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"Let us take our seats at the table," she heard Mme Dauvray say

"Helene, you are by the switch of the electric light Will you

turn it off?" And upon that Helene whispered, yet so that the

whisper reached to Celia and awakened hope: "Wait! I will see what she is doing"

The curtains opened, and Helene Vauquier slipped to the girl's

side

Celia checked her tears She sratefully

"What shall I do?" asked Helene, in a voice so low that the

movement of her mouth rather than the words made the question

clear

Celia raised her head to answer And then a thing incomprehensible

to her happened As she opened her lips Helene Vauquier swiftly

forced a handkerchief in between the girl's teeth, and lifting the

scarf frohtly twice across herher lips, and made it fast under the brim of her hat

behind her head Celia tried to scream; she could not utter a

sound She stared at Helene with incredulous, horror-stricken

eyes Helene nodded at her with a cruel grin of satisfaction, and

Celia realised, though she did not understand, soainst her in the heart of

the woman whom she had supplanted Helene Vauquier ht; Celia had not a doubt of it That was her

explanation of Helene Vauquier's treachery; and believing that

error, she believed yet another--that she had reached the terrible