Belmour: A Modern Edition

Chapter 6

✦ 67 ✦ child, you never consider what you say.—Come, brother, do let us all go to bed, I am sure it is time.” Saying this, she got up, candles were brought, and the company retired for the night. Chapter 6 belmour felt seriously disturbed at the manner in which his accidental visit to Miss Melville had been taken. His father, he perceived, thought more of it, than he chose to express, from his wholly avoiding the subject; and the rest of the company , according to their different dispositions, all took it up in a way, that was extremely displeasing to him.—What still more alarmed him, was the growing interest he felt in his own heart, for a person of whom he knew nothing, one too much involved in a cloud of mystery, which, without avowing pretensions neither prudence nor honour could justify, it was extremely difficult to attempt penetrating.—His father’s decided objection to any person of inferiour birth, to say nothing of the anxious desire, to which Belmour was no stranger, of his union with Lady Clementina, made him dread the idea of an attachment, which might destroy all the flattering hopes of an indulgent parent, or his own peace of mind forever. He had suffered too much already from passion, not to dread its effects—he wished therefore to curb the sensations of pleasure and admiration, which he had experienced on this occasion, before they gained further power, and determined to avoid any attention towards Miss Melville that might appear particular, and take his chance of future events for their further acquaintance. Lord Delavere continued his silence, never once touching on the subject of the visit to Belmour; but after that occurrence, ✦ 68 ✦ appeared more serious and reserved in his manner to him than usual. Belmour, though he had longed to go the next morning to the parsonage, and would, in another case, have thought it but a common attention, in consequence of the sort of disturbance he had occasioned on the preceding night, had had sufficient command over himself not to go, and it was now nearly a fortnight since he had seen Miss Melville, or heard a single word from the rectory, when he happened one evening to go out alone on horseback.—Lady Clementina, as usual, was wanting to make a party to go somewhere, no matter to her where, and had that evening been able to collect only Heartley and Lady Caroline.—The weather was uncommonly fine, and she declared, that she would take a long walk out of the park, and frighten her uncle, and her aunt Eliza, by coming home late, and “making them think she had run away.”—With this determination she set out, accompanied by the persons above-mentioned.—They were scarcely out of the park-gate, when they perceived Miss Melville, taking her evening walk alone. Lady Clementina flew up to her, seized her arm, and protested (in spite of a wink and a grave look from Lady Caroline ) that she should not only walk with them wherever they went; “which way that was to be, she had not,” she said, “determined ; but come back with them, and pass the evening at the castle.”—She would take no refusal; and Lady Caroline, seeing that it must be so, out of civility joined her entreaties to her cousin’s. Miss Melville, thus taken unawares, and having, in fact, no single excuse to offer, did not long oppose their request . They had continued their walk for nearly a mile, along a narrow by-lane, leading to a small village, when, at a turn, they perceived Belmour at no great distance before them, on horseback; he was alone, unattended even by a groom—his arms were crossed over his breast, and the bridle thrown on the horse’s neck; the animal moved slowly on, just putting one foot before the other, with its head carried horizontally ✦ 69 ✦ before it.—Lady Clementina, looking round to her companions , put her finger to her mouth, in token of silence, and advanced gently till she came, unperceived, almost close to Belmour; then slyly drawing out her handkerchief, she threw it at the horse. The animal thus suddenly struck, made a violent start, then plunged, then reared, and must inevitably have flung any less active, or less expert rider than Belmour.—Lady Caroline screamed, and almost fainted. Lady Clementina put both her hands...