kiss, and remained pacing up
and down the room to work off her indignation before returning to her
father. She was quite as angry with herself, as with my Lady, for having
lost her temper, and so given her enemy an advantage, more especially as
when her distress became less agitating, her natural shrewdness began to
guess that the hint about scandal was the pure fruit of Lady Belamour's
invention, as an expedient for obtaining her consent. Yet the mere
breath of such a possibility of evil speaking was horror to her, and she
even revolved the question of going herself to Bowstead to rescue her
sister. But even if the journey had been more possible, her father was
in no condition to be left to Harriet's care, and there was nothing to
be done except to wait till he could again attend to the matter, calm
herself as best she could, so as not to alarm him, and intercept all
dangerous messages.

Several days had passed, and though the Major had not left his bed, he
had asked whether more had been heard from my Lady, and discussed the
subject with his daughter, when a letter arrived in due course of post.
It was written in a large bold hand, and the signature, across a crease
in the paper, was in the irregular characters that the Major recognised
as those of Mr. Belamour.

"DEAR AND HONOURED SIR,

"Proposals have been made to you on my Behalf for the Hand of your
fair and amiable Daughter, Miss Aurelia Delavie. I am well aware how
preposterous and even shocking they may well appear to you; yet, let me
assure you, on the Faith of a Man of Honour that if you will entrust
her to me, wretched Recluse though I be, and will permit her to bear my
Name, I will answer for her Happiness and Welfare. Situated as I am,
I cannot enter into further explanations; but we are old Acquaintance,
though we have not met for many Years, and therefore I venture to beg of
you to believe me when I say that if you will repose Confidence in
me, and exercise Patience, I can promise your admirable Daughter such
Preferment as she is far from expecting. She has been the Blessing of
my darkened Life, but I would never have presumed to ask further were it
not that I have no other Means of protecting her, nor of shielding her
from Evils that may threaten her, and that might prove far worse than
bearing the Name of

"Your obedient Servant to command,
"AMYAS BELAMOUR.

"Bowstead Park, Dec. 3rd, 1737."