"And now, since that old cheat, the devil, has been tiring your poor body out, poking it and pinching it and roasting it, you will have a good sleep. Sleep the clock round, Sandie; but before you drop off just be sure you've got tight hold of God's hand, and, like Jacob, say you won't let Him go before He blesses you. And don't let Him go afterwards, either. And when you wake to-morrow squeeze His hand again, and say, 'Divine Love, you're going to lead me now and always.' He will, too. He never said 'No' to anybody, and the biggest trouble He has is that we won't keep on asking Him for what we want. And now get to sleep, my dear man. Just say to yourself, 'Thou, Lord, art my hope; Thou hast set Thy house of defence very high. There shall no evil happen unto thee....'"
And then, gently as a child's, Sandie's eyelids flickered once and shut down. Cochrane got up without another word, and in silence he and Maud left the room. At the door Maud looked back. Sandie was lying quite still, drawing in the long, full respirations of natural sleep.
Nurse Miles had returned during the last hour to the billiard-room, where she was settling her patients for the night, and as they went through Maud stopped to speak to her.
"Sandie is ever so much better, nurse," she said, "and he has gone to sleep, I think. You won't disturb him again to-night, will you?"
"It's exhaustion, I'm afraid," she said, "not sleep. He will not be disturbed till Dr. Symes comes. And I daresay not even then, poor fellow!"
Cochrane was standing by, and it seemed to Maud as if it was her duty to bear witness here and now to what she had seen, to what she incredulously believed.
"There is no need for Dr. Symes to come at all," she said. "I have not sent for him, and shall not. Go and look for yourself, so that I may know you are satisfied."
The nurse stared at her a moment, then went swiftly to the door of the room where Sandie lay, opened it, and passed through. In some half-minute she came out again, closing it softly behind her.
"Why, he's getting some natural sleep," she said, "and he hasn't closed his eyes the last three nights. And his breathing is quiet, and there is no more rigor. Yet his temperature came down to below normal from high fever an hour ago. Or could I have made a mistake?"