As it stole upon the air and swelled louder, she smiled, because it was so beautiful a way to waken David.

And yet there are few things in music more laden with concentrated mournfulness than that sonata—­with the woe that is too deep for tears; as the solemn beating of it continued, in spite of themselves the two found that they were hushed and silent.  It brought back to Helen’s mind all of David’s suffering—­it seemed to be the very breathing of his sorrow; and yet still she whispered on to herself, “He will waken; and then he will be happy!”

In the next room David lay sleeping.  At first it had been heavily, because he was exhausted, and afterwards, when the stupor had passed, restlessly and with pain.  Then at last came the music, falling softly at first and blending with his dreaming, and afterwards taking him by the hand and leading him out into the land of reality, until he found himself lying and listening to it.  As he recollected all that had happened he gave a slight start and sat up, wondering at the strangeness of Helen’s playing then.  He raised his head, and then rose to call her.

And at that instant came the blow.

The man suddenly gave a fearful start; he staggered back upon the sofa, clutching at his side with his hand, his face turning white, and a look of wild horror coming over it.  For an instant he held himself up by the sofa, staring around him; and then he sank back, half upon the floor, his head falling backwards.  And so he lay gasping, torn with agony, while the fearful music trod on, the relentless throbbing of it like a hammer upon his soul.  Twice he strove to raise himself and failed; and twice he started to cry out, and checked himself in terror; and so it went on until the place of despair was reached, until there came that one note in the music that is the plunge into night.  Helen stopped suddenly there, and everything was deathly still—­except for the fearful heaving of David’s bosom.

That silence lasted for several moments; Helen seemed to be waiting and listening, and David’s whole being was in suspense.  Then suddenly he gave a start, for he heard the girl coming to the door.

With a gasp of dread he half raised himself, grasping the sofa with his knotted hands.  He slid down, half crawling and half falling, into the corner, where he crouched, breathless and shuddering; so he was when Helen came into the room.

She did not see him on the sofa, and she gave a startled cry.  She wheeled about and gazed around the room.  “Where can he be?” she exclaimed.  “He is not here!” and ran out to the piazza.  Then came a still more anxious call:  “David!  David!  Where are you?”

And in the meantime David was still crouching in the corner, his face uplifted and torn with agony.  He gave one fearful sob, and then he sank forward; drawing himself by the sheer force of his arms he crawled again into sight, and lay clinging to the sofa.  Then he gave a faint gasping cry, “Helen!”