And this habit, commenced that morning, was continued by the faithful
creature up to the day of his death, which happened several years later.
No matter where he was, whether chasing a rabbit through the woods or
sleeping by the stable door, he seemed by some instinct to know when a
visitor arrived, and hastened at once to his post, from which neither
threats nor persuasions could dislodge him. For Hannah tried both, but
when she coaxed he whined and whisked his big tail on the floor, and
when she threatened he growled and showed his teeth, but staid there
just the same.
The Monday night following the tragedy, Hannah was stricken down with a
low, nervous fever, which lasted for weeks, and from which she arose the
mere shadow of her former self. All life and vivacity had left her, and
instead of a girl of fifteen she seemed like a woman of twenty-five, so
quiet and reserved she became, with no color in her cheeks, no
elasticity in her step, no joy in her voice, no brightness anywhere
except in her large dark eyes, which shone with unusual brilliancy, and
had in them always a look which puzzled and fascinated her friends, who
little dreamed of what those strangely bright, beautiful eyes saw
constantly before them.
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