had the presence of mind to ask him
why he was going. But she was silent. She felt it over-whelmingly sweet
to be held so, to feel his hand smoothing her hair. The bunch of lilies
of the valley she had been wearing was crushed between his breast and
her breast. The sweetness of them rose up as something exquisite and
forlorn. His hand moved tremblingly over her hair to her cheek.

"Give me a kiss, Nelly," he said, "and I will go. Just one kiss. I shall
never have another in all my days. Good-bye, my heart's delight."

For a second their lips clung together. Then his arms relaxed. He put
her down gently into a chair. She lay back with closed eyes. She heard
the door shut behind her. Then she sprang to her feet, realising that he
was gone and it was too late to recall him.

Why should he go? she asked herself, as, with trembling hands, she
arranged the disorder of her hair. Then the merely conventional came in,
as it will even at such tense moments. She asked herself how she would
look to his sister, if she appeared at this moment; to the maid, who
might be expected at any moment bringing in the lamp. The room was dark
but for the firelight. How would she look, with her tear-stained visage
and the disorder of her appearance? She could not sit and make small
talk. That was a heroism beyond her. And she was afraid to speak to
anyone lest she should break down. She adopted a cowardly course.
Afterwards she must explain it to Mrs. Rooke somehow. She put the
consideration of how out of sight: it could wait till the turmoil of her
thoughts was over.

She stole from the room, let herself out quietly, and was grateful for
the dark and the cool, frosty air. About five minutes after she had gone
Mrs. Rooke came in laden with small parcels.

"The Captain and Miss Drummond are in the drawing-room, ma'am," said the
maid.

"Then you can bring tea."

Mrs. Rooke opened the drawing-room door leisurely, turning the handle
once or twice before she did so. She was excited at the thought of the
things that might be happening the other side of the door. Supposing
that Nelly had discovered that life with a poor foot-captain was a more
desirable thing than life with a well-endowed baronet, a coming man in
the political world to boot! Supposing--there was no end to the
suppositions that passed through Mrs. Rooke's busy brain in a few
seconds of time. Then--she entered the room and found emptiness.

"You are sure that neither the Captain