My Lady was
more caressing to her old acquaintance, Betty, than that discreet
personage quite liked, while she complimented and congratulated
Harriet on her lover, laughing at her bashful disclaimers in such a
charmingly teasing fashion as quite to win the damsel's heart, and
convince her that all censure of Lady Belamour was vile slander. The
children were sent for, and Amoret was called on to show how Cousin
Aurelia had taught her to dance, sing and recite. The tiny minuet
performed by her and Archer was an exceedingly pretty exhibition as
far as it went, but the boy had no patience to conclude, and jumped
off into an extemporary _pas seul_, which was still prettier, and as
Amoret was sole exhibitor of the repetition of Hay's "Hare and many
friends," he became turbulent after the first four lines, and put a
stop to the whole.
Then came in a tall, large, handsome, dashing-looking man, with the
air of a "_beau sabreur_," whom Lady Belamour presented to her cousins
as "Colonel Mar, my son's commandant, you know who has been kind enough
to take Carminster on his way, so as to escort me to the Bath. I am
such a sad coward about highwaymen. And we are to meet dear Lady
Aresfield there to talk over a little matter of business."
Colonel Mar made a magnificent bow, carelessly, not to say
impertinently, scanned the two ladies, and having evidently decided
they had neither beauty nor fashion to attract him, caught up little
Amy in his arms, and began to play a half teasing, half caressing
game with the children.
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