Nell of Shorne Mills

"Yes, I think so," absently replied Nell, who was watching the tall

figure as it went down the hill.

Mrs. Lorton coughed in a genteel fashion, and her smile grew still more

self-satisfied.

"He could not be in a better place," she said; "could not possibly, and

I do trust he will not think of leaving us until he is quite restored to

health. I must really impress upon him how glad we are to have him, and

how his presence cheers our dull and lonely lives."

Nell laughed softly.

"Mr. Vernon does not strike me as being particularly cheerful," she

remarked; "at least, not generally," she qualified, as she remembered

the unwonted brightness which he had displayed in the _Annie Laurie_.

"In-deed! You are quite wrong, Eleanor," said Mrs. Lorton stiffly. "I

consider Mr. Vernon a most entertaining and brilliant companion; and I,

for one, should very deeply deplore his departure. I trust, therefore,

you will do all you can to make his stay pleasant and to induce him to

prolong it. Three horses; ahem!"--she coughed behind her mittened

hand--"has he--er--hinted, given you any idea of his position

and--er--income, Eleanor?"

Nell flushed and shook her head.

"No, mamma," she said reluctantly. "Why should he? We are not

curious----"

"Certainly not!" assented Mrs. Lorton, bridling. "I may have my faults,

but curiosity is certainly not one of them. I merely thought that he

might have dropped a word or two about himself, or his people, and

the--ahem!--extent of his fortune."

Nell shook her head again.

"Nary a word--I mean, not a word!" she corrected herself hastily; "and,

like yourself, mamma, I am not curious. What does it matter what and who

he is, or who his people are? He will be gone in a day or two, and we

shall probably never see him again."

She moved away from the window as she made the response, and began to

sing, and Mrs. Lorton looked after her, and listened to the sweet young

voice, with a smile on her weakly shrewd face.

"Eleanor has grown a great deal lately," she murmured to herself; "and I

suppose some men would consider her not altogether bad-looking. I am

quite certain he is a single man--he would have mentioned his wife; he

couldn't have avoided it the first night I was talking to him. Three

horses--yes; I suppose Eleanor really is good-looking. No one is more

opposed than I am to the vulgar practice of matchmaking, which some

women indulge in, but it really would be a mercy to get the girl

settled. Yes; he must not think of leaving us until he is quite strong;

and that won't be for some weeks, for some time, yet."