Nell, of Shorne Mills | Page 7

manner. She was still thinking only of him.
"I'm ashamed of myself for giving you so much trouble," he said.
"It is no trouble. Why should you be ashamed? Oh, Molly! don't cry out
or scream--it is all right! Be quiet now, Molly! This gentleman has
been thrown from his horse, and----Oh, bring me some brandy; and,
Molly, don't tell--don't frighten mamma."
Molly, with her mouth still wide open, ran out of the room, and Nell's
eyes returned to the man.
He sat gazing at the carpet for a while, his brow knit with a frown, as if
he found the whole affair a hideous bore, his injured arm across his
knee. There was no deprecating smile of the nervous man; he made no
more apologies, and it seemed to Nell that he had quite forgotten her,
and was only desirous of getting rid of her and the situation generally.
But he looked up as Molly came fluttering in with the brandy; and as he
took the glass from Nell's hand--for the first time it shook a little--he
said:
"Thanks--thanks very much. I'm all right now, and I'll hasten to take
myself off."
He rose as he spoke, then his hand went out to the sofa as if in search of

support, and with an articulate though audible "Damn!" he sank down
again.
"I'm afraid I'll have to wait for a few minutes," he said, in a tone of
annoyance. "I can't think what's the matter with me, but I feel as giddy
and stupid as an owl. I'll be all right presently. Is the inn near here?"
"No," said Nell; "the inn is a long way from here; too far----"
He did not let her finish, but rather impatiently cut in with:
"Oh, but there must be some place where I can go----"
"You must not think of moving yet," she said. "I don't know much--I
have not seen many accidents--but I am sure that you have hurt
yourself; and you say that you have broken your arm?"
"I'm afraid so, confound it! I beg your pardon. I'll get to the inn--I have
not broken my leg, and can walk well enough--and see a doctor."
Mrs. Lorton's step was heard in the passage, and the voice of that lady
was heard before she appeared in the doorway, demanding, in an
injured tone:
"Eleanor, what does this mean? Why do you want brandy, and at this
time of the day? Are you ill? I have always told you that some day you
would suffer from this continual rushing about----"
Then she stopped and stared at the two, and her hand went up to her
hair with the gesture of the weakly vain woman.
"Who is it, Nell? What does it mean?" she demanded.
The man rose and bowed, and his appearance, his self-possession and
well-bred bow impressed Mrs. Lorton at once.
"I beg your pardon," she said, in her sweetest and most ingratiating
manner, with a suggestion of the simper which used to be fashionable
when she was a girl. "There has been an accident, I see. Are you very

much hurt? Eleanor, pray do not stand like a thing of stock or stone;
pray, do not be so useless and incapable."
Nell blushed and looked round helplessly.
"Please sit down," went on Mrs. Lorton. "Eleanor, let me beg of you to
collect your senses. Get that cushion--sit down. Let me place this at
your back. Do you feel faint? My smelling salts, Eleanor!"
The man's lips tightened, and the frown darkened the whole of his face.
Nell knew that he was swearing under his breath and wishing Mrs.
Lorton and herself at the bottom of the sea.
"No, no!" he said, evidently struggling with his irritation and his
impatience of the whole scene. "I'm not at all faint. I've fallen from my
horse, and I think I've smashed my arm, that's all."
"All!" echoed Mrs. Lorton, in accents of profound sympathy and
anxiety. "Oh, dear, dear! Nell, we must send for the doctor. Will you
not put your feet up on the sofa? It is such a relief to lie at full length."
He rose with a look of determination in his dark eyes.
"Thank you very much, madame, but I cannot consent to give you any
further trouble. I am quite capable of walking to anywhere, and I
will----" He broke off with an exclamation and sank down again. "I
must be worse than I thought," he said suddenly, "and I must ask you to
put up with me for a little while--half an hour."
Mrs Lorton crossed the room with the air of an empress, or a St. Teresa
on the verge of a great mission, and rang the bell.
"I cannot permit you to leave this house until