Hilda shrank before his gaze.

"This is curious," he went on slowly, at last; "very curious.
You--why, you resemble him!" "Do I ?" Hilda replied, with forced calm, raising her eyes to his.

Their glances met.

That moment, I saw each had recognised something; and from that day forth I was instinctively aware that a duel was being waged between Sebastian and Hilda,--a duel between the two ablest and most singular personalities I had ever met; a duel of life and death--though I did not fully understand its purport till much, much later.
Every day after that, the poor, wasted girl in Number Fourteen grew feebler and fainter.

Her temperature rose; her heart throbbed weakly.
She seemed to be fading away.