After Luce had swept from the room, Drake remained for a minute or two
thinking the thoughts that a man must think under such circumstances;
then he went slowly down to the drawing-room.

The countess was watching and waiting for him, and she looked up at his
grave countenance anxiously as he came toward her.

"It is all right," he said, in his quiet way; "she is going at once."

His composure, the Angleford impassiveness which always came to their
aid in moments of danger and difficulty, impressed her; she drew a
breath of relief, and signed to the butler, who was hovering about
awaiting her signal. "Dinner is served, my lady," he announced solemnly;
and Drake gave the duchess his arm, and the company went into the dining
room in pairs "like the animals into Noah's Ark," as Dick whispered to
Miss Angel, who, to his great delight, he was taking in.

It was a large party, and a brilliant one. The great room in the glory
of its new adornment was worthy of the house and its guests. If the
truth must be told, Nell was at first a little nervous, though it was
not her first experience, as we know, of an aristocratic dinner party.
She was seated on the left of Drake, and on pretense of moving one of
her glasses, he succeeded in touching her hand, and, as he did so, he
looked at her as a man looks who sees joy before him and an abiding
happiness; then he turned and talked to the duchess, for he knew that
Nell would like to be left alone for a few minutes.