Nell of Shorne Mills

"Well, it's not a particularly good thing for me," Drake admitted; "but

it's no reason why I should dislike any reference to my uncle or his

wife."

"You don't bear her any ill will?" she asked.

This was extremely personal, especially coming from a stranger; but the

lady was an American, with an extremely pretty face and a charming

manner, and there was so much gentleness, almost deprecatory gentleness

in her softly bright eyes, that Drake, somehow, could not feel any

resentment.

"Not the very least in the world, I assure you," he replied. "My uncle

had a perfect right to marry when he pleased, and whom he pleased."

"I didn't think you'd be angry with him," she said, "because everybody

says you were such friends, and you are so fond of him; but I thought

you'd be riled with her."

Drake laughed rather grimly.

"Not in the least," he said. "Of course, I should have preferred that my

uncle should remain single, but I can't be absurd enough to quarrel with

a lady for marrying him. He is a very charming man, and perhaps she

couldn't help herself."

"That's just it--she couldn't," said the lady naïvely. "And have you

been to see your uncle since you've been back?" she asked.

"Not yet," replied Drake. "I only came back to London an hour or two

ago, but I will look him up to-morrow."

"I knew you would," she said; "because that was such a nice letter you

wrote, and such a pretty present you sent to Lady Angleford."

As she spoke, she transferred her fan to her left hand and raised her

right arm, and Drake recognized upon her wrist a bracelet which he had

sent Lady Angleford as a wedding present. He colored and frowned

slightly, then he laughed as he met the now timid and quite deprecatory

gaze of the upturned eyes.

"Was this quite fair, Lady Angleford?" he said, smiling.

"Well, I don't know," she said, a little pathetically. "I thought it

was, but I'm not quite sure now. You see, I wanted to meet you and talk

to you, and know exactly how you felt toward me without your knowing who

I was."

Drake went and sat down beside her, and leaned toward her with one arm

stretched on the back of her chair.

"But why?" he asked.

"Well, you see, I was a little afraid of you. When Lord Angleford asked

me to marry him and I consented, I didn't quite realize how things stood

between you and him. It was not until I came to Europe--I mean to

England--that I realized that I had, so to speak, come between your

uncle and you. And that made me feel bad, because everybody I met told

me that you were such a--a good fellow, as they call it----"