Love and Life | Page 9

"I have allowed you too far.
My father calls Lady Belamour his commanding officer, and permits
no scandal to be spoken of her."
"Any more than of Prince Eugene?" said Harriet, laughing.
"But oh! sister!" cried Aurelia, "let us stay a little longer. I have not
half braided my hair, and I long to hear who is the gentleman of whom
my father spoke as living in the dark."
"Mr. Amyas Belamour! Sir Jovian's brother! Ah! that is a sad story,"

replied Betty, "though I am not certain that I have it correctly, having
only heard it discussed between my father and mother when I was a
growing girl, sitting at my sampler. I think he was a barrister; I know
he was a very fine gentleman and a man of parts, who had made the
Grand Tour; for when he was staying at the Great House, he said my
mother was the only person he met who could converse with him on
the Old Masters, or any other subject of _virtu_, and that, being
reported to my Lady, increased her bitterness all the more because Mr.
Belamour was a friend of Mr. Addison and Sir Richard Steele, and had
contributed some papers to the Spectator. He was making a good
fortune in his profession, and had formed an engagement with a young
lady in Hertfordshire, of a good old family, but one which had always
been disliked by Lady Belamour. 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."
"Utter darkness! How dreadful!" cried Aurelia, shuddering.
"How long has this been, sister?" inquired Harriet.
"About nine years," said Betty. "The lamentable affair took place just
before Sir Jovian's death, and the shock may have hastened it, for he

had long been in a languishing state. It was the more unfortunate, since
he had made Mr. Belamour sole personal guardian to his only surviving
son, and appointed him, together with my father and another gentleman,
trustee for the Belamour property; and there has been much difficulty in
consequence of his being unable to act, or to do more than give his
signature."
"Ah! sister, I wish you had not told me," said Aurelia. "I shall dream of
the unfortunate gentleman all night. Nine years of utter darkness!"
"We know who is still child enough to hate darkness," said Harriet.
"Take care," said Betty. "You must make haste, or I shall leave you to
it."


CHAPTER III
. AMONG THE COWSLIPS.
The insect youth are on the wing, Eager to taste the honeyed spring,
And float amid the liquid noon, Some lightly on the torrent skim, Some
show their gaily gilded trim, Quick glancing to the sun.--GRAY
Though hours were early, the morning meal was not served till so late
as really to deserve the title of breakfast.
When the three sisters sat down at nine-o'clock, in mob caps, and the
two younger in white dresses, all had been up at least two hours.
Aurelia led forward little Eugene in a tailed red coat, long-breasted buff
waistcoat, buff tights and knitted stockings, with a deep frilled collar
under the flowing locks on his shoulders, in curls which emulated a wig.
She had been helping him to prepare "his tasks" from the well-thumbed
but strongly-bound books which had served poor Archie before him.
They were deposited on the window-seat to wait till the bowls