“The seal, sir, it is a pity to break it,” said Betty, producing her scissors from one of her capacious pockets.  “It is an antique, is it not, Mr. Arden?”

“A very beautiful gem, a sleeping Cupid,” he answered.

“How could the child have obtained it?” said Harriet.

“I can tell you,” said the Major.  “From old Belamour.  My Lady was laughing about it.  The little puss has revived the embers of gallantry in our poor recluse.  Says she, ’He has actually presented her with a ring, nay, a ring bearing Love himself.’”

Somehow the speech, even at second hand, jarred upon Betty, but her father was delighted with my Lady’s description of his favourite, and the letters were full of contentment.  When the two sisters, arrayed in their stiffest silks, went up to pay their respects to my Lady the next afternoon, their reception was equally warm.  My Lady was more caressing to her old acquaintance, Betty, than that discreet personage quite liked, while she complimented and congratulated Harriet on her lover, laughing at her bashful disclaimers in such a charmingly teasing fashion as quite to win the damsel’s heart, and convince her that all censure of Lady Belamour was vile slander.  The children were sent for, and Amoret was called on to show how Cousin Aurelia had taught her to dance, sing and recite.  The tiny minuet performed by her and Archer was an exceedingly pretty exhibition as far as it went, but the boy had no patience to conclude, and jumped off into an extemporary pas seul, which was still prettier, and as Amoret was sole exhibitor of the repetition of Hay’s “Hare and many friends,” he became turbulent after the first four lines, and put a stop to the whole.

Then came in a tall, large, handsome, dashing-looking man, with the air of a “beau sabreur,” whom Lady Belamour presented to her cousins as “Colonel Mar, my son’s commandant, you know who has been kind enough to take Carminster on his way, so as to escort me to the Bath.  I am such a sad coward about highwaymen.  And we are to meet dear Lady Aresfield there to talk over a little matter of business.”

Colonel Mar made a magnificent bow, carelessly, not to say impertinently, scanned the two ladies, and having evidently decided they had neither beauty nor fashion to attract him, caught up little Amy in his arms, and began to play a half teasing, half caressing game with the children.  Betty thought it high time to be gone, and as she took leave, was requested to send up her little brother to play with his cousins.  This did not prove a success, for Eugene constituted himself champion to Amoret, of whom Archer was very jealous, though she was his devoted and submissive slave.  Master Delavie’s rustic ways were in consequence pronounced to be too rude and rough for the dainty little town-bred boy, the fine ladies’ pet.

The Major dined at the Great House, but came home so much dismayed and disgusted that he could hardly mention even to Betty what he had seen and heard.  He only groaned out at intervals, “This is what the service is coming to!  That fop to be that poor lad’s commanding officer!  That rake to be always hovering about my cousin!”