Nell of Shorne Mills

He put his hand to his brow and bit his lips.

"God forgive me!" he murmured. Then he looked at her steadily. "Yes, you

have opened my eyes! Heaven grant that I may see this thing as you see

it! Heaven grant it! My dear"--his voice shook with his

gratitude--"where--where did you learn this wisdom, this knowledge of

the human heart?"

Nell drew a long breath painfully, and her gray eyes grew dark.

"It isn't wisdom," she said wearily. "Any schoolgirl knows as much,

would see what I have seen--though a man might not. You have been too

busy, too taken up with politics--politics!--and she--she has tried to

forget her troubles in lecturing, and meetings and committees. And all

the while her heart was aching with longing, with longing for just one

word from you."

The earl turned his head aside.

"Ah! if you doubt it still, go to her!" said Nell. "Go and ask her!"

"I will," he said, raising his head, his eyes glowing. "I will go."

He moved to the door, then stopped and came back to her; he had

forgotten her, forgotten the tragic scene in which he had just taken

part.

"I beg your pardon! Forgive me! It was ungrateful of me to forget your

trouble, my dear!"

Nell made a gesture of indifference.

"It does not matter," she said dully. "I--I will go."

"Go?" he said.

"Yes. I will go--leave the house at once. I could not stay."

She looked round as if the walls were closing in on her.

Wolfer knit his brows perplexedly.

"I--I do not like the idea of your going. Where will you go?"

"Home," she said; and the word struck across her heart and almost sent

the tears to her eyes.

He went to the window and came back again.

"If--if you think it best," he said doubtfully. "I know that--that it

must be painful to you to remain here, that the associations of this

house----"

"Yes--yes," said Nell, almost impatiently.

"I need not say--indeed, I know that I need not--that no word of--of

what has occurred this morning will ever pass my lips," he said in a low

voice.

Nell looked up swiftly.

"Yes. Promise me, promise me on your honor that you will not tell Lady

Wolfer!" she said.

"I promise," said the earl solemnly.

Nell glanced at the clock and mechanically took up her gloves, which she

had torn from her hands.