Nell of Shorne Mills

The butler and footman were in attendance, but, though covers were laid

for three, there was no one present but herself.

She looked round the richly decorated and handsomely furnished room, and

felt rather lonely and helpless, but it occurred to her that either Lord

or Lady Wolfer might come in, and that it was her place to be there; so

she sat at the head of the table--where the butler had drawn back her

chair for her--and began her lunch.

By this time, she was feeling hungry--for she had eaten nothing since

her very early breakfast, excepting the biscuit in Lady Wolfer's room;

and she was in the middle of her soup when the footman went in a

leisurely manner to the door and opened it, and a gentleman entered.

Now, Nell, from Mrs. Lorton's talk of him, and his letter, had imagined

Lord Wolfer as, if not an old man, one well past middle age; she was,

therefore, rather startled when she saw that the gentleman who went

straight to the bottom of the table, thus proving himself to be Lord

Wolfer, was anything but old; indeed, still young, as age is reckoned

nowadays. He was tall and thin, and very grave in manner and expression;

and Nell, as with a blush she rose and eyed him, noticed, even in that

first moment, that--strangely enough--his rather handsome face wore the

half-sad, half-wistful expression which she had seen cross Lady Wolfer's

pretty countenance.

He had not noticed her until he had gained his chair, then he started

slightly, as if aroused from a reverie, and came toward her.

"You are--er--Miss Lorton?" he said, with an intense gravity in his

voice and eyes.

"Yes," said Nell. "And you are--Lord Wolfer?"

"Your cousin--I am afraid very much removed," he responded. "When did

you arrive? I hope you had a pleasant journey?" he replied and asked as

he sank into his seat.

Nell made a suitable response.

"You will take some soup? Oh, you have some. Yes; it was a long journey.

Have you seen my wife--Lady Wolfer? Yes? I'm glad she was in. She is

very seldom at home." He did not sigh, by any means; but his voice had a

chilled and melancholy note in it. "And Sophia--Mrs. Lorton--is, I hope,

well? It is very kind of you to put in an appearance so soon. I'm afraid

you ought to be in bed and resting."

Nell laughed softly, and he looked as if the laugh had startled him, and

surveyed her through his eyeglasses with a more lengthened and critical

scrutiny than he had hitherto ventured on. The fresh, young loveliness

of her face, the light that shone in her dark-gray eyes, seemed to

impress him, and he was almost guilty of a common stare; but he

remembered himself in time, and bent over his plate.