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So one morning while they were at work as usual, and Nora's hand was pausing on her spindle, and her eyes were fixed upon the narrow path leading through the Forest Valley, Hannah spoke: "It will not do, dear; he is not coming! he will never come again; and since he cannot be anything to you, he ought not to come!" "Oh, Hannah, I know it; but it is killing me!"
Nora's conduct was not wicked, and in America such things might be allowed. Yet Jacqueline tried to demonstrate that a young girl can not pass unscathed through certain adventures, even if they are innocent in the strict sense of the word; which made Nora cry out that all she said was subterfuge and that she had no patience with prejudices.
Nora's face was almost ludicrously expressive. "He would like to he," she admitted, "but, thick-skinned though he is, I have managed to make him understand pretty well how I feel about him. You'll find him a thorn in your side," she went on reflectively. "You see, if our party has a fault, it is in a certain lack of system. We have only a titular chief and no real leader.
For, as she well knew, there is a difficulty in the catching of fish. Lady Milborough, in her kind anxiety on Nora's behalf, that the fish should be landed before Nora might be swept away in her sister's ruin, hardly knew what step she might safely take. Mrs. Trevelyan would not see her again, having already declared that any further interview would be painful and useless.
It was not credible to her; and if it were not true, there might still be a hope. Nora had met him, and had spoken to him, and it had seemed that for a moment or two they had spoken as friends. Lady Rowley, when talking to Mrs. Spalding, had watched them closely; and she had seen that Nora's eyes had been bright, and that there had been something between them which was pleasant.
Nora's gentleness and delicacy might have a softening influence on her impulsive little daughter, while, on the other hand, Emma's active, happy spirits could not fail to attract Nora, and to draw her out of herself.
Swiftly she changed the position of a Turkish rug so as to hide a spot on the polished floor that had been recently scrubbed and was still moist. It seemed best to discover Nora's plan of campaign before taking over the charge of affairs. "Many's the time I've met yuh goin' down the Avenoo with your heels clickin' an' your head high," came the rich brogue of Nora O'Flannigan.
"How I wish Anne were here to-night," lamented Grace, after having vigorously applauded Nora's song. "She loves to hear you sing, Nora." "I know it," sighed Nora. "Dear little Anne! I'm so sorry we can't see her before we go back to the conservatory. While we have been sitting here singing and enjoying ourselves, Anne has been appearing in her farewell performance.
At intervals during the day he left her to go into the smoking-car to enjoy his pipe. The view from the window was, on the whole, rather monotonous. But it would have had to be varied indeed to match the mental pictures that Nora's flying thoughts conjured up for her. The dead level of her life at Tunbridge Wells had been a curious preparation for the violent changes of the last few months.
"I was a fool to throw at a pitcher," he cried; "he'll be sending me one of his curves in a minute." "Hiding behind the ladies, hey?" returned Reddy, beginning to pitch snowballs at the girls. "Let's wash his face," cried Nora to the other boys and girls coming up just then. They chased Reddy all the way to Nora's house and rolled him in the snow until he cried "enough."
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