noon
Only the boy had attended him in his sickness until the noon of that day when two good old women heard of his condition and came . One of them was at his bedside when I entered . When she saw my collar she lifted her hands in that peculiarly Hibernian gesture that means so much , and said : '' ` Sure , God sent you here this night . He has been waiting since noon to die . ' `` The sick priest opened his eyes that now had the brightness of death in them and appeared to look through me . He seemed to be very far away . But slowly the eyes told me that he was coming back -- back from the shadows ; then at last he spoke : '' ` You , Bishop ?