Nell was looking at her envelope.
"Lady Angleford addresses me as Miss 'Norton,'" she said, with a smile.
"I wonder if she would know me if she saw me. Very likely not."
"The right honorable the earl arrived this afternoon, I'm told," said
Dick. "'I very nearly missed missing him,' as the Irishman said. He'd
gone into the house just before I came out. There's to be a fine kick-up
to-morrow night. Not sure that I shan't come up to the gallery for a
minute or two, after all; only the conviction that the beastly lights
will know that I am gone and all go out, will prevent me."
On the following evening Dick and Falconer went up to the house before
Nell, Dick wanting to be present at the lighting up, and Falconer being
desirous of ascertaining exactly where he "came in" with his violin; and
Nell, having donned her best dress, went round to the housekeeper's
room. She had found Mrs. Hawksley "partaking" of a cup of tea, in which
Nell was easily induced to join, and Mrs. Hawksley chatted in the
stately way which thinly hid a wealth of motherly kindness.
"I am so glad you have come, Miss Lorton; for it will be a grand sight,
the like of which you have probably not seen, and may not see again."
And Nell nodded, suppressing a smile as she thought of her short sojourn
in the world of fashion.
"Some of the dresses, the maids tell me, are magnificent; and the
jewels! But, there; none of them can be finer than the Angleford
diamonds. I do hope the countess will wear them, though it's doubtful,
seeing that her ladyship's still in mourning. You say you've seen the
countess, Miss Lorton? A sweet-looking lady. It's quite touching to see
her ladyship and his lordship together, she so young, and his aunt, too!
You haven't seen the earl yet, have you?"
"No; tell me what he is like, Mrs. Hawksley," said Nell, knowing how
delighted the old lady would be to comply.
"Well, Miss Lorton, though I suppose I shouldn't, seeing he kind of
belongs to us, I must say that his lordship will be the handsomest and
finest gentleman in the room to-night, let who will be coming. Not but
what he's changed. It gave me quite a turn--as the maids say," she
picked herself up apologetically--"when he came right into this very
room, with his hand stretched out, and his 'Well, Mrs. Hawksley, and how
are you, after this long time?'"