At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 221: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

210 Ke AT A GIRL’S MERCY. or had the terrible days turned her brain with their horrors? Was this—she caught her breath, and stretched out her two hands as though to prove if this were dream or reality—was this in truth the friend who had come to her—the friend who must have come to her at her need from the world of the dead? Was this—the darkness reeled and the lights went whirling about her. Butshe kept her senses with a stern determination to not lose hold of this one ray of hope. Was this in truth the friend whom she had come to meet, the friend whom the surgeon had said was waiting for her? She steadied her nerves with a mighty effort and lifted her white face to the bronzed face above her, steadied she believed by the strong hands holding her own, by the tender- ness of the face, and eyes, and lips so near her. ‘“Ned?”’ she said, faintly, and there was a strange line of pain around the trembling mouth as the won- der deepened in the wide eyes searching the face above her. The surgeon had disappeared, and they were alone at the doors of the ruined church, where the mantle of charity had spread itself over the suffer- ers of the world ‘‘Ned? Have you truly come to me knowing how I need you, orisit only a dream that must end so bitterly—so bitterly ?”’ \ He stooped to her in swift tenderness, the drawn face and troubled eyes too much for him to with- stand. He drew her to him, and steadied there, and always through their lives the small, brave woman with his arms. | ‘‘Nan—darling,’’ he said, his voice driving out all doubt from the mind of the girl, with the searching eyes and the quivering, lifted face. ‘‘Nan! What is it, dearest, that you would say? Did you not know I would come to you as soon as I should hear of this trouble to vour father? Could you not have trusted me to save him were it in human power? Did you think I could let the father of my dear little sweet- heart die if it were in my power to fight for him and do what I could to save him for her? Have you. after all, so little faith in me, Nan, darling?’ He Eomicbooks.co