"But I hope you won't tire yourself, mamma," said the little girl.
"I'm afraid you will," said Belinda. "And you know, my dear," added Lord Delacour, "that Miss Portman, who is so very obliging and good-natured, _could_ go just as well with Helena; and I am sure, _would_, rather than that you should tire yourself, or give yourself an unnecessary trouble."
"Miss Portman is very good," answered Lady Delacour, hastily; "but I think it no unnecessary trouble to give my daughter any pleasure in my power. As to its tiring me, I am neither dead, nor dying, _yet_; for the rest, Miss Portman, who understands what is proper, blushes for you, as you see, my lord, when you propose that she, who is not _yet_ a married woman, should _chaperon_ a young lady. It is quite out of rule; and Mrs. Stanhope would be shocked if her niece could, or would, do such a thing to oblige any body."
Lord Delacour was too much in the habit of hearing sarcastic, and to him incomprehensible speeches from her ladyship, to take any extraordinary notice of this; and if Belinda blushed, it was merely from the confusion into which she was thrown by the piercing glance of Lady Delacour's black eyes--a glance which neither guilt nor innocence could withstand. Belinda imagined that her ladyship still retained some displeasure from the conversation that had passed the preceding night, and the first time that she was alone with Lady Delacour, she again touched upon the subject, in hopes of softening or convincing her. "At all events, my dear friend," said she, "you will not, I hope, be offended by the sincerity with which I speak--I _can_ have no object but your safety and happiness."
"Sincerity never offends me," was her ladyship's cold answer. And all the time that they were out together, she was unusually ceremonious to Miss Portman; and there would have been but little conversation, if Helena had not been present, to whom her mother talked with fluent gaiety. When they got to Spring Gardens, Helena exclaimed, "Oh! there's Lady Anne Percival's carriage, and Charles and Edward with her--they are going to the same place that we are, I dare say, for I heard Charles ask Lady Anne to take him to see Maillardet's little bird--Mr. Hervey mentioned it to us, and he said it was a curious piece of machinery."