Nell of Shorne Mills

"I don't know whether to be grateful or not for that," remarked Drake.

"Are we all so conceited?"

"Well, I think you are all pretty well satisfied with yourselves," she

replied. "I never knew any nation so firmly convinced that it was the

pick of creation; and I expect before I am here very long I shall become

as fully convinced as you are that the world was made by special

contract for the use and amusement of the English. Mind, I won't say

that it could have been made for a better people."

"That's rather severe," said Drake. "But don't you forget that you were

English yourself a few years ago; that, in a sense, you are English

still."

"That's very nicely said," she remarked; "more especially as I didn't

quite deserve it. I was wanting to see whether I could make you angry."

Drake stared at her with astonishment.

"Why on earth should you want to make me angry?" he asked.

"Well, I've heard a great deal about you," she replied. "And all the

people who talked about you told me that you were rather hot-tempered.

Lady Northgate, for instance, assured me you could be a perfect bear

when you liked."

Drake smiled.

"That was extremely kind of Lady Northgate."

"Well, so long as it wasn't true. I've heard so much about you that I

was quite anxious to see you. I am speaking to Lord Drake Selbie, am I

not?"

"That's my name," said Drake.

"The nephew of Angleford?"

Drake nodded.

She looked up at him as if waiting to see how he took the mention of his

uncle's name; but Drake's face could be as impassive as a stone wall

when he liked.

"You know my uncle?" he asked, in a tone of polite interest.

"Yes," she said; "very well. I met him when he was in America. His wife

is a great friend of mine. You know her, of course?"

"I'm sorry to say I have not had that pleasure," said Drake. "I was

absent from England when the present Lady Angleford came over, after her

marriage."

"Oh, yes," said the lady. "I suppose I ought not to have mentioned her?"

"Good heavens! Why not?" asked Drake.

"Well, of course," she drawled slowly, but musically, "I know that Lord

Angleford's marriage was a bad thing for you. It wouldn't be my fault if

I didn't, seeing that everybody in London has been talking about it."