Nell gave him his coffee, and then stole up to her own room and flung
herself on the bed.
Drake was hurt. It might have been Drake instead of Falconer lying
between life and death. Her heart throbbed with thankfulness; but the
next moment she hid her face in her hands for very shame. She tried to
sleep, but she could not, and it was almost a relief when the servant
knocked and said that two ladies from the Hall were downstairs.
"But I was not to disturb you if you was asleep, miss," she added, with
naïveté.
Nell bathed her face and smoothed her hair quickly, and went down; and,
as she entered the sitting room, was taken into Lady Wolfer's embrace.
"My dear, dear Nell!" she cried, in the subdued tones due to the sick
room above. "Why, it's like a fairy story! Why didn't I or some of us
know you were here, till last night? You remember Lady Angleford, dear?"
The countess came forward and held out her hand with her friendly and
gentle smile.
"Come to the light and let me look at you," Lady Wolfer went on, drawing
Nell to the window; "though it's scarcely fair, after all you have gone
through. Nell, who would have thought that we were entertaining a
heroine unawares? We knew you were an angel, of course; but a heroine--a
heroine of romance! You dear, brave girl!"
Nell colored painfully.
"The whole place, the whole county, by this time, to say nothing of
London and every other place where a telegraph wire runs, is full of
it."
"Oh, I am sorry!" said poor Nell, aghast.
Lady Angleford smiled.
"It is the penalty one pays for heroism, Miss Lorton," she said; "and
you must forgive me for being grateful to you for saving Lord
Angleford's life."
"Oh, but I didn't--indeed I didn't!" exclaimed Nell, in distress.
"Oh, but indeed you did!" retorted Lady Wolfer. "Lord Angleford says so,
and he ought to know. He says that but for you the wretch would have
shot him--he was quite close."
Nell's face was white again now, and the countess came to her aid.
"We are forgetting one of the objects of our visit," she said. "You know
how anxious we are about Mr. Falconer, Miss Lorton. I hope he is in no
danger, my dear?"
She took Nell's hand as she spoke, and pressed it, and Nell colored
again under the sympathy in the countess' eyes.