“And you, too, Dick! Why, you're a man now--you'll grow no more, Dick,” cried Nell, still standing in front of him, 'with his hands fast clasped in her own. Suddenly recollecting the servants who were around, she dropped his hands, saying: “Come along within, Dick, and tell me all your adventures since last we were together.” “Lord! Adventures! You do n't know what you 've set yourself down for, Nell. If I was to tell you all, I should be in your company for at least a week.” [Illustration: 0042] She led him past Sir Charles Sedley, without so much as glancing at the courtier, and the newcomer had no eyes for anyone save Nell. A servant threw open the door of the room where she had been with her mother, and the two entered. Sir Charles took snuff elaborately, after he had replaced his hat on his head. “If his Majesty should arrive, let him know that I am in the long parlour,” he said to a servant, as he walked toward a door on the left. He paused for a space with his hand on the handle of the door, for there came from the room into which Nell Gwyn and Dick Harraden had gone a loud peal of laugh ter--not a solo, but a duet. He turned the handle. So soon as he had disappeared, there came another ripple of laughter from the other room, and the lacqueys lounging in the hall laughed, too. Within the room, Nell was seated on the settee and Dick Harraden by her side. She had just reminded him of the gift of the worsted stockings which he had made to her, when he was a link-boy, and she an orange-girl in Drury Lane. They had both laughed when she had pushed out a little dainty shoe from beneath her gown, displaying at the same time a tolerably liberal amount of silk stocking, as she said: “Ah, Dick, it 's not in worsted my toes are clad now. I have outgrown your stockings.” “Not you, Nell!” he cried. “By the Lord Harry! your feet have got smaller instead of larger during these years--I swear to you that is so.” “Ah, the chilblains do make a difference, Dick,” said she, “and you never saw my feet unless they were covered with chilblains. Lord! how you cried when you saw my feet well covered for the first time.” “Not I---I didn't cry. What was there to cry about, Nell?” he said. She felt very much inclined to ask him the same question at that moment, for his face was averted from her, and he had uttered his words spasmodically. “Poor Dick! You wept because you had eaten nothing for three days in order to save enough to buy my stockings,” she said. “How know you that?” he cried, turning to her suddenly. “I knew it not at the time,” she replied, “but I have thought over it since.” “Think no more of it, Nell. O Lord! to think that I should live to see Nell again! No--no; I'll not believe it. That fine lady that I see in the big glass yonder cannot be Nell Gwyn!” “Oh, Dick, would any one but Nell Gwyn remember about Nell Gwyn's chilblains?” “Hearsay, mere hearsay, my fine madam!”