Nell of Shorne Mills

"No; I acted like a fool!" she broke in; and she meant it. "If I had

only listened to the cry of my own heart--if I had only refused to obey

father, and--and stuck to you! But, Drake, though you think me

heartless, and--and sneer----"

"I didn't mean to sneer, Luce," he said. "Forgive me if I did so

unintentionally. I quite understood your difficulty, and, as I told you

the day we parted, I--well, I made allowances for you. You did what most

women of our set would have done."

"Would they? But perhaps they really are heartless, while I----Drake,

you can't tell what I have suffered; how--how terribly I have missed

you! I--yes, I will tell you the truth. Do you know, Drake, that I had

made a vow that whenever we met, whether it was soon, or not for years,

I would tell you all. Yes--though, like a man, you should despise me for

it!"

"I'm not likely to despise you for it, Luce," he said. As he spoke, Lady

Chesney came out onto the terrace. She looked up and down, saw the two

figures standing together, and, with a smile, returned to the house.

"No; you are too generous for that, Drake; even if I--I confess that I

have not spent one happy--oh, the word is a mockery!--that I have been

wretched since the hour I--I left you."

His face grew grave, almost stern.

"I'm sorry," he said simply. "Candidly, I didn't think----"

"No, I know! You thought that I only cared for you because----You told

me that I was heartless and mercenary, you remember, Drake. But, ah; it

wasn't true! Yes, I've been brought up at a bad school. I've been taught

that it's a sacred duty for every girl, as poor as I am, to make a good

match; and I thought--see how frank I am!--that I could part from you,

oh, not easily, but without breaking my heart. But I--I was mistaken! I

miss you so dreadfully! There is not another man in the world I can care

for, or even dream of caring for."

"Hush!" he said sternly.

There was always something impressive about Drake, a touch of the

manliness which is somewhat rare nowadays, the manliness which women are

so quick to acknowledge and bow to; and Lady Luce shrank a little; but

her hand tightened on his arm, and her brown, velvety eyes dimmed with

genuine tears--for she was more than anxious, and more than half in love

with him--looked up at him penitently, imploringly.