They crossed the terrace, when two or three persons came out through a window behind them. They were talking, and Nell heard a voice which made her wince, and her hand grip Falconer"s arm convulsively; for the voice was Drake"s.
"They have a fine night to go home in," he was saying. "Not much of a moon, but better than none."
Nell stopped and looked despairingly at the patch of light which the window threw right across their path to the steps.
"Come quickly," said Falconer, in a low voice.
"No, no; we shall be seen!" she implored, in an agitated whisper.
But Falconer deemed it best to go on, and did so.
As they moved, Drake saw them, but indistinctly.
"Good-night, once more!" he called out, in the tone of a host speeding parting guests.
Falconer raised his soft felt hat.
"Good-night, my lord," he responded. At the same moment they stepped into the stream of light. Drake had been on the point of turning away, but as he recognized Falconer"s voice and figure, he stopped and took a step toward them. Then, as suddenly, he stopped again, gazing after them as a man who gazes at a vision of the fancy.
"Who--who is that?" he demanded, almost fiercely.
Lady Luce was just behind him.
"That was the man who played the violin," she said. "Didn"t you recognize him? How romantic he looks! Quite the idea of a musician."
Drake put his hand to his brow and stood still, looking after the two figures, now disappearing in the darkness, made more intense by the contrasting streaks of light from the windows.
"My G.o.d! How like!" he muttered, taking a step or two forward unconsciously.
But Lady Luce"s voice aroused him from the half stupor into which he had fallen, and he turned back to her.
"I must be mad or dreaming!" he muttered. "What folly! And yet how like--how like!"
"Why, what is the matter, Drake?" asked Lady Luce, laying her hand on his arm, and looking up at him anxiously. "You are quite pale. You look"--she laughed--"as if you had seen a ghost!"
He smiled grimly. She had described his feelings exactly. In the resemblance of the girl, whoever she was, on the violinist"s arm, he had in very truth seen the ghost of Nell of Shorne Mills.
Nell hurried Falconer along, but presently was forced to stop to regain her breath. Her heart was beating so wildly that she had to fight against the sensation of suffocation which threatened to overcome her.
"Let us wait a minute," said Falconer gently. "You are nervous, overtired. We will wait here."
But Nell had got her breath again by this time.
"No, no!" she said, almost vehemently. "Let us go. I know the way----"
"d.i.c.k will be waiting for us at the door of the east wing," he said. "If you can find that----"
"I know," she said quickly. "That is it on our left. But--but I do not want to see any one."
"All the guests are leaving by the front of the house; we are not likely to meet any one."
He was somewhat surprised at her agitation, and her evident desire to leave the place unseen; for Nell was usually so perfectly self-possessed and free from nervousness or gaucherie.
She drew him to the side park under the shadow of the wing, in which few of the windows were lighted, and as they waited she gradually recovered herself.
"There is d.i.c.k," said Falconer presently. "He is waiting for us by that window."
Nell looked in the direction he indicated.
"Is that d.i.c.k?" she said, peering at the figure. "It is so dark I can scarcely see. I don"t think it is d.i.c.k. If it is, why is he looking in at the window?"
"He may be talking to some one inside," said Falconer. "I"ll call him.
d.i.c.k!"
As he called, the figure half turned, then swung round away from them, and with lowered head moved quickly away from the window, and pa.s.sed into the darkness of the shrubbery.
"How strange!" said Falconer; and he felt puzzled. Why should d.i.c.k start at the sound of his name, and make off into the darkness?
Falconer bit his lip. It was just possible that d.i.c.k, who was young, and also particularly good-looking, was carrying on a flirtation with some one in the house. If so, the explanation of his sudden flight was natural enough.
"Why did he run away? Where has he gone?" said Nell. "You were wrong. It was not d.i.c.k."
"Very likely," a.s.sented Falconer. "It was so dark----Yes, I was wrong, for there he stands by the door," he broke off, as, coming round the corner, they saw d.i.c.k, who was engaged in lighting his pipe.
"Hallo! here you are, at last," he said, cheerfully. "Couldn"t tear yourselves away from the festive scene? By George! if you"d spent the night in an engine room, you"d be glad enough to cut it."
"Poor d.i.c.k!" said Nell.
"Oh, I haven"t had such a bad time," he said. "They brought me a ripping supper, and a special dish with the chef"s compliments. I don"t know where the chef"s going when he leaves this terrestrial sphere; but, wherever it is, it"s good enough for me. Well, Nellikins, enjoyed yourself?"
Nell forced a smile.
"Very much," she replied. "It--it was a great success."
"So I hear," said d.i.c.k. "But you seem to have taken the cake to-night, old man. They told me that you created a perfect furore, whatever that is. Anyway, Mrs. Hawksley and the rest came down with the most exciting account of your triumph. Seriously, Falconer, I congratulate you. I won"t say that I prophesied your success long ago, because that"s a cheap kind of thing to say; but I always did believe you"d hit the bull"s-eye the first time you got a chance; and you"ve done it."
"I think they were pleased," said Falconer.
"His lordship and the rest of the swells ought to be very much obliged,"
remarked d.i.c.k. "You"ve given eclat to his dance. Observe the French again? There is no extra charge."
"His lordship was extremely kind," said Falconer, "and his thanks more than repaid me for my poor efforts. I don"t wonder at his popularity.
I"ve always heard that the higher the rank the simpler the manners; and Lord Angleford is an instance of it. My acquaintance with the n.o.bility is extremely limited----"
"Ditto here," said d.i.c.k. "Though the young lady on your arm has lived in marble halls, and hobn.o.bbed with belted earls and lords of high degree.
But I"m glad to hear that this one is affable."
Falconer laughed.