For he was brain-weary.

Even in the bright recollection of the lady and her talk he became involved among shadows, and going from bad to worse, seemed at length almost to gasp in an atmosphere of hints, allusions, faint unspoken admissions, ill-concealed antipathies, unfinished speeches, mistaken identities and whisperings of hidden strife.

The cathedral clock struck twelve and was answered again from the convent belfry; and as the notes died away he suddenly became aware that the weird, drowsy throb of the African song and dance had been swinging drowsily in his brain for an unknown lapse of time.
The apothecary nodded once or twice, and thereupon rose up and prepared for bed, thinking to sleep till morning.
* * * * * Aurora and her daughter had long ago put out their chamber light.

Early in the evening the younger had made favorable mention of retiring, to which the elder replied by asking to be left awhile to her own thoughts.
Clotilde, after some tender protestations, consented, and passed through the open door that showed, beyond it, their couch.

The air had grown just cool and humid enough to make the warmth of one small brand on the hearth acceptable, and before this the fair widow settled herself to gaze beyond her tiny, slippered feet into its wavering flame, and think.
Her thoughts were such as to bestow upon her face that enhancement of beauty that comes of pleasant reverie, and to make it certain that that little city afforded no fairer sight,--unless, indeed, it was the figure of Clotilde just beyond the open door, as in her white nightdress, enriched with the work of a diligent needle, she knelt upon the low _prie-Dieu_ before the little family altar, and committed her pure soul to the Divine keeping.
Clotilde could not have been many minutes asleep when Aurora changed her mind and decided to follow.