We were all anxious about you--" "And he tried to swim across ?" "Yes, yes! And he is drowned! Oh, my poor, poor boy!" She was shaking with the sudden chill of dreadful loss.

He stooped, and felt inside the shelter with a long arm for the old woollen cloak and wrapped her carefully in it.

He raked out the blanket and made her sit with it tucked about her feet.

And she was passive in his hands, with thought as yet for nothing but her loss.
She was shaken with broken sobs, and in the face of grief such as this he could find no words.

What could he say?
All the words in the world could not bring back the dead.
And it was through him this great sorrow had come upon her.