Nell of Shorne Mills

Sometimes Nell would say: "Lady Wolfer is in her room. Shall I tell her

you are here?" and he would make haste to reply: "Oh, no; not at all necessary. She may be very much engaged. Besides, I

am just going out."

Grave and reserved, not to say grim, though he was, Nell got to like

him. His pomposity was on the surface, and his stiffness and hauteur

were but the mannerisms with which some men are cursed. At the end of

the week he startled her by alluding to the salary which he had offered

her in his letter.

"I am afraid you thought it a very small sum, Miss Lorton," he said. "I

myself considered it inadequate; but I asked a friend what he paid in a

similar case, and I was, quite wrongly, I see, guided by him."

"It is quite enough," said Nell, blushing. "I think it would have been

fairer if you had not paid me anything--at any rate, to start with."

"We will, if you please, increase it to one hundred pounds," he said,

ignoring her protest. "I beg you will not refuse; in fact, I shall

regard your acceptance as a favor."

He rose to leave the room before Nell could reply, and Lady Wolfer,

entering with her usual rapidity, nearly ran against him. He begged her

pardon with extreme courtesy, and was passing out, when she stopped him

with a: "Oh, I'm glad I've seen you. Will the twenty-fourth do for the dinner

party? Are you engaged for that night? I'm not, I think."

The earl's grave eyes rested on her pretty, piquant face as she

consulted her ivory tablets, but his gaze was lowered instantly as she

looked up at him again.

"No," he said. "Is it a large party?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm afraid so. I'm going over the list with Nell, here. Oh, for

goodness' sake, don't run away, dear!" she broke off, as Nell, thinking

herself rather de trop, moved toward an opposite door; and Nell, of

course, remained.

"She's the most awful girl to get hold of!" said her ladyship. "If ever

you want to speak to her, to have a nice, quiet chat with her, she has

always got to go and 'see to something.'"

"I can understand that Miss Lorton's time must be much occupied," said

the earl, with a courteous little inclination of the head to Nell.

"Yes, I know; but she might occupy it with me sometimes," remarked her

ladyship.