The foster-sisters

by Lucy Ellen Guernsey

I am not sure that this was good policy on Amabel's part. Lord Bulmer was so accustomed to conquer wherever he went, so used to being courted instead of courting (for he was esteemed the greatest match in the country), that this decided opposition on Amabel's part put him on his mettle, and made him determined to conquer her aversion and win her regard. I do think he loved her, so far as his base and sensual nature was capable of loving anything.

As for my lady, I did not know how to understand her. She seemed at once to be jealous of Lord Bulmer's attentions to her step-daughter, and desirous of forwarding his suit. At the very time she contrived to have the two tête-à-tête, by calling me to her side, I have seen her look at them, as though she would like to kill both of them.

Meantime she filled the house with guests—mostly gentlemen—till there was not a spare corner, except the ghost rooms and the apartments known as the King's chamber. I think that she would have laid violent hands on these, only that when she spoke of having them put in order, the servants, with Wilson at their head, declared they would leave the house at once, if the door was so much as opened. I knew there was no particular danger of such a catastrophe, from the simple fact that Mrs. Deborah had carried off with her the keys to that part of the house. There was no way of entering the ghostly rooms, for even the door which opened from our room had been fastened on the other side. So the guests were accommodated wherever a place could be found for them, and the shut up rooms remained shut up still.

There were a great many people coming and going, and, as I could not but observe, arriving very frequently in the night. There was much whispering in corners, and reading and writing of letters, and white flowers and ribbons were paraded upon all occasions. Only Amabel would wear none but red flowers and ribbons, though they were not especially becoming to her, and when one day my lord presented her with a basket of beautiful exotics which he had caused to be sent from his own famous hot-houses, she remarked carelessly that she did not like white flowers, and gave them to Chatty Dugdale, who appeared in them at dinner to my lord's evident mortification.

"So you would not honor my poor flowers!" I heard him say to her afterwards.

"I told you I did not like white flowers!" she answered. "I beg you will put yourself to no more trouble on my account."

His lordship's eyes blazed with anger, but he only bowed and turned away.

The next day news arrived which made every one open their eyes. The Pretender, whose landing in Moidart in July with but seven men at his back had been rumored but hardly believed, had put himself at the head of the Highland clans, and eluding the vigilance and skill of General Cope (no great feat if all tales were true), had actually entered Edinburgh in triumph, and was holding his court there.

There was no bound to the exultation at the Hall when this news arrived. Sir Julius ordered a distribution of beef and ale to all the tenants, and a grand banquet was prepared at the Hall to which all the neighboring gentry were invited. But I noticed that very few of them came, and of the families who accepted the invitation, only the gentlemen were present.

In fact, scarcely any ladies of what might be called the county families had visited Lady Leighton at all. The table was not half filled. Sir Julius' brow darkened ominously, as he looked on the vacant seats, and when the toast was proposed of "health to the rightful king and confusion to usurpers," it was not received with any great degree of enthusiasm.