Jane brought her broth and made certain the bedside pitcher was well supplied with water. She cast sad eyes upon the woman she’d looked after for a half decade, clearly agreeing with Miss Lavinia’s assessment of her own mortality.

Truth be told, Palmer agreed as well.

The remainder of the evening passed without incident. Miss Lavinia drifted into a light sleep not long after the sun dipped beneath the horizon. The lamp in the room was lit, casting a soft glow.

Dr. Palmer sat upon the edge of the bed once more as a cot was placed upon the floor. He meant to pass the night there, recognizing that the woman was fading. He’d only just checked the rhythm of her pulse and watched the rise and fall of her chest when the lamplight flashed bright and sudden upon her face, illuminating it in odd and unexpected ways.

“Jane, please move the lantern. Its light upon her face will wake her, and she needs as much rest as her body will allow.”

From behind him, the maid replied, “The lantern ain’t casting any light on her face, Doctor.”

Palmer focused his powers of observation once more upon the countenance of his patient. Unmistakable light darted over her features. It flashed and danced, producing enough light to illuminate her head but cast no light upon the room in general.

He stood once more, taking a step back and observing the unexpected sight from more of a distance. He was not mistaken in what he saw. A silvery light, not unlike that seen when moonlight is reflected on water, danced upon her face. The curtains in the window were drawn, eliminating that possible source. The light rendered her skin so white one might believe it to have been covered in paint. Indeed, the skin took on a look of having been glazed. All the while, the mysterious light continued to dart about.

The learned and curious doctor spoke not a word, even as his heart pounded in anticipation and wonderment. There was no heat emanating from the light, nor did it shine beyond the precise location where it emerged.

Though the color was different, it put him immediately and fully in mind of the columns of fire-like light he had seen on the bogs months earlier. This time, though, the inexplicable phenomenon had made itself known on the face of a human being.

“This ain’t the first time I’ve seen this happen, Dr. Palmer,” Jane said.

“When have you seen it before?” he inquired.

“This morning,” came the reply. “Miss Lavinia’s face lit in just this way. I found it quite dazzling, I did.”

“And did you tell anyone else what you’d seen?”

“Blimey, no. None of the other staff’d believe me, and Miss Lavinia would likely say I were being superstitious. Fine folk are always assuming that about us lowly folk. But I won’t never forget what I seen.”