It is said, too, that Miss Sedhurst had
been thought to have attracted one of my Lady's many admirers, and
that the latter was determined not to see her rival become her sister-
in-law, and probably with the same title, since Mr. Belamour was on
the verge of obtaining knighthood. So, if she be not greatly belied,
Lady Belamour plied all parties with her confidences, till she
contrived to breed suspicion and jealousy on all sides, until finally
Miss Sedhurst's brother, a crack-brained youth, offered such an insult
to Mr. Belamour, that honour required a challenge. It was thought that
as Mr. Belamour was the superior in age and position, the matter might
have been composed, but the young man was fiery and hot tempered, and
would neither retract nor apologise; and Mr. Belamour had been stung
in his tenderest feeling. They fought with pistols, an innovation
that, as you know, my father hates, as far more deadly and unskilful
than the noble practice of fencing; and the result was that Mr.
Sedhurst was shot dead, and Mr. Belamour received a severe wound in the
head. The poor young lady, being always of a delicate constitution,
fell into fits on hearing the news, an died in a few weeks. The
unfortunate Mr. Belamour survives, but whether from injury to the
brain, or from grief and remorse, he has never been able to endure
either light or company, but has remained ever since in utter
darkness and seclusion.
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