"I'll stand by her with all my might and main," said Nell. "What can I do?"
"I'm breaking it to you—by degrees. The first degree is, I told Sir Alec that Alb was—is—in love with you."
"Oh—how could you?"
"It was fatally easy. And then I said you were engaged to him. That's the second degree; and the third and last is, that I beg and implore you to come on deck with me, and tell him it's true."
The girl had actually turned pale. "I can't possibly. Anything else—but not that," she said.
"It's the one thing to save my poor aunt. Miss Van Buren—Nell—I tell you frankly, if you won't do this, she—I'm afraid she won't much longer be Lady MacNairne."
"Good gracious! How awful!" stammered the girl.
"Tragic!" I agreed. "And for me—but I say nothing of my feelings. You know how devoted I am to my aunt. She'll be alone in the world—with Tibe—if you refuse to sacrifice yourself in this way for her."
Nell's face was now white and set. I felt a brute; but what was I to do? For the sake of every one concerned, I couldn't have the L.C.P. exposed, or be exposed myself, and the trip broken up at the last, in contumely for all.
I hung on her lips.