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She was not dying, but the fainting fit which ensued was longer and

more like death than that which had come upon Anna when she heard that

Arthur was lost Twice they thought her heart had ceased to beat, and,

in an agony of re herself as

herno other explanation to those around her

than: "I was co her hair when the white froth spirted all over

her wrapper, and she said that she was dying"

And that was all the fae attack, which lasted

till the dawn of the day, and left upon Lucy's face a look as if years

and years of anguish had passed over her young head and left its

footprints behind

Early in the irl went to her prepared to take back all she had said and

declare the whole a lie But Lucy wrung the truth froain so clearly that Lucy had no longer a doubt

that Anna was preferred to herself, and sending Valencia away, she

moaned piteously: "Oh, what shall I do? What is my duty?"

The part which hurt her most of all was the terrible certainty that

Arthur did not love her as he loved Anna Ruthven She saw it now just