Page:Alice Stuyvesant - The Vanity Box.djvu/152

 "Nobody would have me, even for a servant," she thought. "And I should be a very stupid servant, anyhow, just to begin with."

By and by happy days might come, even to her, but there was no chance of happiness now, or for a long, long time, if ever.

One day, soon after Lady Hereward's funeral (to which she had not gone), Nora Verney was in her room at the vicarage, when Mrs. Haynes sent up a servant with a message. Would Miss Verney kindly come down to the drawing-room at once?

Miss Verney went, and found Sir Ian Hereward with her hostess.

The girl hung back in the doorway, her flower-like complexion betraying her distress. She looked like a hunted thing, wondering where to find a hiding-place.

"Come in, Miss Verney," said Mrs. Haynes, rising and drawing her guest into the room. "Sir Ian and I have been having a long talk about you. I have told him that my husband and I are delighted to have you with us, while you are looking about, but he" "Oh, I am going away in a day or two, thank you," Nora said hurriedly. "You've been most kind, you and Mr. Haynes, but I must go up to London"

"I don't think that will do, Miss Verney," cut in Sir Ian. "You have no friends in London, have you?"