She
was conscious of a horrible feeling of sickness, and her heart was
beating slowly, with thick, uneven strokes.
The room was growing dark. The chill desolation of the world outside
seemed to have followed her in. She could not remember that she had ever
felt so deadly cold before. She could not keep her teeth from chattering.
Something moved close to her, and she realized what had roused her.
Columbus was standing up by her side, his forepaws against her, his
grizzled nose nudging her arm. She stirred stiffly, and put the arm
about him.
"Oh--Christopher!" she said, and gasped as if she had not breathed for a
long time. "Oh--Christopher!"
He leaned up against her, stretching his warm tongue to reach her cheek,
his whole body wriggling with gushing solicitude under her hand.
She looked down at him with the dazed eyes of one who has received a
stunning blow. "I don't know what we shall do, my doggie," she said.
And then very suddenly she was on her feet, tense, palpitating, her
head turned to listen. The gate had clicked again, and someone was
coming up the path.
It was Dick, and he moved with the step of an eager man, reached the
door, opened it, and entered.
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