words once more:

"Shivered when I touched her. That means I have been walking over her
grave."

Blanche turned from the sight of the slate, and from the sight of the
woman, in horror. "You frighten me!" she said. "You will frighten _her_
if she sees you. I don't mean to offend you; but--leave us, please leave
us."

Hester Dethridge accepted her dismissal, as she accepted every thing
else. She bowed her head in sign that she understood--looked for the
last time at Anne--dropped a stiff courtesy to her young mistress--and
left the room.

An hour later the butler had paid her, and she had left the house.

Blanche breathed more freely when she found herself alone. She could
feel the relief now of seeing Anne revive.

"Can you hear me, darling?" she whispered. "Can you let me leave you for
a moment?"

Anne's eyes slowly opened and looked round her--in that torment and
terror of reviving life which marks the awful protest of humanity
against its recall to existence when mortal mercy has dared to wake it
in the arms of Death.

Blanche rested Anne's head against the nearest chair, and ran to the
table upon which she had placed the wine on entering the room.