The Chevalier's daughter : $b or, An exile for the truthGuernsey, Lucy Ellen
History
The Chevalier's daughter : $b or, An exile for the truth
Guernsey, Lucy Ellen
France -- History -- Louis XIV, 1643-1715 -- Juvenile fiction; Historical fiction; Huguenots -- France -- Juvenile fiction
"I am not flying at any game that I know of," said I, feeling my cheeks
flame, as what lady's would not.
"Your face tells another tale," returned my lord. "Such blushes do not
come for nothing."
"One may blush for others as well as for one's self," said I, rising
from the tables where I had been playing with my lord, and in my
confusion oversetting the board. And I betook myself to my own room,
nor did I leave it all the next day, saying that I was ill at ease,
which was the truth, and wished to be quiet. Lewis must needs make
matters worse by coming to my door to inquire for me, and though I did
not see him, but sent him a message by Lucy, my new little maid, his
doing so did not help me with his father and mother.
When I came down-stairs again, I found my lord had gotten over his pet
and was as gracious as before, but my lady was very cool to me. She
loved Lewis as her own son, and was ambitious for him. The insinuations
of Betty had not been without their effect, and Mrs. Bernard, who was
settled in the neighborhood, threw all her influence on the same side.
In short, I was very unhappy, and as I had about that time an
opportunity of writing to my Aunt Jemima in London, I told her my
troubles, and added that I knew not what to do.
The result was an immediate invitation from her and my uncle to come
to them in London, and make their house my home. My uncle also wrote a
letter to my lord, which I did not see, but which I suppose satisfied
him, for he made no objection to my going, and my lady decidedly
forwarded it. Lewis had a great deal to say against it, but it may be
guessed that his arguments had no great weight.
It was settled that I was to travel with Theo and her husband, who were
going up in a week or two, and my lady was directly in a great bustle
to get me ready; now that there was a chance of getting me off her
hands, she was all kindness once more.
The evening before I was to go to join Theo at Exeter, I sought out
my lady in her dressing-room and asked to speak with her in private.
I thanked her for her kindness to me, and assured her that I had had
no desire to displease her in any way, and least of all by marrying
Lewis. Then as she gave me a kind though somewhat embarrassed answer,
I ventured to ask her what Betty had said about me. She would not tell
me at first, but presently changed her purpose, and when I heard the
cunning tale which Betty had imposed upon her, I no longer wondered
so much at her change toward me. It was not only in the matter of the
meeting with Mr. Lovel, that she had misrepresented me, but she had
told my lady that I had avowed to her a settled purpose to make myself
the wife of some great man, and to that very end had persuaded my
mother to break off the match with Andrew, at the very time that the
change in my fortunes made it likely that I should go to Stanton Court.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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