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"Well?" said the led

"Laurie," she said steadily, bending all her will at the words, "you're very unwell Do you understand that?"

Again the noiseless gabbling of the lips, and again a little coht"

His voice was unnatural--a little hoarse, and quite toneless It was as a voice froie carefully, "you're not all right Listen, Laurie I tell you you're all wrong; and I've come to help you as well as I can Will you do your best? I' to you, Laurieto you"

Every time he answered, the lips flickered first as in rapid conversation--as of a h a ; but this tiht"

Maggie leaned forward, her hands clasped tightly, and her eyes fixed steadily on that baffling face

"Laurie; it's you I' to--you Can you hear ain the eyes rose quick and suspicious; and her hands knit yetnausea She drew a long breath first; then she delivered a little speech which she had half rehearsed upstairs As she spoke he looked at her again

"Laurie," she said, "I want you to listen to me very carefully, and to trust me I knohat is the ht--fight hihtly as you can to me--with your ht that he perceived so of what she meant: he looked at her so earnestly with those odd questioning eyes Then he jerked ever so slightly, as if soain at the fire

"III'ht," he said

It was horrible to see that motionlessness of body He sat there as he had probably sat since entering the roo down helplessly

"Laurieattend " she began again Then she broke off

"Have you prayed, Laurie? Do you understand what has happened to you? You aren't really ill--at least, not exactly, but--"

Again those eyes lifted, looked, and dropped again

It was piteous For the instant the sense of nausea vanished, sed up in emotion Whywhy, he was there all the while--Lauriedear Laurie

With one motion, swift and impetuous, she had thrown herself forward on to her knees, and clasped at the hanging hands