Nell of Shorne Mills

"Is there anything I can do--I know what it is. You feel faint----"

Nell smiled.

"God grant you may never know what it is," she thought, looking up at

the girl's face, and feeling years and years older than she.

"Perhaps it is," she said. "But I shall be all right the moment I get

into the air."

Miss Angel whipped off her shawl, which Dick had insisted upon her

wearing.

"Come with me--you can wait just outside the hall. I know what it is;

you want to get outside at once--at once!"

Nell went out with her, and as she felt the cool, fresh air, she drew a

breath of relief; then she turned to the girl.

"I am all right now; you must not wait. I have your wrap----"

Dick came up with the fly, and Drake appeared with her cloak and a glass

of wine. He had got his hat and coat as he came along. She drank some of

the wine, and turned to hold out her hand to the girl and wish her good

night and thank her.

"I am quite, quite right now!" Drake heard her say; and his fears--for

to a man a woman's fainting fit is a terrible thing--were somewhat

dispelled.

They got into the fly, and it drove off. Nell, instead of sinking into

the corner, sat bolt upright and forced a smile.

"What a jolly evening!" said Dick, with a deep sigh. "Don't wonder you

girls are so fond of parties."

"Yes," she said, with a brightness which deceived both of them, "it has

been very jolly. What a pretty girl that is with whom you were sitting

out, Dick!"

"I always thought you had great taste," he said approvingly. "She was

the nicest girl there--as I ventured to tell her."

Nell laughed--surely the hollowness of the laugh must strike them, she

thought--but neither of the two noticed its insincerity, and Dick

rattled on, suspecting nothing.

Drake sat almost silent. To be near her, to have her so close to him,

was all the sweeter after the hateful scene with Luce. Heaven! how

different was this love of his to that other woman from whom he had

escaped! It was a terrible word, but it was the only fitting one to his

mind.

He would tell Nell in the morning. Yes, he would tell Nell who he was,

and--and--of his engagement to Luce. It would be an unpleasant, hateful

story, but he would tell it. There had been too much concealment, too

much deceit; he had been a fool to yield to the temptation to hide his

identity; he would make a clean breast of it to-morrow. Once he

stretched out his hand in the direction of hers, but Nell, though her

eyes were not turned in his direction, saw the movement, and quickly

removed her hand beyond his reach.