The mother, Petrea, was close
by, and her terrific shrieks brought Richard to the spot in time
to save the child. He had not been well for several days, and the
frightful cold he took induced a fever, which seemed to settle in
his eyes, for ever since his sight has been failing until now it
has left him entirely. But hark! isn't some one in the next room?"
and she stepped into the adjoining apartment just as the nimble
Edith disappeared from view.
She had been sent up by Rachel with a message to Mrs. Atherton,
and was just in time to hear the commencement of Kitty's story.
Any thing relating to the blind man was interesting to her, and so
she listened, her large black eyes growing larger and blacker as
the tale proceeded. It did NOT seem wholly new to her, that story
of the drowning child--that cottage on the Rhine, and for a moment
she heard a strain of low, rich music sung as a lullaby to some
restless, wakeful child. Then the music, the cottage and the blue
Rhine faded away. She could not recall them, but bound as by a
spell she listened still, until the word Petrea dropped from
Kitty's lips.
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