air of a "_beau sabreur_," whom Lady Belamour presented to her cousins
as "Colonel Mar, my son's commandant, you know who has been kind enough
to take Carminster on his way, so as to escort me to the Bath. I am
such a sad coward about highwaymen. And we are to meet dear Lady
Aresfield there to talk over a little matter of business."

Colonel Mar made a magnificent bow, carelessly, not to say
impertinently, scanned the two ladies, and having evidently decided
they had neither beauty nor fashion to attract him, caught up little
Amy in his arms, and began to play a half teasing, half caressing
game with the children. Betty thought it high time to be gone, and
as she took leave, was requested to send up her little brother to
play with his cousins. This did not prove a success, for Eugene
constituted himself champion to Amoret, of whom Archer was very
jealous, though she was his devoted and submissive slave. Master
Delavie's rustic ways were in consequence pronounced to be too rude
and rough for the dainty little town-bred boy, the fine ladies' pet.

The Major dined at the Great House, but came home so much dismayed
and disgusted that he could hardly mention even to Betty what he had
seen and heard. He only groaned out at intervals, "This is what the
service is coming to! That fop to be that poor lad's commanding
officer! That rake to be always hovering about my cousin!"

Others spoke out more plainly. Stories were afloat or orgies ending
in the gallant Colonel being under the supper table, a thing only too
common, but not in the house of a solitary lady who had only lately
quitted the carousers. Half the dependants on the estate were
complaining of the guest's swaggering overbearing treatment of
themselves, or of his insolence to their wives or daughters; and