Sabine Baring-Gould

“ Miss Mountjoy was not one to conceal from the girl that her days were few, and her future condition hopeless.
Letice fought against the idea of dying so young.
“Oh, aunt! I won't die! I can't die! I have seen nothing of the pomps and vanities. I want to just taste them, and know what they are like. Oh! save me, make the doctor give me something to revive me. I want the pomps and vanities, oh! so much. I will not, I cannot die!” But her will, her struggle, availed nothing, and she passed away into the Great Unseen. ”

“ Lady Lacy detested all shams, and under her influence Betty grew up to be thoroughly straightforward, healthy-minded, and true.
On the other hand, Miss Mountjoy was, as Letice called her, a Killjoy. She had herself been reared in the midst of the Clapham sect; had become rigid in all her ideas, narrow in all her sympathies, and a bundle of prejudices.
The present generation of young people know nothing of the system of repression that was exercised in that of their fathers and mothers. ”

“ Whilst in your morning gown, into which you had scrambled, you recalled yourself in your regatta costume going upstairs to change. This fragmentary reminiscence presented itself before you as a vision. Actually you saw nothing. The impression on your brain of a scrap recollected appeared to you as if it had been an actual object depicted on the retina of your eye. Such things happen, and happen not infrequently. ”

“ I know that Lady Lacy approves.”
“But dear, dear aunt. She will be so awfully lonely without me.”
“She shall not be. She has no ties to hold her to the little cottage in Devon. She shall come out to us in Cairo, and we will bury the dear old girl up to her neck in the sand of the desert, and make a second Sphynx of her, and bake the rheumatism out of her bones. It will cure her of all her aches, as sure as my name is Charlie, and yours will be Fontanel.” ”

“ The bewilderment of the girl grew apace.
“I am sure,” said her aunt, “you enjoyed yourself. But you gave the lion's share of the dances to Captain Fontanel. If this had been at Exeter, it would have caused talk; but here you are known only to a few; however, Lady Belgrove observed it.”
“I hope you are not very tired, auntie darling,” said Betty, to change slightly the theme that perplexed her.
“Nothing to speak of. I like to go to a ball; it recalls my old dancing days. But I thought you looked white and fagged all the evening. ”

“ As the children grew up their likeness in feature became more close, but they diverged exceedingly in expression. A sullenness, an unhappy look, a towering fire of resentment characterised that of Letice, whereas the face of Betty was open and gay.
This difference was due to the difference in their bringing up. Lady Lacy, who had a small house in North Devon was a kindly, intellectual, and broad- minded old lady; of sweet disposition but a decided will. She saw a good deal of society, and did her best to train Betty to be an educated and liberal-minded woman of culture and graceful manners. ”

“ Miss Mountjoy wrote a formal letter to her brother, who had now become a general, to inform him of the lamented decease of his eldest daughter. It was not a comforting letter. It dwelt unnecessarily on the faults of Letice, it expressed no hopes as to her happiness in the world to which she had passed. There had been no signs of resignation at the last; no turning from the world with its pomps and vanities to better things, only a vain longing after what she could not have ”

“ And he said: 'Letice, you have not been a good girl; you were sullen, resentful, rebellious, and therefore are unfit to enter here. Your longings through life, and to the moment of death, were for the world and its pomps and vanities. The last throb of your heart was given to repining for them. But your faults were due largely to the mistakes of your rearing. And now hear your judgment. You shall not pass within these gates till you have returned to earth and partaken of and had your fill of its pomps and vanities. As for that old cat, your aunt'—but no, Betty, he did not say quite that ”

“ Is she very tired?”
“Oh, miss, my lady is a wonderful person; she never seems to tire. She is always down at the same time.”
Betty dressed, but her mind was in a turmoil. On one thing she was resolved. She must see a doctor. But she would not frighten her aunt, she would keep the matter close from her.
When she came into the breakfast-room, Lady Lacy said—
“I thought Maas's voice was superb, but I did not so much care for the Carmen. What did you think, dear?”
“Aunt,” said Betty, anxious to change the topic, “would you mind my seeing a doctor? I don't think I am quite well.” ”

“ The girl was in a condition of boundless excitement. A beautiful ball-dress of white satin, trimmed with rich Valenciennes lace, was laid over her chair for her to wear. Neat little white satin shoes stood on the floor, quite new, for her feet. In a flower-glass stood a red camellia that was destined to adorn her hair, and on the dressing-table, in a morocco case, was a pearl necklace that had belonged to her mother. ”

“ Other characters expressed nothing to her mind.
“How very strange!” she said; and I was lying on the bed in the dress I had on yesterday evening. I cannot explain it.”
Twenty minutes later, Betty went downstairs and entered the breakfast-room. Lady Lacy was there. She went up to her aunt and kissed her.
“I am so sorry that I overslept myself,” she said. “I was like one of the Seven Sleepers.' “My dear, I should not have minded if you had not come down till midday. After a first ball you must be tired.” ”

“ There must be one of the domestics with a ravenous appetite for fiction, which drove her to carry off a book of the sort whenever it came into the house, and even to tamper with a lock to obtain it. Betty had most reluctant to speak of the matter to her aunt, but now she made to her a formal complaint. ”

“ I have lapses of memory. Why, I do not even remember——” He sealed her lips with a kiss. “You will not forget this, at any rate, Betty.”
“Oh, Charlie, no!”
“Then consider this, Betty. Our engagement cannot be for long. I am ordered to Egypt, and I positively must take my dear little wife with me and show her the Pyramids. ”

“ However, from this time forward rhe annoyance ceased, and Betty and Lady Lacy naturally concluded that this was the result of the stir that had been made.
“Betty,” said Lady Lacy, “what do you say to going to the new play at the Gaiety? I hear it very highly spoken of. Mrs. Fontanel has a box and has asked if we will join her.”
“I should love it,” replied the girl; “we have been rather quiet of late.” But her heart was oppressed with fear.
She said to her maid: “Martha, will you dress me this evening—and—pray stay with me till my aunt is ready and calls for me?” ”

“ He had his seat by Betty, and talked to her not only between the acts, but also a good deal whilst the actors were on the stage. With this she could have dispensed. She was not such an habituée of the theatre as not to be intensely interested with what was enacted before her.
Between two of the acts he said to her: “My mother is engaging Lady Lacy. She has a scheme in her head, but wants her consent to carry it out, to make it quite too charming. And I am deputed to get you to acquiesce.”
“What is it?”
“We purpose having a boat and going to the Henley Regatta. Will you come?” ”

“ The Chinese contract the feet of their daughters, but those English Claphamites cramped the minds of their children. The Venetians made use of an iron prison, with gradually contracting walls, that finally
crushed the life out of the captive. But these elect Christians put their sons and daughters into a school that squeezed their energies and their intelligences to death. ”

“ It has all passed off. I need not have soaked in bed all yesterday, but that aunt would have it so. We are going down to our home to-morrow. Yesterday auntie was scared and thought she would have to postpone our return.”
Lady Lacy rose, made the excuse that she had the packing to attend to, and left the young people alone together. When the door was shut behind her, Captain Fontanel drew his chair close to that of the girl and said— “Betty, you do not know how happy I have felt since you accepted me. It was a hurried affair in the boathouse, but really, time was running short ”

“ And I cannot say that I remember all the novels I have read, or what was the menu at dinner yesterday.”
“That is quite a different matter. What I refer to is spaces of blank in your memory. How often has this occurred?”
“Twice.”
“And quite recently?”
“Yes, I never knew anything of the kind before.”
“I think that the sooner you return to the country the better. It is possible that the strain of coming out and the change of entering into gay life in town has been too much for you. ”

“ I was quite well in the morning.”
Presently the medical man arrived, and was shown in. Betty saw that Lady Lacy purposed staying through the interview. Accordingly she said nothing to Dr. Groves about what she had seen.
“She is overdone,” said he. “The sooner you move her down to Devonshire the better. Someone had better be in her room to-night.
“Yes,” said Lady Lacy; “I had thought of that and have given orders. Martha can make up her bed on the sofa in the adjoining dressing-room or boudoir.” ”