightened up at
once when he sat down by her and told her that he had asked
Madame Lavaux to send them up some coffee, so that they might
have it together there; and then, seeing the tears on her sad
little face, he assured her in his kind way that her father
would wake up presently and speak to her, and that, in the
meantime, she need not sit quite so still, as she would not
disturb him if she moved about quietly; and when, by-and-by,
the _cafe-au-lait_ arrived, they had their little meal together,
whilst he told her in a low voice how her father had partially
recovered his consciousness in the night and asked for her,
but had been quite satisfied when he heard she had gone to
bed, and had afterwards gone off to sleep as Madelon saw him
now.
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