So long as she breathed at all, so long I was resolved to hope.

Soon after the doctor was gone, Sally came in again, and found me listening (if I may call it so) at Mary's lips.

She went to where my little hand-glass hangs against the wall, took it down, and gave it to me.
"See if the breath marks it," she said.
Yes; her breath did mark it, but very faintly.

Sally cleaned the glass with her apron, and gave it back to me.

As she did so, she half stretched out her hand to Mary's face, but drew it in again suddenly, as if she was afraid of soiling Mary's delicate skin with her hard, horny fingers.