Belmour: A Modern Edition

Chapter 14

✦ 144 ✦ Chapter 14 belmour, the next morning, walked to the well. It had not occurred to him, that he was likely to meet any of his particular acquaintance at Cheltenham; and so indifferent was it to him, one expected, whom he met, that he had not thought of making any inquiry on the subject—he was therefore surprised, though not disagreeably, at seeing, among a number of unknown figures, his cousin, Lady Clementina. She was walking slowly up to the well, leaning on Melford’s arm: but the moment she saw Belmour, she flew towards him, dragging Melford after her—“My dear cousin!” cried she, “who could have expected to have found you here!—But I am quite rejoiced to see you again; and, for Heaven’s sake, tell me something of Caroline, how she does, and where she is; for I never can understand from her letters what in the world she is about.—I depended on her returning to England with you; what could be the reason she went, the lord knows where, by herself, when she said her health was better?”—All these questions Belmour answered in the best manner he could, and it was easy to satisfy Lady Clementina; she knew not suspicion; she was herself all truth and frankness, and believed others to be the same: and when, by chance, she took “an aversion,” as she called it, to anyone, she always herself wondered why.—“Amiable being!” (thought Belmour to himself, as he looked at her with the kindest expression of affection)—“how happened it that thy charms, however powerful, could never reach my heart?”—“I really am quite glad to see you again, Belmour,” resumed she; “and I think we shall agree much better together than we used to do, for you have no notion how grave and sober I am grown; quite a pattern,” said she, laughing.—“Here have we been living for these three weeks quite alone; for I ✦ 145 ✦ only just come to the well in the morning, and then see no more of these good people” (making a face) “for the rest of the day: and yet I never have wanted company.—When I am tired in the evening, I make Melford read to me sometimes, though to be sure he don’t much like it.”—Melford gaped, and made a slight effort to release his arm, of which she had hold; but she, without taking the least notice of this, only held it the tighter.—“Well,” continued she, “but you dine with us today; for, though we like to be alone, we shall like your company still better; and I have got a monstrous comfortable little habitation out of the street.”—Melford cordially joined in this invitation, that is, as far as a very fine gentleman can be cordial; for his time, of course, hung heavily on his hands, and he was glad to have the addition of a person with whom one could live to his society. From that moment Belmour was the constant guest and companion of the Melfords, his own solitary walks excepted, which he never omitted; and, from being in the habit of rising early, he had always leisure time to himself. Tuesday, Wednesday , and Thursday passed, without Emily’s appearing.—Belmour grew almost in despair.—“What is the matter with you, my dear cousin?” Lady Clementina had a thousand times repeated .—At last, on the Friday morning, as Belmour walked out of his own house, which happened to be in the same row with Lady Clementina’s, at the very next door he saw a woman uncommonly busy washing and dusting, and cleaning everything about the house.—“You seem very busy, good woman,” said Belmour; “do you expect company?”—“Yes, your honour, we expects Madame Courtenay here tomorrow; and I’m sure I don’t know how in the world I shall get the house ready; for these Jew-people that were here are so nasty, there’s no getting things clean after them: howesever, if our Martha comes to help, we shall do pretty well.”—Saying this, she twirled her mop almost in Belmour’s face; and clattering up to the pas- ✦ 146 ✦ sage of the house, with a high pair of pattens on her feet, in an instant disappeared.—Away went Belmour, and that day Lady Clementina had no occasion to ask him, “What was the matter with him:”—for...