What he had just done had been due to an undefined, but still vehement prompting of conscience.

It did not make it any the less probable that the girl would die on or before Midsummer Day; but, supposing her story were true, it absolved him from any charge of assistance to the designs of those grisly powers in whose clutch she was.
When the doctor came next morning a change for the worse had taken place, and she was too feeble actively to resent his appearance.

She lay there on the settle, every now and then making superhuman efforts to get up, which generally ended in a swoon.

She refused to take any medicine, she would hardly take any food, and to the doctor's questions she returned no answer whatever.

In the same way, when Catherine came, she would be absolutely silent, looking at her with glittering, feverish eyes, but taking no notice at all, whether she read or talked, or simply sat quietly beside her.
After the silent period, as the days went on, and Midsummer Day drew nearer, there supervened a period of intermittent delirium.