he led her by the hand , and she followed because she desired to be led by this mysterious stranger who she somehow knew everything about , who did n't care that she was not manicured to fashion or that she was as vulnerable as he was , who gave her new strength under the past year 's barrage of weakness , who still has n't realized her obvious secret that she 's declining in health , that her vision is nearly depleted and each cough brings her closer to her all-too-nearing death .