LADY BELL VOL. II. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ LADY BELL A Story of Last Century BY THE AUTHOR OF “CITOYENNE JACQUELINE” IN THREE VOLS.—II. STRAHAN & CO. 56, LUDGATE HILL, LONDON 1873 LONDON: PRINTED BY VIRTUE AND CO., CITY ROAD. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS OF VOL. II. CHAP. PAGE I. A MESSAGE OUT OF THE PAST 1 II. FREED BY THE VISITATION OF GOD 15 III. KEEPING HOUSE TOGETHER 28 IV. FRIENDS IN NEED 41 V. BOW BELLS AND THE FAMILY IN CLEVELAND COURT 58 VI. A GAY YOUNG MADAM 71 VII. MAKING AN ACQUAINTANCE AT THE PANTHEON 82 VIII. OPINIONS DIFFER 95 IX. BOULTON’S COINS AND WEDGWOOD’S DISHES 106 X. A PARTY ON THE WATER 124 XI. DISCORD 135 XII. THE LITTLE DINNER AT HAMPTON, WITH MUSIC ON THE WATER 149 XIII. A VISIT TO LEICESTER FIELDS 162 XIV. SIR JOSHUA AT HOME 174 XV. THE MASQUED BALL IN PROSPECT 185 XVI. THE MASQUED BALL AS IT BEGAN IN REALITY 198 XVII. THE “COMMON DOMINO” 210 XVIII. ROMEO AND JULIET ON THE STAGE, AND IN LADY BELL TREVOR AND MISS GREATHEAD’S BOX 222 XIX. THE MEETING ON THE MALL 240 XX. TO TIE OR NOT TO TIE THE KNOT? 251 XXI. ISLINGTON CHURCH EARLY ONE MARCH MORNING 264 XXII. BACK AT SUMMERHILL 276 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER I. A MESSAGE OUT OF THE PAST. One hot day in the latter end of June, Lady Bell was sitting in the orchard, with Mrs. Sundon’s child in her lap, cooing to it, tickling it, tossing it, decking it with daisies, pretending to herself and to it, that the not-many-weeks-old child noticed and appreciated its floral finery.