"Think how long we have been here."
"Oh, don't go on Saturday!"
Nellie's face brightened.
"Don't you want us to?" she asked, with an eager little smile. Dale was going to be kind after all.
"No. Why shouldn't you stay till Monday?"
The face fell, the smile disappeared; but she answered, saving her self-respect:
"Saturday is more convenient for—for arriving in town. I think we had better fix Saturday, Dale."
"As you like. Sorry to lose you, Nell."
He sauntered off to the smoking room to join Philip. When Philip came into the drawing room half an hour later in search of a book, he found Nellie sitting before the fire. He took his stand on the hearthrug, and looked steadily down on her.