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 me, nor
guessed how foolish I was to give him my love unsought."
"Then it is not Arthur Leighton, and that is the reason you refused
him, too?" Mr. Hastings said, involuntarily, and Anna looked quickly
up, her cheeks growing paler than they were before, as she replied: "I don't know what you mean. I never refused Mr. Leighton--never."
"You never refused Mr. Leighton?" Thornton exclaimed, forgetting 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
some great mistake," Anna found strength 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 smelling salts, he gave her ice-water to drink, and
then, kneeling beside her, he fanned her gently, while he said: "There
surely is a mistake, and, I fear, a great wrong, too, somewhere. Were
all your servants trusty? Was there no one who would withhold a letter
if he had written? Were you always at home when he called?" Thornton
questioned her rapidly, for there was a suspicion in his mind as to
the real culprit; but he would not hint it to Anna unless she
suggested it herself. And this she was not likely to do. Mrs. Meredith
had been too kind to her during the past summer, and especially during
her illness, to allow of such a thought concerning her, and, in a maze
of perplexity, she replied to his inquiries: "We keep but one servant,
Esther, and she, I know, is trusty. Besides, who could have refused
him for me? Grandfather would not, I know, because--because----"
She hesitated a little and her cheeks blushed scarlet, as she added:
"I sometimes thought he wished it to be."
If Thornton had previously a doubt as to the other man who stood
between himself and Anna, that doubt was now removed, and laying aside
all thoughts of self, he exclaimed: "I tell you there is a great wrong
somewhere. Arthur never told an untruth; he thought that you refused
him; he thinks so still, and I shall never rest till I have solved the
mystery. I will write to him to-day."
For an instant there swept over Anna a feeling of unutterable joy as
she thought of what the end might be; then, as she remembered Lucy,
her heart seemed to stop its beating, and, with a moan, she stretched
her hand toward Thornton, who had risen as if to leave her.