Lights began to shine in the blackness like to those of passing ships
upon a midnight sea. Now she was at rest, and the rest was long and
sweet. Every fear and sad thought, every sensation of pain or discomfort
left her. Peace flowed into her.

Presently she became aware of a weight upon her knee, and wondered by
what it could be caused, for it reminded her of something; became aware
also that there was light about her. At length her eyes opened and she
perceived the light, though dimly, and that it was different to any she
had known, purer, more radiant. She perceived also that she lay upon
a low couch, and that the weight upon her knee was caused by something
shaped like the head of a dog. Nay, it _was_ the head of a dog, and one
she knew well, Anthony's dog, that had died upon his bed. Now she was
sure that she dreamed, and in her dream she tried to speak to the dog.
The words that her mind formed were:

"Nell! Is that you, Nell?" but she could not utter them.

Still they were answered, for it appeared to her that the dog thought,
and that she could read its thought, which was:

"Yes, it is I, who though but a dog, having been the last to leave you,
am allowed to be the first to greet you," and it lifted its head and
looked at her with eyes full of a wonderful love.

Her heart went out towards the faithful beast in a kind of rapture, and
her intelligence formed another question, it was:

"Where am I, and if you, a creature, are here, where are the others?"