oriously.

He drew Nelly's chair closer to it and a screen around the chair. He put
a cushion for her back, and a hassock for her feet. The little acts were
each an eloquent expression of his love for her. He was suddenly,
irrationally hopeful. He reproached himself because he had done so
little. He had thought he was doing a great deal when he, an old man and
so high in his profession, had made advances to the young fellow for his
girl's sake. To be sure, he had been certain that Langrishe was in love
with Nell, else the thing had not been possible. Now that his love was
beyond doubt the old idea recurred to him. It must be some chivalrous,
overstrained scruple about his poverty which came between poor Nell and
her happiness. Standing by the fire, waiting for Nelly, he rubbed his
hands together with a return of cheerfulness.

In a few minutes she came gliding in shyly. That confidence had only
been possible in the dark. The General felt her embarrassment and busied
himself in stirring the fire. Pat came up with the tray--such a dainty
tray, loaded with good things. The General called for a glass of wine
for Miss Nelly. He waited on her with a tender assiduity and she forced
herself to eat, saying to herself with passionate gratitude that she
would be a brute if she did not swallow to please him.

The wine brought a colour to her cheeks. She watched her father with shy
eyes. What could he do to bring her and her lover together, seeing that
it was Captain Langrishe's last night in England and that he would not
return for five years? Five years spread out an eternity to Nelly's
youthful gaze. She might be dead before five years were over. This
afternoon she had felt no great desire to live, but that despair, of
course, was wrong. She had not remembered at the moment how dear she and
her father were to each other. As long as they were together there must
be compensations for anything in life.

She had expected her father to speak, but he did not. While he had been
standing by the fire awaiting her coming he had had qualms. Supposing
she had made a mistake about the young fellow's feeling for her. Such
things happened with girls sometimes. Supposing--no, it was better to
keep silence for the present. If things turned out well, it would be
time enough to tell Nelly. If things turned out well! What, after all,
were five years? To the General, for whom the wheel of the days and the
years had been turning giddily fast and ev