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"No," she replied "A gentleman ith her"

The earl laid down his knife and fork suddenly, then picked thereat fuss with the remains of his cutlet

"Oh! Did you--er--did you hear who it was?"

"Yes," said Nell, "but I can't reone for

the ht at the épergne

"Was it--Sir Archie Walbrooke?" he said, in a dry, expressionless voice

Nell laughed, as one laughs at the sudden return of a treacherous

htly "How stupid of

h He bent still lower over the cutlet, and

worried the bone a minute or two in silence; then he consulted his

watch, and rose

"I beg you will excuse ----"

He azed at the door

which had closed behind hinorant of the world, to have even the

faintest idea of the trouble which lowered over the house which she had

entered; but a vague dread of soible took possession of

her