As she spoke he looked at her again.
"Laurie," she said, "I want you to listen to me very carefully, and to
trust me. I know what is the matter with you; and I think you know
too. You can't fight--fight him by yourself.... Just hold on as
tightly as you can to me--with your mind, I mean. Do you understand?"
For a moment she thought that he perceived something of what she
meant: he looked at her so earnestly with those odd questioning eyes.
Then he jerked ever so slightly, as if some string had been suddenly
pulled, and glanced down again at the fire....
"I ... I ... I'm all right," he said.
It was horrible to see that motionlessness of body. He sat there as he
had probably sat since entering the room. His eyes moved, but scarcely
his head; and his hands hung down helplessly.
"Laurie ... attend ..." she began again. Then she broke off.
"Have you prayed, Laurie...? Do you understand what has happened to
you? You aren't really ill--at least, not exactly, but--"
Again those eyes lifted, looked, and dropped again.
It was piteous. For the instant the sense of nausea vanished,
swallowed up in emotion. Why ... why, he was there all the
while--Laurie ...
Pages:
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340