Page 171 - Fairbrass

These were the words that Fairbrass

heard when he woke from what seemed to
him to be a fantastic and unusually long*

dream. He had indistinct recollections of

people hurrying to and fro— of everyone
being1 more than usually kind and tender

with him ; of his dear sister, especially,
being by day and night his devoted slave ; of

Pax being taken from the room ; of his

crying for him ; of the affectionate old
dog being brought back and allowed there­

after to remain close by his side ; of the
taking of much medicine, and of a thousand

kindred things that turned and twisted in
his poor little tired-out brain until it had

become a miniature Maelstrom ; but when

he was put to bed, and how long he had
remained there, were things beyond his

powers of calculation or memory.
Suddenly, however, the little world about

him had become clear to him again ; and
though he felt sadly, sadly weak, he could

hear and understand.