Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. PARTING. It was night once more?or rather, late evening. The snow which had fallen on the preceding day was but little diminished; and the leaves of the evergreens in the shrubbery at the rear of the Earl of Monksbarrow’s town residence, were thickly coated with frozen rime. Amidst these friendly bushes, and avoiding the long shafts of wax-light that fell across them from the windows, stood Noel De Burgh. With his figure concealed by the folds of a rough cloak, and with a slouching hat drawn low over his face, he watched the lighted windows which, sliding back, opened upon a balcony. For more than an hour, and with unfailing patience, he had kept his steadfast watch; forthe Earl and Countess of Monksbarrow entertained friends, and the Lady Helen Dechester, their one fair daughter, had, as yet, found it impossible to absent herself from the assembly, though she carried in her bosom a note from her lover, praying for a few minutes’ interview. But Noel’s patience was presently rewarded; for Helen, with a silken scarf wrapped about her head and shoulders, appeared at one of the windows, and, hastily pushing it back, she stepped out on to the balcony, casting quick, anxious glances over the rime-decked evergreens. With a few low, fond words, Noel moved out from the shadows, and she, flitting down the balcony-steps, gave herself to his encircling arms. For some moments neither spoke. Then Helen, freeing herself gently from her lover’s embrace, said, ‘ Though I knew you were waiting, I could not come to you sooner, Noel; for every eye amidst the crowd within there, seemed to be furtively watching me. But I bore myself bravely; and no one could guess how impatient I was to escape from them. But, oh, Noel, Noel! whyare you here? Why have you not yet sough…
