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 that she was wearing a white ratinée house dress which she often put on for the morning but never had worn after noon.

He noticed this simultaneously with being aware of the paleness of her face. Rarely, never indeed, had he seen her pale like this. He said, "Something's happened, Fidelia!"

For a second, she stared at him; she moved so as to make him turn more to the light; then she said: "Yes, he's alive, David!"

"What?"

"He's alive, I said, David."

"Who?"

"My husband."

"Who?"

"My husband. Sam—Sam Bolton. He's alive."

"What? Who? What?"

"Sam's alive, David. I told you he was dead. I thought he was dead. I had good reason to think so. But he's alive, David. He's alive and he's my husband."