Books: Love and Life
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Charlotte M. Yonge >> Love and Life
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"May I ask who said the young lady had been seen here?" asked the
mistress coldly.
"It was Lady Arabella Mar," said Betty, "and, justly speaking, I
believe she did not say it was here that my poor sister was seen, but
that she had seen her, and we drew the conclusion that it was here."
"My Lady Arabella Mar is too often taken out by my Lady Countess,"
said Madame d'Elmar.
"Could I see her? Perhaps she would tell me where she saw my dear
sister?" said Betty.
"She went to a rout last evening and has not returned," was the reply.
"Indeed my lady, her mother, spoke as if she might never come back,
her marriage being on the _tapis_. Indeed, sir, indeed, madam, I
should most gladly assist you," she said as a gesture of bitter grief
and disappointment passed between father and daughter, both of whom
were evidently persons of condition. "If it will be any satisfaction
to the lady to see all my pupils, I will conduct her through my
establishment."
Betty caught at this, though there was no doubt that the mistress was
speaking in good faith. She was led to a large empty room, where a
dozen young ladies were drawn up awaiting the dancing master--girls
from fourteen to seventeen, the elder ones in mob caps, those with
more pretensions to fashion, with loose hair. Their twelve curtsies
were made, their twenty-four eyes peeped more or less through their
lashes at the visitor, but no such soft brown eyes as Aurelia's were
among them.
"Madame," said Betty, "may I be permitted to ask the ladies a question?"
She spoke it low, and in French, and her excellent accent won Madame's
heart at once. Only Madame trusted to Mademoiselle's discretion not
to put mysteries into their minds, or they would be all _tete montee_.
So, as discretely as the occasion would permit, Betty asked whether
any one had seen or heard Lady Belle speak of having seen any one--a
young lady?
Half-a-dozen tongues broke out, "We thought it all Lady Belle's
whimsical secrets," and as many stories were beginning, but Madame's
awful little hand waved silence, as she said, "Speak then, Miss
Staunton."
"I know none of Lady Belle's secrets, ma'am--ask Miss Howard."
Miss Howard looked sulky; and a little eager, black-eyed thing cried,
"She said it was an odious girl whom Lady Belamour keeps shut up in
a great dungeon of an old house, and is going to send beyond seas,
because she married two men at once in disguise."
"Fie, Miss Crawford, you know nothing about it."
"You told me so, yourself, Miss Howard."
"I never said anything so foolish."
"Hush, young ladies," said Madame. "Miss Howard, if you know anything,
I request you to speak."
"It would be a great kindness," said Betty. "Might I ask the favour
of seeing Miss Howard in private?"
Madame consented, and Miss Howard followed Betty out of hearing,
muttering that Belle would fly at her for betraying her.
"I do not like asking you to betray your friend's confidence," said
Betty.
"Oh, as to that, I'm not her friend, and I believe she has talked to
a half-a-dozen more."
"I am this poor young lady's sister," said Betty. "We are afraid
she has fallen into unkind hands; and I should be very thankful if
you could help me to find her. Where do you think Lady Belle saw
her?"
"I thought it was in some old house in Hertfordshire," said Miss
Howard, more readily, "but I am not sure; for it was last Sunday,
which she spent with her mamma. She came back and made it a great
secret that she had seen the girl that had taken in Sir Amyas
Belamour, who was contracted to herself, to marry him and his uncle
both at once in disguise, and then had set the house a-fire. Belle
had got some one to let her see the girl, and then she went on about
her being not pretty."
"What did she say about sending her beyond seas?"
"Oh! that Miss Crawford made up. She told me that they were going
to find a husband for her such as a low creature like that deserved.
And she protests she is to be married to Sir Amyas very soon, and
come back here while he makes the grand tour. I hope she won't.
She will have more spiteful ways than ever."
This was all that Betty could extract. She saw Miss Crawford alone,
but her tiding melted into the vaguest second-hand hearsay. The
inquiry had only produced a fresh anxiety.
CHAPTER XXIX. A BLACK BLONDEL.
And to the castle gate approached in quiet wise,
Whereat soft knocking, entrance he desired.
SPENSER.
"Nephew, is Delavie House inhabited?" inquired Mr. Belamour, as the
baffled seekers sat together that evening.
"No, sir," replied Sir Amyas. "My Lady will only lease it to persons
of quality, on such high terms that she cannot obtain them for a house
in so antiquated a neighbourhood. Oh, you do not think it possible
that my dearest life can be in captivity so near us! An old house!
On my soul, so it must be; I will go thither instantly."
"And be taken for a Mohock! No, no, sit down, rash youth, and tell me
who keeps the house."
One Madge, an old woman as sour as vinegar, who snarled at me like a
toothless cur when I once went there to find an old fowling-piece of
my father's."
"Then you ar the last person who should show yourself there, since
there are sure to be strict charges against admitting you, and
you would only put the garrison on the alert. You had better let
the reconnoitring party consist of Jumbo and myself."
The ensuing day was Sunday. Something was said of St. Paul's, then
in bloom of youth and the wonder of England; but Betty declared that
she could not run about to see fine churches till her mind was at
ease about her poor sister. Might she only go to the nearest and
quietest church? So she, with her father and Eugene, repaired to
St. Clement Danes, where their landlord possessed a solid oak pew,
and they heard a sermon on the wickedness and presumption of
inoculating for the small-pox.
It was not a genteel neighbourhood, and the congregation was therefore
large, for the substantial tradesfolk who had poured into the Strand
since it had been rebuilt were far more religiously disposed than the
fashionable world, retaining either the Puritan zeal, or the High
Church fervour, which were alike discouraged in the godless court.
The Major and his son and daughter were solitary units in the midst
of the groups of portly citizens, with soberly handsome wives, and
gay sons and daughters, who were exchanging greetings; and on their
return to their hotel, the Major betook himself to a pipe in the bar,
and Eugene was allowed to go for a walk in the park with Palmer, while
Betty sat in her own room with her Bible, striving to strengthen her
assurance that the innocent would never be forsaken. Indeed Mr.
Belamour had much strengthened her grounds of hope and comfort by his
testimony to poor Aurelia's perfect guilelessness and simplicity
throughout the affair. Yet the echo of that girl's chatter about
Lady Belle's rival being sent beyond the sea would return upon her
ominously, although it might be mere exaggeration and misapprehension,
like so much besides.
A great clock, chiming one, warned her to repair to the sitting-room,
where she met Eugene, full of the unedifying spectacle of a fight
between two street lads. There had been a regular ring, and the boy
had been so much excited that Palmer had had much ado to bring him
away. Betty had scarcely hushed his eager communications and repaired
his toilette for dinner before Sir Amyas came in, having hurried away
as soon as possible after attending his men to and from church.
"Sister," he said, for so he insisted on calling Betty, "I really
think my uncle's surmise may be right. I went home past Delavie
House last night, just to look at it, and there was--there really
was, a light in one of the windows on the first floor, which always
used to be as black as Erebus. I had much ado to keep myself from
thundering at the gate. I would have done so before now but for my
uncle's warning. Where can he be?"
The Major and Mr. Belamour here came in together, and the same torrent
was beginning to be poured forth, when the latter cut it short with,
"They are about to lay the cloth. Restrain yourself, my dear boy,
or---" and as at that moment the waiter entered, he went on with the
utmost readiness--"or, as it seems, the Queen of Hungary will never
make good her claims. Pray, sir," turning to Major Delavie, "have
you ever seen these young Archduchesses whose pretensions seem likely
to convulse the continent to its centre?"
The Major, with an effort to gather his attention, replied that he
could not remember; but Betty, with greater presence of mind, described
how she had admired the two sisters of Austria as little girls walking
on the Prater. Indeed she and Mr. Belamour contrived to keep up the
ball till the Major was roused into giving an opinion of Prussian
discipline, and to tell stories of Leopold of Dessau, Eugene, and
Marlborough with sufficient zest to drive the young baronet almost
frantic, especially as Jumbo, behind his master's chair, was on the
broad grin all the time, and almost dancing in his shoes. Once he
contrived to give an absolute wink with one of his big black eyes;
not, however, undetected, for Mr. Belamour in a grave tone of
reprimand ordered him off to fetch an ivory toothpick-case.
Not till the cloth had been remove, and dishes of early strawberries
and of biscuits, accompanied by bottles of port and claret, placed on
the table, and the servants had withdrawn, did Mr. Belamour observe,
"I have penetrated the outworks."
There was an outburst of inquiry and explanation, but he was not to
be prevented from telling the story in his own way. "I know the house
well, for my brother lived there the first years of his marriage,
before you came on the stage, young sir. Perhaps you do not know
how to open the door from without?"
"Oh, sir, tell me the trick!"
Mr. Belamour held up a small pass-key. There was a certain tone of
banter about him which almost drove his nephew wild, but greatly
reassured Miss Delavie.
"Why--why keep me in torments, instead of taking me with you?" cried
the youth.
"Because I wished my expedition to be no failure. I could not tell
whether my key, which I found with my watch and seals, would still
serve me. Ah! you look on fire; but remember the outworks are not
the citadel."
"For Heaven's sake, sir, torture me not thus!"
"I knew that to make my summons at the out gate would lead to a
summary denial by the sour porteress, so I experimented on the lock
of the little door into the lane, and admitted myself and Jumbo into
the court; but the great hall-door stood before me jealously closed,
and the lower windows were shut with shutters, so that all I could
do was to cause Jumbo to awake the echoes with a lusty peal on the
knocker, which he repeated at intervals, until there hobbled forth to
open it a crone as wrinkled and crabbed as one of Macbeth's witches.
I demanded whether my Lady Belamour lived there. She croaked forth
a negative sound, and had nearly shut the door in my face, but I
kept her in parley by protesting that I had often visited my Lady
there, and offering a crown-piece if she would direct me to her."
"A crown! a kingdom, if she would bring us to the right one!" cried
Sir Amyas.
"Of course she directed me to Hanover Square, and then, evidently
supposing there was something amiss with the great gates, she insisted
on coming to let me out, and securing them after me."
The youth gave a great groan, saying, "Excuse me, sir, but what are
we the better of that?"
"Endure a little while, impatient swain, and you shall hear. I fancy
she recognised the Belamour Livery on Jumbo, for she hobbled by my
side maundering apologies about its being against orders to admit
gentle or simple, beast or body into the court, and that a poor woman
could not lose her place and the roof over her head. But mark me,
while this was passing, Jumbo, who had kept nearer the house whistling
'The Nightingale' just above his breath, heard his name called, and
presently saw two little faces at an up-stairs window."
"My little sisters!" cried Sir Amyas.
"Even so; and he believes he heard one of them call out, 'Cousin,
cousin Aura, come and see Jumbo;' but as the window was high up, I
scarce dare credit his ears rather than his imagination, and we were
instantly hustled away by the old woman, whose evident alarm is a
further presumption that the captive is there, since Faith and Hope
scarce have reached the years of being princesses immured in towers."
"It must be so," said Betty; "it would explain Lady Belle's having
had access to her! And now?"
"Is it impossible to effect an entrance from the court and carry her
away?" asked Sir Amyas.
"Entirely so," said his uncle. "The only door into the court is fit
to stand a siege, and all the lower windows are barred and fastened
with shutters. The servants' entrance is at the back towards the
river, but no doubt it is also guarded, and my key will not serve
for it."
"I could get some sprightly fellow of ours to come disguised as Mohocks,
and break in," proceeded the youth, eagerly. "Once in the court, trust
me for forcing my way to her."
"And getting lodged in Newgate for your pains, or tried by court-
martial," said the Major. "No, when right is on our side, do not let
us make it wrong. Hush, Sir Amyas, it is I who must here act. Whether
you are her husband I do not know, I know that I am her father, and
to-morrow morning, as soon as a magistrate can be spoken with, I shall
go and demand a search warrant for the body of my daughter, Aurelia
Delavie."
"The body! Good Heavens, sir," cried Betty.
"Not without the sweet soul, my dear Miss Delavie," said Mr. Belamour.
"Your excellent father has arrived at the only right and safe decision,
and provided no farther alarm is given, I think he may succeed. It is
scarcely probable that my Lady is in constant communication with her
stern porteress, and my person was evidently unknown. For her own sake,
as well as that of the small fee I dropped into her hand, she is
unlikely to report my reconnoissance."
Sir Amyas was frantic to go with his father-in-law, but both the elder
men justly thought that his ambiguous claims would but complicate the
matter. The landlord was consulted as to the acting magistrates of
the time, and gave two or three addresses.
Another night of prayer, suspense, and hope for Betty's sick heart.
Then, immediately after breakfast, the Major set forth, attended by
Palmer, long before Mr. Belamour had left his room, or the young
baronet could escape from his military duties. Being outside the
City, the Strand was under the jurisdiction of justices of the peace
for Middlesex, and they had so much more than they could do properly,
that some of them did it as little as possible. The first magistrate
would not see him, because it was too early to attend to business; the
second never heard matters at his private house, and referred him to
the office in Bow Street. In fact he would have been wiser to have
gone thither at first, but he had hoped to have saved time. He had
to wait sitting on a greasy chair when he could no longer stand, till
case after case was gone through, and when he finally had a hearing
and applied for a warrant to search for his daughter in Delavie House,
there was much surprise and reluctance to put such an insult on a
lady of quality in favour at Court. On his giving his reasons on
oath for believing the young lady to be there, the grounds of his
belief seemed to shrink away, so that the three magistrates held
consultation whether the warrant could be granted. Finally, after
eying him all over, and asking him where he had served, one of
them, who had the air of having been in the army, told him that
in consideration of his being a gentleman of high respectability
who had served his country, they granted what he asked, being assured
that he would not make the accusation lightly. The reforms made by
Fielding had not yet begun, everybody had too much work, and the poor
Major had still some time to wait before an officer--tipstaff, as he
was called--could accompany him, so that it was past noon when, off
in the Bowstead carriage again, they went along the Strand, to a high-
walled court belonging to one of the old houses of the nobility, most
of which had perished in the fire of London. There was a double-
doored gateway, and after much thundering in vain, at which the
tipstaff, a red-nosed old soldier, waxed very irate, the old woman
came out in curtseying, crying, frightened humility, declaring that
they would find no one there--they might look if they would.
So they drove over the paved road, crossing the pitched pebbles, the
door was unbarred, but no Aurelia sprang into her father's arms. Only
a little terrier came barking out into the dismal paved hall. Into
every room they looked, the old woman asseverating denials that it
was of no use, they might see for themselves, that no one had been
there for years past. Full of emptiness, indeed, with faded grimy
family portraits on the walls, moth-eaten carpets and cushions, high-
backed chairs with worm-holes; and yet, somehow, there was one room
that did look as if it had recently been sat in. Two little stools
were drawn up close to a chair; the terrier poked and smelt about
uneasily as though in search of some one, and dragged out from under
a couch a child's ball which he began to worry. On the carpet, too,
were some fragments of bright fresh embroidery silk, which the
practiced eye of the constable noticed. "This here was not left
ten or a dozen years ago," said he; and, extracting the ball from
the fangs of the dog, "No, and this ball ain't ten year old, neither.
Come, Mother What's'-name, it's no good deceiving an officer of the
law; whose is this here ball?"
"It's the little misses. They've a bin here with their maid, but
their nurse have been and fetched 'em away this morning, and a good
riddance too."
"Who was the maid?--on your oath!"
"One Deborah Davis, a deaf woman, and pretty nigh a dumb one. She be
gone too."
Nor could the old woman tell where she was to be found. "My Lady's
woman sent her in," she said, "and she was glad enough to be rid of
her."
"Come, now, my good woman, speak out, and it will be better for you,"
said the Major. "I know my daughter was here yesterday."
"And what do I know of where she be gone? She went off in a sedan-
chair this morning before seven o'clock, and if you was to put me to
the rack I couldn't say no more."
As to which way or with whom she had gone, the old woman was,
apparently, really ignorant.
The poor Major had to return home baffled and despairing, still taking
the tipstaff with him, in case, on consultation with Mr. Belamour, it
should be deemed expedient to storm Hanover Square itself, and examine
Lady Belamour and her servants upon oath.
Behold, the parlour was empty. Even Betty and Eugene were absent. The
Major hastened to knock at Mr. Belamour's door. There was no answer;
and when he knocked louder it was still in vain. He tried the door
and found it locked. Then he retreated to the sitting-room, rang, and
made inquiries of the waiter who answered the bell.
Mr. Belamour had received a note at about ten o'clock, and had gone
out with him "in great disorder," said the waiter.
At the same moment there was a knock at the door, and a billet was
brought in from Lady Belamour. The Major tore it open and read:--
"MY DEAR COUSIN,
"I grieve for you, but my Suspicions were correct. We have all
been completely hoodwinked by that old Villain, my Brother-in-law. I
can give him no other Name, for his partial Aberration of Mind has
only sharpened his natural Cunning. Would you believe it? He had
obtained access to Delavie House, and had there hidden the unfortunate
Object of your Search, while he pretended to be assisting you, and
this Morning he carried her off in a Sedan. I have sent the good
Doves to Bowstead in case he should have the Assurance to return to
his old Quarters, but I suspect that they are on the Way to Dover.
You had better consult with Hargrave on the means of confirming the
strange Marriage Ceremony that has passed between them, since that
affords the best Security for your Daughter's Maintenance and
Reputation. Believe me, I share in your Distress. Indeed I have so
frightful a Megrim that I can scarcely tell what I write, and I dare
not admit you to-day.
"I remain,
"Your loving and much-grieved Cousin,
"URANIA BELAMOUR."
Poor Major! His horror, perplexity, and despair were indescribable.
He had one only hope--that Sir Amyas and Betty might be on the track.
CHAPTER XXX. THE FIRST TASK.
After all these there marcht a most faire dame,
Led of two gryslie villains, th' one Despight,
The other cleped Crueltie by name.
SPENSER.
The traces of occupation had not deceived Major Delavie; Aurelia had
been recently in Delavie House, and we must go back some way in our
narrative to her arrival there.
She had, on her return from Sedhurst on that Sunday, reached Bowstead,
and entered by the lobby door just as Lady Belamour was coming down
the stairs only attended by her woman, and ready to get into the
carriage which waited at the hall door.
Sinking on her knees before her with clasped hands, Aurelia exclaimed,
"O madam, I ought not to have come away. Here I am, do what you will
with me, but spare my father. He knew nothing of it. Only, for
pity's sake, do not put me among the poor wicked creatures in gaol."
"Get into that carriage immediately, and you shall know by decision,"
said Lady Belamour, with icy frigidness, but not the same fierceness
as before; and Aurelia submissively obeyed, silenced by an imperious
gesture when she would have asked, "How is it with _him_?" whom she
durst not name.
Lady Belamour waited a minute or two while sending Loveday on a last
message to the sick room, then entered the large deep carriage,
signing to her captive to take a corner where she could hardly be
seen if any one looked through the window. Loveday followed, the door
was shut by a strange servant, as it was in fact Lady Aresfield's
carriage, borrowed both for the sake of speed, and of secrecy towards
her own household.
A few words passed by which Aurelia gathered something reassuring as
to the state of the patient, and then Lady Belamour turned on her,
demanding, "So, young miss, you tried to escape me! Where have you
been?"
"Only as far as Sedhurst Church, madam. I would have gone home, but
I feared to bring trouble on my father, and I came back to implore
you to forgive."
There was no softening of the terrible, beautiful face before her, and
she durst put no objective case to her verb. However, the answer was
somewhat less dreadful than she had anticipated.
"I have been shamefully duped," said Lady Belamour, "but it is well
that it is no worse; nor shall I visit our offences on your father if
you show your penitence by absolute submission. The absurd ceremony
you went through was a mere mockery, and the old fool, Belamour, showed
himself crazed for consenting to such an improper frolic on the part
of my son. Whether your innocence be feigned or not, however, I cannot
permit you to go out of my custody until the foolish youth or yourself
be properly bestowed in marriage elsewhere. Meantime, you will remain
where I place you, and exactly fulfil my commands. Remember that any
attempt to communicate with any person outside the house will be
followed by your Father's immediate dismissal."
"May I not let him know that I am safe?"
"Certainly not; I will see to your father."
It was a period when great ladies did not scruple to scold at the top
of their voices, and sometimes proceed to blows, but Lady Belamour
never raised her low silvery tones, and thus increased the awfulness
of her wrath and the impressiveness of her determination. Face to
face with her, there were few who did not cower under her displeasure;
and poor Aurelia, resolute to endure for her father's sake, could only
promise implicit obedience.
She only guessed when the entered London by the louder rumbling, and
for one moment the coach paused as a horse was reined up near it, and
with plumed hat in hand the rider bent forward to the window, exclaiming,
"Successful, by all that is lovely! Captured, by Jove!"
"You shall hear all another time," said lady Belamour. "Let us go on
now."
They did so, but the horseman continued to flash across the windows,
and when the coach, after considerable delay, had entered the walled
court, rumbled over the pavement, and stopped before a closed door, he
was still there. When, after much thundering, the door was opened,
Aurelia had a moment's glimpse of a splendid figure in gold and
scarlet handing out Lady Belamour, who stood talking with him on the
steps of the house for some moments. Then, shrugging his shoulders,
he remounted, and cantered off, after which my Lady signed to Aurelia
to alight, and followed her into the hall.
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