A little before seven she rose, and changed her dinner dress for a plain
traveling one, and, putting on her hat and jacket, went down to the
library slowly and almost stealthily. A maidservant was sweeping the
hall, and she looked up at Nell, clad in her outdoor things, with some
surprise.
"I expect Sir Archie Walbrooke at seven o'clock," said Nell. "I am in
the library, please."
She spoke quite calmly and casually, buttoning her glove in a leisurely
fashion as she passed on her way; and the maid responded unsuspiciously,
for the coming and going at Wolfer House were always somewhat erratic.
Nell went into the library, and, closing the door, turned up the
electric light a little--for the maids had not yet been to the room, and
the shutters were still closed. The morning was a wet and chilly one,
and Nell shuddered slightly as she sat and watched the second hand of
the clock, which at one moment seemed to move slowly and at the next
appeared to fly. She had not decided upon the words she would use; she
would be guided by those which Sir Archie might speak; but she was
resolved to fight as long as possible, to hide every tremor which, at
these moments of waiting and suspense, quivered through her.
Then she heard his voice, his slow step--no quicker than usual this
morning--crossing the hall; the door opened, and he was in the room.
Nell rose, and stood with her back to the light; and, closing the door,
he came toward her with a faint cry of satisfaction and relief.
"Ada!" he said. "You have come----"
Nell raised her veil, but, before she had done so, he had seen that she
was not the countess; and he stopped short and stared at her.
"Miss Lorton!" he exclaimed, under his breath, so taken aback that the
shock of his disappointment was revealed in his face and voice. "I--I
thought--expected--to see Lady Wolfer. Is--is she up? Does she know that
I am here? You have a message for me?"
He tried to speak casually, and forced a smile, as if the appointment
was quite an ordinary one; but Nell saw that the hand that held his hat
shook, and that his color, which had risen as he entered the room and
greeted her, had slowly left his face, and her courage rose.
"Yes, I have a message for you, Sir Archie," she said, keeping her voice
as steady as she could, and saying to herself: "It is to save her--save
her!"