I'm sorry for
her--and for you!"
But Nesta made a sign of dissent.
"There's no need to be sorry for me, Mr. Eldrick," she answered. "It's a
greater relief than you can realize." She turned from him and went over
to Mrs. Gaukrodger who had watched this scene without fully
comprehending it. "Come with me," she said. "You look very tired and you
must have some tea and rest awhile--come now."
Eldrick and Collingwood, left alone, looked at each, other in silence
for a moment. Then the solicitor shook his head expressively.
"Well, that's over!" he exclaimed. "I must go back and hand this will
over to the two trustees. But you, Collingwood--stay here a bit--if ever
that girl needs company and help, it's now!"
"I'm stopping," said Collingwood.
He remained for a time where Eldrick left him; at last he went down to
the hall and out into the gardens. And presently Nesta came to him
there, and as if with a mutual understanding they walked away into the
nearer stretches of the park. Normandale had never looked more beautiful
than it did that afternoon, and in the midst of a silence which up to
then neither of them had cared to break, Collingwood suddenly turned to
the girl who had just lost it.
"Are you sure that you won't miss all this--greatly?" he asked. "Just
think!"
"I'd rather lose more than this, however fond I'd got of it, than go
through what I've gone through lately," she answered frankly.
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