Ursus stammered out,—­

“At the mouth of the Meuse—­”

“I am quite well, father; but look here!  I feel that I am going to die!”

“Do nothing so foolish,” said Ursus.  And he added, “Above all, God forbid she should have a shock!”

There was a silence.  Suddenly Ursus cried out,—­

“What are you doing?  Why are you getting up?  Lie down again, I implore of you.”

Gwynplaine shivered, and stretched out his head.

CHAPTER III.

PARADISE REGAINED BELOW.

He saw Dea.  She had just raised herself up on the mattress.  She had on a long white dress, carefully closed, and showing only the delicate form of her neck.  The sleeves covered her arms; the folds, her feet.  The branch-like tracery of blue veins, hot and swollen with fever, were visible on her hands.  She was shivering and rocking, rather than reeling, to and fro, like a reed.  The lantern threw up its glancing light on her beautiful face.  Her loosened hair floated over her shoulders.  No tears fell on her cheeks.  In her eyes there was fire, and darkness.  She was pale, with that paleness which is like the transparency of a divine life in an earthly face.  Her fragile and exquisite form was, as it were, blended and interfused with the folds of her robe.  She wavered like the flicker of a flame, while, at the same time, she was dwindling into shadow.  Her eyes, opened wide, were resplendent.  She was as one just freed from the sepulchre; a soul standing in the dawn.

Ursus, whose back only was visible to Gwynplaine, raised his arms in terror.  “O my child!  O heavens! she is delirious.  Delirium is what I feared worst of all.  She must have no shock, for that might kill her; yet nothing but a shock can prevent her going mad.  Dead or mad! what a situation.  O God! what can I do?  My child, lie down again.”

Meanwhile, Dea spoke.  Her voice was almost indistinct, as if a cloud already interposed between her and earth.

“Father, you are wrong.  I am not in the least delirious.  I hear all you say to me, distinctly.  You tell me that there is a great crowd of people, that they are waiting, and that I must play to-night.  I am quite willing.  You see that I have my reason; but I do not know what to do, since I am dead, and Gwynplaine is dead.  I am coming all the same.  I am ready to play.  Here I am; but Gwynplaine is no longer here.”

“Come, my child,” said Ursus, “do as I bid you.  Lie down again.”

“He is no longer here, no longer here.  Oh! how dark it is!”

“Dark!” muttered Ursus.  “This is the first time she has ever uttered that word!”

Gwynplaine, with as little noise as he could help making as he crept, mounted the step of the caravan, entered it, took from the nail the cape and the esclavine, put the esclavine round his neck, and redescended from the van, still concealed by the projection of the cabin, the rigging, and the mast.