Lord Wolfer stood, with his hand resting upon the table, in silence for
a moment or two, regarding Nell, no longer sternly, but with an
expression of pity which was novel in him. Nell sat with her head
resting in her hands, her eyes downcast. She was still pale, but her
lips were set firmly, as if she were prepared for rebuke and reproach.
"Do not be afraid," he said, at last. "I have not returned to--to blame
you. You are too young to understand the peril--perhaps, too, the
sin--of the step which you meditated taking. I am a man of the world,
and I can appreciate the temptation to which you have been subjected.
Sir Archie--well, all the world knows that such men are difficult to
resist, and--and your inexperience betrayed you. I know the arts by
which he gained your affections and hoped to mislead you."
It was almost more than she could bear; but Nell set her teeth hard and
held her breath; for she felt it well-nigh impossible to resist the
aching longing to utter the cry of the unjustly accused. "I am
innocent--innocent!" But she remembered the unhappy woman whom she had
saved, and suffered in silence.
"That you bitterly regret your--your weakness I am convinced," said Lord
Wolfer; "and I am quite satisfied with your promise that you will not
see him--I wish I could add, not think of him--again. He is a dangerous
man, Miss Lorton"--he paused and paced to the window, and his lips
twitched--"such men are a peril to every woman upon whom they--they
chance to set their fickle fancy. At one time--yes, I owe it to you to
be candid--at one time I feared"--he stopped again, and drummed upon the
windowsill with his forefinger--"I feared he was paying Lady Wolfer too
much attention. Even now I am not sure that my fears were groundless. He
came to the house frequently, and was at my wife's side perpetually,
before you came."
Nell held her breath. Had her sacrifice been in vain? Had he got an
inkling of the truth? But he went on sternly and in a low voice: "If there were any reason for my suspicions, it is evident that he
transferred his affections to you. It is a terrible thing to say,
but--but I feel as if--as if--your presence here had averted a dreadful
catastrophe from us. Yes; that letter might have been meant for my wife,
and I might have found her here instead of you. Do not think it
heartless of me if I say that, deeply as I sympathize with you and
grieve for your--your trouble, I am relieved--relieved of an awful
apprehension on--on Lady Wolfer's account. I have suffered a great deal
during the past few months."