omed by his old friends,
who, being men of rank and influence, had risen in life while he
was immured at Bowstead. One of these had just received a diplomatic
appointment at Vienna, and in spite of insular ignorance of foreign
manners was at a loss for a capable suite. Mr. Belamour suggested Major
Delavie, as from his long service in Austria likely to be very useful.
The Envoy caught at the idea, and the thought of once more seeing his
old comrades enchanted the Major, whose only regret was that his hero,
Prince Eugene, had been dead three years; but to visit his grave would
be something. Appointments ran in families, so that nothing could be
easier than to obtain one for the young baronet; and though Mr. Belamour
did not depend on his own health enough to accept anything, he was quite
willing to join the party, and to spend a little time abroad, while his
nephew was growing somewhat older, making an essay of his talents, and
at any rate putting off the commencement of stagnation. Thus matters
settled themselves, the only disappointed member of the family being
Mrs. Arden, who thought it very hard that she could not stir any one up
to request an appointment of her husband as chaplain--not even himself!

Mr. Wayland was at once called upon to go out to America to superintend
the defences of the Canadian frontier, and he resolved on taking his
family out, obtaining land, and settling there permanently. He would
pay all my Lady's debts, but she should never again appear in London
society, and cruel exile as it must seem to her, he trusted that his
affection and tenderness would in time reconcile her to the new way of
life, knowing as she did that he had forgiven much that had made him
look like a crushed and sorrowful man in the midst of all the successes
and the honours he received from his country.

She remained quietly at Bowstead, and none of them saw her except her
son and the Major, to the latter of whom her husband brought a message
that she would esteem it a favour if he would come and visit her there,
the day before he returned to Carminster. Very much affected, the good
Major complied with her request, went down with Mr. Wayland and spent a
night at Bowstead.

He found that she had accepted her fate with the good grace of a woman
whose first instinct was not to make herself disagreeable. She was
rather pale, and not "made up" in any way, but exquisitely though more
simply dressed, and more beautiful than ever,