Nell of Shorne Mills

"The moon is a long ways off," he ventured.

"Not farther from us than the world in which these earls and lords have

their being," she retorted. "It all seems so--so impertinent to me,

when I am reading it. Of what interest can the lives of these people be

to us, to me, Nell Lorton? I never heard of Lord Angleford, and

Lord--what is it?--Lord Selbie, before; did you?"

He glanced at her, then looked fixedly through the window.

"I've heard of them--yes," he said reluctantly.

"Ah, well, you are better informed than I am," said Nell, laughing

softly. "There's Dick; he's calling me. Do you mind being left? He will

make an awful row if I don't go out."

"Certainly not. Go by all means!" he said. "And thank you for--all the

trouble you have taken."

Nell nodded and hurried out, and Mr. Vernon leaned back and bit at his

mustache thoughtfully, not to say irritably.

"I feel like a bounder," he muttered. "Why the blazes didn't I give my

right name? I wonder what they'd say--how that girl would look--if I

told them that I was the Lord Selbie this rag was cackling about? Shall

I tell them? No. It would be awkward now. I shall be gone in a day or

two, and they needn't know."