As she took the chocolate up to Mrs. Lorton, she tried to put her own
trouble out of her head, and to think only of Dick's good fortune. How
she had longed for some such chance as this to come to the boy, and now
it had come. But who had sent it? Drake! Well, all the more reason that
she should forgive him, and utter no word of reproach or bitterness.
"You are ten minutes late, Eleanor!" said Mrs. Lorton peevishly. "And,
good heavens! what a sight you look! If one late night has this effect
upon you, what would half a dozen have? I am quite sure that I never
looked half as haggard and colorless as you do, even when I'd been
through a whole season." For a moment the good lady was quite convinced
that she had been a fashionable belle. "I should advise you to keep out
of Drake's sight for an hour or two; at any rate, until you have got
some color in your face, and your eyes have ceased to look like boiled
gooseberries."
The mention of Drake brought the color to Nell's face quickly enough,
but for an instant only. It was white again, as she resolved to tell
Mrs. Lorton that the engagement was broken off.
"It doesn't matter, mamma," she said; and she tried to smile.
Mrs. Lorton stared at her over the chocolate.
"Doesn't matter?" she echoed. "You think he's so madly in love with you
that it doesn't matter how you look, I suppose? Don't lay that
flattering unction to your soul, Eleanor. I've known many an engagement
broken off in consequence of the man coming suddenly upon the girl when
she had a bad cold and had got a red nose and eyes."
"Perhaps I've had a bad cold without knowing it, mamma, and Drake must
have come upon me when my nose and eyes were appallingly red, for our
engagement--is--broken--off."
Mrs. Lorton nearly dropped the cup of chocolate, and stared and gasped
like a fish out of water.
"Broken off!" she exclaimed. "Take this cup away! Give me the sal
volatile. Open the window! No, don't open the window! What are you
talking about? Are you out of your mind?"
Nell took the cup, got the sal volatile, and soothed the flustered woman
in a mechanical fashion.
"Hush, hush, mamma!" she said. "I don't want Dick to know yet."
"But why--how----What have you been doing?" demanded Mrs. Lorton; and
Nell could have laughed.