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"He is but five-and-forty!" said Betty

"Well, if she arouse hi, there will be feomen ill not envy her"

"Youherself up, "but nothing can conceal the fact that you confess yourself to have exposed nant slander; and that you assure me that the only course left is to marry the poor child to a wretched melancholic who has never so much as seen her face"

"You are outspoken, Miss Delavie," said Lady Belalitter in her blue eyes "I pardon your heat for your father's sake, and because I ascribe it to the exalted fantastic notions in which you have been bred; but reent in his state of health, and with his stubborn ideas, only remains on sufferance"

"My father hasrather than his child," cried Betty

"My dear girl, I will hear you nohim no service," said Lady Belamour kindly "You had better be convinced that it is a sacrifice, or an unwilling one, before you treat me to anykiss, and renation before returning to her father She was quite as angry with herself, as with iven her enee, , her natural shrewdness began to guess that the hint about scandal was the pure fruit of Lady Bela her consent Yet thewas 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 alares

Several days had passed, and though the Major had not left his bed, he had asked whether more had been heard frohter, when a letter arrived in due course of post It ritten 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