THE YOUNG WIDOW. 279 



"fciit lier coiling, or Lady Malcolm will be seriously offended 

 with ap all." 



"You shaU do no such thing, INIiss Marplot," returned 

 Malcolm; "or I'll pay you off, Blanche, and peach abo 

 sometliiag else — don't you or Constance give a hint even to 

 ftn-Qiy." 



" Yeiy well, I suppose we must submit ; but now I think 

 ihe carriage will be waiting for us." 



After handing the ladies in, Malcolm walked home with 

 Beauchamp across the park, who was most kindly received by 

 ids mother, with a general invitation to her house. Soon after 

 iaiicheon visitors began calling, and the Marquis of Ayrshire 

 \fas announced, who, from the occurrences of the previous 

 Light, entertained the idea of having made a favourable im- 

 prescjion on Blanche, and appeared rather disconcerted by her 

 distant behaviour to him. His lordship's polite inquiries were 

 m^t with brief, though courteous replies ; and, as her attention 

 w^' aO much occupied with Beauchamp, who was sitting near 

 Ler, he very soon made his conge, muttering, as he went down 

 stairs — 



" Ah ! some fox-hunting cousin, I suppose, fresh from the 

 country, with all the parish news ! " 



The gay young widow, Mrs. Egerton Fortescue, was next 

 announced, and received by Lady Malcolm in the most friendly 

 Gianner, and introduced by her to Blanche, Constance, and 

 Beauchamp. She had man^ied very early in life (being taken 

 almost from the school-room to the altar), at her mother's 

 instigation, Mr. Fortescue, a gentleman of lai'ge fortune in the 

 north of England, althouorh old enouojli to be her Grandfather : 

 but having made him a most dutiful and attentive wife, during 

 the five years they lived together, he had bequeathed to her his 

 whole fortune, on his decease, unfettered and uncontrolled. 

 Mrs. Fortescue, although not strikingly handsome, was decidedly 

 pretty and extremely fascinating ; and there was a sweetness in 

 her smile, and gracefulness in her manner, with a total absence 

 of all affectation, which rendered her particularly interesting 

 and attractive. She had now, although a widov/, only attained 

 her twenty-second year ; and, through her late husband's con- 

 nections, had obtained a good introduction amongst the aristo- 

 cracy. 



Constance took a great fancy to the young widow ; but 

 Blanche, recollecting Lady Malcolm's observations on a former 

 occasion, felt far from happy in her company, regarding her 



