"But you must!" said Nell gently. "After all, it may not have been
acting."
He laughed again, and drew her down to him.
"Ah, Nell, not even after the experience you had at Wolfe House, do you
understand the fashionable woman, the professional beauty. It was all
'theater' on Luce's part, believe me! She would have made a magnificent
actress. But do not let us talk about her any more. Tell me again how
you used to live in Beaumont Buildings. Nell, we'll go there after we
are married--we'll go and see the rooms in which you lived. I want to
feel that I know every bit of your life since we parted."
At the "after we are married," spoken with all the confidence of the
man, Nell's face grew crimson.
"And now, dearest, you will come up to the Hall?" he said, after a
pause, and as if he were stating an indisputable proposition. "By
George! how delighted the countess will be to hear of our reconciliation
and engagement! She knows nothing of our love and our parting. I told no
one; my heart was too sore; but I think I shall tell her now, and she
will be simply delighted. You'll like her, Nell; she's such a dear,
tender-hearted little woman. I don't wonder at my uncle falling in love
with her. Poor old fellow! She has been wonderfully good to me. You'll
come up to the Hall, and be treated like a princess."
"No, Drake," she said. "I must not. I must stay with--him; he needs me
still."
He was silent a moment, then he kissed her hand assentingly.
"It shall be as you will, my queen!" he said quietly. "Ah, Nell, I shall
make a bad husband; for I foresee that I shall spoil you by letting you
have your own way too much. I wanted you at the Hall, wanted you near
me. But I see--I see you are right, as always. But, Nell, there must be
no delay about our marriage. Directly Falconer is well enough to----"
She drew her hand away, but he recovered it and held it against his
face.
"There must be no other chance of a slip between the cup and the lip,"
he said, almost solemnly. "I want you too badly to be able to wait.
Besides, do you forget that we have been engaged two years? Two years! A
lifetime!"
At this moment a "Coo-ee!" sounded through the wood--an impatient and
half indignant "Coo-ee!"