Even that one touch of colour visible in the red satin pincushion bore affinity to coral; even that dark, shining glass might have mirrored a mermaid.

When I closed my eyes, I heard a gale, subsiding at last, bearing upon the house-front like a settling swell upon a rock-base.

I heard it drawn and withdrawn far, far off, like a tide retiring from a shore of the upper world--a world so high above that the rush of its largest waves, the dash of its fiercest breakers, could sound down in this submarine home, only like murmurs and a lullaby.
Amidst these dreams came evening, and then Martha brought a light; with her aid I was quickly dressed, and stronger now than in the morning, I made my way down to the blue saloon unassisted.
Dr.John, it appears, had concluded his round of professional calls earlier than usual; his form was the first object that met my eyes as I entered the parlour; he stood in that window-recess opposite the door, reading the close type of a newspaper by such dull light as closing day yet gave.

The fire shone clear, but the lamp stood on the table unlit, and tea was not yet brought up.
As to Mrs.Bretton, my active godmother--who, I afterwards found, had been out in the open air all day--lay half-reclined in her deep-cushioned chair, actually lost in a nap.

Her son seeing me, came forward.