ust have struck him, for he looked up at her
quickly, and with surprise.

"Why, what's the matter, Nell?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "I have a headache."

"Just so. 'After the opera is over,' you know. That's the penalty one
pays for one's first dance. And you were queer last night, too, weren't
you? Why didn't you lie in bed?"

"Never mind me," said Nell. "Tell me about this letter. When are you
going, Dick?"

A fresh pang smote her. Was she going to lose the boy as well?

"Oh, they don't say," he replied. "They're going to let me know. They
may send me abroad; you can't tell. What a good chap Drake is, and what
a lot we owe him? Upon my word, Nell, you're a lucky girl to have got
hold of such a fellow for your young man."

Nell turned away with a sickening pain about her heart. No; she would
not tell the boy at this moment. She wouldn't spoil his happiness with
the wet blanket of her own misery. She must even, when she came to tell
him, make light of the broken engagement, take the blame upon herself,
and prevent any rupture of the friendship between Drake and Dick.

He was almost too excited to eat any breakfast; certainly too excited to
notice Nell's untouched cup and plate.

"I must see Drake about this at once," he said. "I think I'll go down
and meet him. He's sure to be coming up here, isn't he?" he added, with
a bantering smile; and Nell actually tried to smile back at him.

As she took the chocolate up to Mrs. Lorton, she tried to put her own
trouble out of her head, and to think only of Dick's good fortune. How
she had longed for some such chance as this to come to the boy, and now
it had come. But who had sent it? Drake! Well, all the more reason that
she should forgive him, and utter no word of reproach or bitterness.

"You are ten minutes late, Eleanor!" said Mrs. Lorton peevishly. "And,
good heavens! what a sight you look! If one late night has this effect
upon you, what would half a dozen have? I am quite sure that I never
looked half as haggard and colorless as you do, even when I'd been
through a whole season." For a moment the good lady was quite convinced
that she had been a fashionable belle. "I should advise you to keep out
of Drake's sight for an hour or two; at any rate, until you have got
some color in your face, and your eyes have ceased to look like boiled
gooseberries."

The mention of Drake brought the color to Nell's face quickly enough,
but for an instant only. It was wh