Page 45 (1/2)

The fingers got terribly tangled in the fringe as Anna gasped for

breath, and went on: "He does not know, and never will; that is, he never cared for ht"

"Then it is not Arthur Leighton, and that is the reason you refused

his said, involuntarily, and Anna looked quickly

up, her cheeks growing paler than they were before, as she replied: "I don't knohat you hton--never"

"You never refused Mr Leighton?" Thornton exclai all

discretion in his surprise at this flat contradiction "I have

Arthur's word for it, written to me last June, while Mrs Meredith was

there, I think"

"He surely could not have meant it, because it never occurred Once, I

was foolish enough to think he was going to, but he did not There is

soth to say, and then she lay back

in her easy-chair panting for breath, her brain all in a whirl as she

thought of the possibility that she was once so near the greatest

happiness she had ever desired, and which was now lost to her forever

He brought her save her ice-water to drink, and

then, kneeling beside her, he fanned her gently, while he said: "There

surely is a , too, somewhere Were

all your servants trusty? Was there no one ould withhold a letter