Nell of Shorne Mills

Nell stood in the middle of the room with the note which she had found

in the book in her hand. She had read it half mechanically and

unsuspectingly, as one reads a scrap of paper found in a volume, or in

some unexpected place; and, trembling a little, she went to the electric

light and read the note again. It ran thus--and with every word Nell's

face grew pale: "I can wait no longer. You cannot say I have been impatient--that I

haven't endured the suspense as well as a man could. If you love me, if

you are really willing to trust yourself to me, come away with me

to-morrow. God knows I will try and make you happy, and that you can

never be under this roof with a man who doesn't care for you. I will

come for you at seven to-morrow morning--we can cross by the morning

boat. Don't trouble about luggage; everything we want we can get on the

other side. For Heaven's sake, don't hesitate! Be ready and waiting for

me as the clock strikes. Don't hesitate! The happiness of both our lives

lies in your hands. ARCHIE."

Nell sank into a chair and stared at the wall, trying to think; but for

a moment or two the horror and shame of the thing overwhelmed her. She

had read of such incidents as these, for now and again one of the new

school of novels reached The Cottage; but there is a lot of difference

between reading, say, of a murder, and watching the committal of one.

She was almost as much ashamed and shocked as if the note had been

intended for herself.

She was not ashamed of having read it--though the mere touch of the

paper was hateful to her--for she felt that Providence had ordained it

that she should stand between Lady Wolfer and the ruin to which Sir

Archie was beckoning her.

But what should she do? Should she take the letter to Lady Wolfer and

implore her to send Sir Archie a refusal? This was, of course, Nell's

first impulse, but she dared not follow it; dared not run the risk of

letting Lady Wolfer see the note. The unhappy woman's face haunted Nell,

and her reckless words, and her tone of desperation, still rang in

Nell's ears. No; she dared not let Lady Wolfer know that this man would

be waiting for her. Few women in the position of the countess could

resist such a note as this, such an appeal from the man who, she

thought, loved her. But if she did not take the note to the countess,

what was she to do?