These reflections comforted her as she paced the marble floor, and yet Keyork’s remark rang in her ears and disturbed her.  She knew how vast his experience was and how much he could tell by a single glance at a human face.  He had been familiar with every phase of hypnotism long before she had known him, and might reasonably be supposed to know by inspection whether the sleep were natural or not.  That a person hypnotised may appear to sleep as naturally as one not under the influence is certain, but the condition of rest is also very often different, to a practised eye, from that of ordinary slumber.  There is a fixity in the expression of the face, and in the attitude of the body, which cannot continue under ordinary circumstances.  He had perhaps noticed both signs in the Wanderer.

She went back to his side and looked at him intently.  She had scarcely dared to do so before, and she felt that she might have been mistaken.  The light, too, had changed, for it was broad day, though the lamps were still burning.  Yet, even now, she could not tell.  Her judgment of what she saw was disturbed by many intertwining thoughts.

At least, he was happy.  Whatever she had done, if she had done anything, it had not hurt him.  There was no possibility of misinterpreting the sleeping man’s expression.

She wished that he would wake, though she knew how the smile would fade, how the features would grow cold and indifferent, and how the grey eyes she loved would open with a look of annoyance at seeing her before him.  It was like a vision of happiness in a house of sorrow to see him lying there, so happy in his sleep, so loving, so peaceful.  She could make it all to last, too, if she would, and she realised that with a sudden pang.  The woman of whom he dreamed, whom he had loved so faithfully and sought so long, was very near him.  A word from Unorna and Beatrice could come and find him as he lay asleep, and herself open the dear eyes.

Was that sacrifice to be asked of her before she was taken away to the expiation of her sins?  Fate could not be so very cruel—­and yet the mere idea was an added suffering.  The longer she looked at him the more the possibility grew and tortured her.

After all, it was almost certain that they would meet now, and at the meeting she felt sure that all his memory would return.  Why should she do anything, why should she raise her hand, to bring them to each other?  It was too much to ask.  Was it not enough that both were free, and both in the same city together, and that she had vowed neither to hurt nor hinder them?  If it was their destiny to be joined together it would so happen surely in the natural course; if not, was it her part to join them?  The punishment of her sins, whatever it should be, she could bear; but this thing she could not do.