"
"He is but five-and-forty!" said Betty.
"Well, if she arouse him to a second spring, there will be few women
who will not envy her."
"You may colour it over, madam," said Betty, drawing herself up, "but
nothing can conceal the fact that you confess yourself to have exposed
my innocent helpless sister to malignant slander; and that you assure
me that the only course left is to marry the poor child to a wretched
melancholic who has never so much as seen her face."
"You are outspoken, Miss Delavie," said Lady Belamour, softly, but
with a dangerous glitter in her blue eyes. "I pardon your heat for
your father's sake, and because I ascribe it to the exalted fantastic
notions in which you have been bred; but remember that there are
bounds to my forbearance, and that an agent in his state of health,
and with his stubborn ideas, only remains on sufferance."
"My father has made up his mind to sacrifice anything rather than his
child," cried Betty.
"My dear girl, I will hear you no more. You are doing him no service,"
said Lady Belamour kindly. "You had better be convinced that it is a
sacrifice, or an unwilling one, before you treat me to any more heroics."
Betty successfully avoided a parting kiss, and remained pacing up and
down the room to work off her indignation before returning to her
father.
Pages:
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206