time she had
been kept within bounds. Then came a brief widowhood, when debt
and difficulty hurried her into accepting Mr. Wayland, a thoughtful
scientific man, whose wealth had accumulated without much volition of
his own to an extent that made her covet his alliance. Enthralled by
her charm of manner, he had not awakened to the perception of what she
really was during the few years that had elapsed before he was sent
abroad, and she refused to accompany him.

Then it was that wealth larger than she had before commanded, and a
court appointment, involved her in more dangerous habits. Her debts,
both of extravagance and of the gaming table, were enormous, trenching
hard on the Delavie property, and making severe inroads on Mr. Wayland's
means; but the Belamour estates being safely tied up, she had only been
able to borrow on her dower. She had sinned with a high hand, after the
fashion of the time, and then, in terror at the approaching return of
her husband, had endeavoured to conceal the ravages of her extravagance
by her bargain for her son's hand.

The youth, bred up at a distance, and then the companion of his
step-father, had on his return found his home painfully altered in his
two years' absence, and had been galled and grieved by the state of
things, so that even apart from the clearing of his prospects, the
relief was great. The quarrel with Colonel Mar that Mr. Wayland had
interrupted was not made up. There was no opportunity, for Mr. Wayland
at once removed his family to Bowstead, there to remain while he
transacted his business in London.

Moreover Mr. Belamour and Mr. Wayland agreed in selling the young
baronet's commission. The Major allowed that it was impossible that he
should remain under the command of his present Colonel, but regretted
that he should not continue in the service, declaring it the best
school for a young man, and that he did not want to see his son-in-law
a muddle-brained sporting country squire. He would have had Sir Amyas
exchange into the line, and see a little service before settling down,
but Maria Theresa had not as yet set Europe in a blaze, and in the
absence of a promising war Sir Amyas did more incline to his uncle's
representations of duties to tenants and to his county, and was even
ready to prepare himself for them when he should be of sufficient age
to undertake them. However, in the midst of the debates a new scheme was
made. Mr. Belamour had been called upon and welc