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When Lady Delacour pulled off Belinda's mask, her face was, during the first instant, pale; the next moment, crimsoned over with a burning blush. "What is the matter with ye both? How he stands!" said Lady Delacour, turning to Mr. Hervey. "Did you never see a woman blush before? or did you never say or do any thing to make a woman blush before?
Lady Delacour bowed. "But from what passed last night," said she, "I was afraid that you might repent your engagement to me: and if so, I give up my bond. I should be miserable if I apprehended that any one, but more especially Miss Portman, felt herself a prisoner in my house." "Dear Lady Delacour!
Her experience of Miss Portman's gentleness and friendship might reasonably have prevented or dispelled such apprehensions; but Lady Delacour was governed by pride, by sentiment, by whim, by enthusiasm, by passion by any thing but reason. When she began to revive after her fit of languor, and had been refreshed by opium and sleep, she rang for Marriott, and inquired for Belinda.
At dinner, the dowager seized the first auspicious moment of silence to announce a piece of intelligence, which she flattered herself would fix the eyes of all the world upon her. "So Mr. Clarence Hervey is married at last!" "Married!" cried Lady Delacour: she had sufficient presence of mind not to look directly at Belinda; but she fixed the dowager's eyes, by repeating, "Married!
As her ladyship turned over the page, she saw a leaf of myrtle which Belinda, who had been reading the story the preceding day, had put into the book for a mark. "Whose mark is this? Yours, Belinda, I am sure, by its elegance," said Lady Delacour.
Lady Delacour stood for some minutes musing, and then exclaimed, "I will move heaven and earth to break off this absurd match." "Good Heavens! my dear Lady Delacour, what do you mean?" "Mean! my dear I mean what I say, which very few people do: no wonder I should surprise you." "I conjure you," cried Belinda, "if you have the least regard for my honour and happiness "
"And what is Miss Portman to believe," cried Mrs. Margaret Delacour, "when she has seen you on the very eve of marriage with another lady?" "The strongest merit I can plead with such a woman as Miss Portman is, that I was ready to sacrifice my own happiness to a sense of duty. Now that I am at liberty "
Lord Delacour with much emotion looked over this paper, and assured her ladyship that she should be obeyed, if He could say no more. "Farewell, then, my lord!" said she: "keep up your spirits, for I intend to live many years yet to try them."
Though you talk of running away from me to Oakly-park, I am sure you will do no such cruel thing. I am, with all due humility, so confident of the irresistible attractions of this house, that I defy Oakly-park and all its charms. So, Miss Portman, instead of adieu, I shall only say, au revoir!" "Adieu, Lady Delacour!" said Belinda, with a look and tone which struck her ladyship to the heart.
In conversing with Lady Delacour, his faculties were always called into full play; in talking to Virginia, his understanding was passive: he perceived that a large proportion of his intellectual powers, and of his knowledge, was absolutely useless to him in her company; and this did not raise her either in his love or esteem.
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