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Rh but her knowledge of her friend told her that she would be deeply hurt if she found out that Lucia had been engaged without telling her. So she decided, with a view to saving that, to let her know at once, and to tell her herself. It would have avoided an interview which, in anticipation, Lucia almost dreaded, that Maud should learn it as all the rest of the world would learn it; but it would save a far deeper wound to Maud afterwards if she found that she had not been taken into Lucia's confidence. Eleven o'clock had struck before Lucia came to this determination. It took her another hour to think out the manner of what she would say.

The girls went out early after breakfast next morning, before Aunt Elizabeth came down. She came down late to-day, not because she was tired, but because she had been on an expedition the day before, and after expeditions it was usual to come down late. Aunt Cathie waited indoors, to give her breakfast, and so the two were alone.

Lucia was rather silent as they walked, with then: towels and bathing-dresses over their arms, towards the tent, and Maud noticed it. She put her things inside, and then came and sat on the sand by her friend.

"What is it, Lucia?" she said. "Is anything wrong? Have you a headache again?"

Lucia took hold of her courage. Her resolution did not fail her; it had got to be done, and, according to her plan, she was going to do it with utter completeness. Maud was going to be told absolutely everything. Lucia was determined to take no risk of her finding anything out afterwards.

"No," she said, "I have no headache at all. I hadn't one yesterday, either. Maud, I wonder if we shall be friends in half an hour's time."

This bombshell had no effect whatever on Maud. Her serenity was quite undisturbed, so, too, was her faith in Lucia.

"Oh, you must be mistaken about something if you think there is any chance of our not being," she said. "At least, I can only speak from my side of our friendship—no, I speak from yours, too."

"You don't know yet," said Lucia.

"No, but I know you, and I know myself to some extent."

"But what if in half an hour you find yourself saying that you have never known me?" asked Lucia. She felt herself horribly weak in temporizing like this, but it was more difficult to begin