A few minutes' conversation pa.s.sed afterward upon different subjects, and Lady Anne Percival and Belinda parted with a mutual desire to see more of each other.

CHAPTER XIII.

SORTES VIRGILIANAE.

When Belinda got home, Lady Delacour was busy in the library looking over a collection of French plays with the _ci-devant_ Count de N----; a gentleman who possessed such singular talents for reading dramatic compositions, that many people declared that they would rather hear him read a play than see it performed at the theatre. Even those who were not judges of his merit, and who had little taste for literature, crowded to hear him, because it was the fashion. Lady Delacour engaged him for a reading party at her house, and he was consulting with her what play would be most amusing to his audience. "My dear Belinda! I am glad you are come to give us your opinion," said her ladyship; "no one has a better taste: but first I should ask you what you have done at your bird-fancier's; I hope you have brought home some _horned c.o.c.k_[5], or some _monstrously_ beautiful creature for Marriott. If it has not a voice like the macaw I shall be satisfied; but even if it be the bird of paradise, I question whether Marriott will like it as well as its screaming predecessor."

"I am sure she will like what is coming for her," said Belinda, "and so will your ladyship; but do not let me interrupt you and monsieur le Comte." And as she spoke, she took up a volume of plays which lay upon the table.

"Nanine, or La Prude, which shall we have?" said Lady Delacour: "or what do you think of L'Ecossaise?"

"The scene of L'Ecossaise is laid in London," said Belinda; "I should think with an English audience it would therefore be popular."

"Yes! so it will," said Lady Delacour: "then let it be L'Ecossaise. M.

le Comte I am sure will do justice to the character of _Friport_ the Englishman, 'qui scait donner, mais qui ne scait pas vivre.' My dear, I forgot to tell you that Clarence Hervey has been here: it is a pity you did not come a little sooner, you would have heard a charming scene of the School for Scandal read by him. M. le Comte was quite delighted; but Clarence was in a great hurry, he would only give us one scene, he was going to Mr. Percival's on business. I am sure what I told you the other day is true: but, however, he has promised to come back to dine with me--M. le Comte, you will dine with us, I hope?"

The count was extremely sorry that it was impossible--he was engaged.

Belinda suddenly recollected that it was time to dress for dinner; but just as the count took his leave, and as she was going up stairs, a footman met her, and told her that Mr. Hervey was in the drawing-room, and wished to speak to her. Many conjectures were formed in Belinda's mind as she pa.s.sed on to the drawing-room; but the moment that she opened the door, she knew the nature of Mr. Hervey's business, for she saw the gla.s.s globe containing Helena Delacour's gold fishes standing on the table beside him. "I have been commissioned to present these to you for Lady Delacour," said Mr. Hervey, "and I have seldom received a commission that has given me so much pleasure. I perceive that Miss Portman is indeed a real friend to Lady Delacour--how happy she is to have such a friend!"

After a pause Mr. Hervey went on speaking of Lady Delacour, and of his earnest desire to see her as happy in domestic life as she _appeared_ to be in public. He frankly confessed, that when he was first acquainted with her ladyship, he had looked upon her merely as a dissipated woman of fashion, and he had considered only his own amus.e.m.e.nt in cultivating her society: "But," continued he, "of late I have formed a different opinion of her character; and I think, from what I have observed, that Miss Portman's ideas on this subject agree with mine. I had laid a plan for making her ladyship acquainted with Lady Anne Percival, who appears to me one of the most amiable and one of the happiest of women.

Oakly-park is but a few miles from Harrowgate.--But I am disappointed in this scheme; Lady Delacour has changed her mind, she says, and will not go there. Lady Anne, however, has just told me, that, though it is July, and though she loves the country, she will most willingly stay in town a month longer, as she thinks that, with your a.s.sistance, there is some probability of her effecting a reconciliation between Lady Delacour and her husband's relations, with some of whom Lady Anne is intimately acquainted. To begin with my friend, Mrs. Margaret Delacour: the macaw was most graciously received, and I flatter myself that I have prepared Mrs. Delacour to think somewhat more favourably of her niece than she was wont to do. All now depends upon Lady Delacour's conduct towards her daughter: if she continues to treat her with neglect, I shall be convinced that I have been mistaken in her character."

Belinda was much pleased by the openness and the unaffected good-nature with which Clarence Hervey spoke, and she certainly was not sorry to hear from his own lips a distinct explanation of his views and sentiments. She a.s.sured him that no effort that she could make with propriety should be wanting to effect the desirable reconciliation between her ladyship and her family, as she perfectly agreed with him in thinking that Lady Delacour's character had been generally misunderstood by the world.

"Yes," said Mr. Hervey, "her connexion with that Mrs. Freke hurt her more in the eyes of the world than she was aware of. It is tacitly understood by the public, that every lady goes bail for the character of her female friends. If Lady Delacour had been so fortunate as to meet with such a friend as Miss Portman in her early life, what a different woman she would have been! She once said some such thing to me herself, and she never appeared to me so amiable as at that moment."

Mr. Hervey p.r.o.nounced these last words in a manner more than usually animated; and whilst he spoke, Belinda stooped to gather a sprig from a myrtle, which stood on the hearth. She perceived that the myrtle, which was planted in a large china vase, was propped up on one side with the broken bits of Sir Philip Baddely's little stick: she took them up, and threw them out of the window. "Lady Delacour stuck those fragments there this morning," said Clarence smiling, "as trophies. She told me of Miss Portman's victory over the heart of Sir Philip Baddely; and Miss Portman should certainly have allowed them to remain there, as indisputable evidence in favour of the baronet's taste and judgment."

Clarence Hervey appeared under some embarra.s.sment, and seemed to be restrained by some secret cause from laying open his real feelings: his manner varied continually. Belinda could not avoid seeing his perplexity--she had recourse again to the gold fishes and to Helena: upon these subjects they could both speak very fluently. Lady Delacour made her appearance by the time that Clarence had finished repeating the Abbe Nollet's experiments, which he had heard from his friend Doctor X----.

"Now, Miss Portman, the transmission of sound in water," said Clarence----

"Deep in philosophy, I protest!" said Lady Delacour, as she came in.

"What is this about the transmission of sound in water?--Ha! whence come these pretty gold fishes?"

"These gold fishes," said Belinda, "are come to console Marriott for the loss of her macaw."

"Thank you, my dear Belinda, for these mute comforters," said her ladyship; "the very best things you could have chosen."

"I have not the merit of the choice," said Belinda, "but I am heartily glad that you approve of it."

"Pretty creatures," said Lady Delacour: "no fish were ever so pretty since the days of the prince of the Black Islands in the Arabian Tales.

And am I obliged to you, Clarence, for these subjects?"

"No; I have only had the honour of bringing them to your ladyship from----"

"From whom?--Amongst all my numerous acquaintance, have I one in the world who cares a gold fish about me?--Stay, don't tell me, let me guess----Lady Newland?--No; you shake your heads. I guessed her ladyship, merely because I know she wants to bribe me some way or other to go to one of her stupid entertainments; she wants to pick out of me taste enough to spend a fortune. But you say it was not Lady Newland?--Mrs. Hunt then perhaps? for she has two daughters whom she wants me to ask to my concerts. It was not Mrs. Hunt?--Well, then, it was Mrs. Masterson; for she has a mind to go with me to Harrowgate, where, by-the-bye, I shall not go; so I won't cheat her out of her gold fishes; it was Mrs. Masterson, hey?"

"No. But these little gold fishes came from a person who would be very glad to go with you to Harrowgate!" said Clarence Hervey. "Or who would be very glad to stay with you in town," said Belinda: "from a person who wants nothing from you but--your love."

"Male or female?" said Lady Delacour.

"Female."

"Female? I have not a female friend in the world but yourself, my dear Belinda; nor do I know another female in the world, whose love I should think about for half an instant. But pray tell me the name of this unknown friend of mine, who wants nothing from me but love."

"Excuse me," said Belinda; "I cannot tell her name, unless you will promise to see her."

"You have really made me impatient to see her," said Lady Delacour: "but I am not able to go out, you know, yet; and with a new acquaintance, one must go through the ceremony of a morning visit. Now, _en conscience_, is it worth while?"

"Very well worth while," cried Belinda and Clarence Hervey, eagerly.

"Ah, pardi! as M. le Comte exclaims continually, Ah, pardi! You are both wonderfully interested in this business. It is some sister, niece, or cousin of Lady Anne Percival's; or--no, Belinda looks as if I were wrong. Then, perhaps, it is Lady Anne herself?--Well, take me where you please, my dear Belinda, and introduce me where you please: I depend on your taste and judgment in all things; but I really am not yet able to pay morning visits."

"The ceremony of a morning visit is quite unnecessary here," said Belinda: "I will introduce the unknown friend to you to-morrow, if you will let me invite her to your reading-party."

"With pleasure. She is some charming emigree of Clarence Hervey's acquaintance. But where did you meet with her this morning? You have both of you conspired to puzzle me. Take it upon yourselves, then, if this new acquaintance should not, as Ninon de l'Enclos used to say, _quit cost_. If she be half as agreeable and _graceful_, Clarence, as Madame la Comtesse de Pomenars, I should not think her acquaintance too dearly purchased by a dozen morning visits."

Here the conversation was interrupted by a thundering knock at the door.

"Whose carriage is it?" said Lady Delacour. "Oh! Lady Newland's ostentatious livery; and here is her ladyship getting out of her carriage as awkwardly as if she had never been in one before.

Overdressed, like a true city dame! Pray, Clarence, look at her, entangled in her bale of gold muslin, and conscious of her bulse of diamonds!--'Worth, if I'm worth a farthing, five hundred thousand pounds bank currency!' she says or seems to say, whenever she comes into a room. Now let us see her entree--"

"But, my dear," cried Lady Delacour, starting at the sight of Belinda, who was still in her morning dress, "absolutely below par!--Make your escape to Marriott, I conjure you, by all your fears of the contempt of a lady, who will at the first look estimate you, _au juste_, to a farthing a yard."

As she left the room, Belinda heard Clarence Hervey repeat to Lady Delacour--

"Give me a look, give me a face, That makes simplicity a grace; Robes loosely flowing, hair as free--"

he paused--but Belinda recollected the remainder of the stanza--

"Such sweet neglect more taketh me Than all th'adulteries of art, That strike mine eyes, but not mine heart."

It was observed, that Miss Portman dressed herself this day with the most perfect simplicity.

Lady Delacour's curiosity was raised by the description which Belinda and Clarence Hervey had given of the new acquaintance who sent her the gold fishes, and who wanted nothing from her but her love.

Miss Portman told her that the _unknown_ would probably come half an hour earlier to the reading-party than any of the rest of the company.

Her ladyship was alone in the library, when Lady Anne Percival brought Helena, in consequence of a note from Belinda.

Miss Portman ran down stairs to the hall to receive her: the little girl took her hand in silence. "Your mother was much pleased with the pretty gold fishes," said Belinda, "and she will be still more pleased, when she knows that they came from you:--she does not know _that_ yet."

"I hope she is better to-day? I will not make the least noise,"

whispered Helena, as she went up stairs on tiptoe.