Nell of Shorne Mills

"Curious," she murmured. "I wonder whether there is any other reason?

One knows what men are; and poor Drake is no better than the rest. Ah,

well, it does not matter to me--now. Thank goodness it is over! Though

one can always count upon Drake; he is too thorough a gentleman to make

a scene or bully a woman. Heaven knows I am sorry to break with him, and

I wish that old stupid hadn't made such a fool of himself; for Drake and

I would have got on very well. But as things are----As father says, it's

impossible. I wonder whether they are coming back; I am simply dying for

tea."

Before she got down to the jetty, her fellow voyagers caught her up.

They were in the best of spirits, and hilarious over the fact that Sir

Archie had slipped on one of the grassy slopes and stained his white

flannel suit with green; and Lady Lucille joined in the merriment.

"I'm sorry I didn't come, after all," she said. "It was rather boring

waiting there all alone; but perhaps Sir Archie will kindly fall down

again for my special benefit," and she laughed with the innocent,

careless laughter, of a child.