"Here you are, sir. Hope you'll like the selection; there's any amount
of poetry and goody-goody of Nell's; but I fancy you'll catch onto some
of mine. Try 'Hawkshead, the Sioux Chief,' to begin with. It's a
stunner, especially if you skip all the descriptions of scenery. As if
anybody wanted scenery in a story!"
"Thanks," said Mr. Vernon gravely. "I've no doubt I shall enjoy it." But
he took up one of Nell's books and absently looked at her name written
on the flyleaf--"Eleanor Lorton." The first name struck him as stiff and
ill-suited to the slim and graceful girl whose face he only dimly
remembered; "Nell" was better.