No; there should be no scene. She would give him both her hands, would
say "good-by" quite calmly, and would then take her broken heart to the
solitude of her own room, and try to begin to repair it.
Dick shouted for his breakfast, and she went downstairs. He was busy
reading a letter, and his face was full of eagerness, his eyes sparkling
with excitement.
"I say, Nell, what a good chap Drake is!" he exclaimed. "He never said a
word to me about it; but he's been worrying Bardsley & Bardsley for
weeks past, and they've written to say that they think they can take me
on. Just think of it! Bardsley & Bardsley! The biggest firm in the
engineering line! Drake must have a great deal of influence; and I don't
know how on earth he managed it. I didn't know he knew any one connected
with the profession. It's a most splendid chance, you know!"
Nell went round beside him, and laid her hand upon his shoulder.
"I am very glad, Dick," she said.
Something in her voice must have struck him, for he looked up at her
quickly, and with surprise.
"Why, what's the matter, Nell?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said. "I have a headache."
"Just so. 'After the opera is over,' you know. That's the penalty one
pays for one's first dance. And you were queer last night, too, weren't
you? Why didn't you lie in bed?"
"Never mind me," said Nell. "Tell me about this letter. When are you
going, Dick?"
A fresh pang smote her. Was she going to lose the boy as well?
"Oh, they don't say," he replied. "They're going to let me know. They
may send me abroad; you can't tell. What a good chap Drake is, and what
a lot we owe him? Upon my word, Nell, you're a lucky girl to have got
hold of such a fellow for your young man."
Nell turned away with a sickening pain about her heart. No; she would
not tell the boy at this moment. She wouldn't spoil his happiness with
the wet blanket of her own misery. She must even, when she came to tell
him, make light of the broken engagement, take the blame upon herself,
and prevent any rupture of the friendship between Drake and Dick.
He was almost too excited to eat any breakfast; certainly too excited to
notice Nell's untouched cup and plate.
"I must see Drake about this at once," he said. "I think I'll go down
and meet him. He's sure to be coming up here, isn't he?" he added, with
a bantering smile; and Nell actually tried to smile back at him.