Betty caught at this, though there was no doubt that the mistress was speaking in good faith. She was led to a large empty room, where a dozen young ladies were drawn up awaiting the dancing master--girls from fourteen to seventeen, the elder ones in mob caps, those with more pretensions to fashion, with loose hair. Their twelve curtsies were made, their twenty-four eyes peeped more or less through their lashes at the visitor, but no such soft brown eyes as Aurelia's were among them.
"Madame," said Betty, "may I be permitted to ask the ladies a question?" She spoke it low, and in French, and her excellent accent won Madame's heart at once. Only Madame trusted to Mademoiselle's discretion not to put mysteries into their minds, or they would be all tete montee.
So, as discretely as the occasion would permit, Betty asked whether any one had seen or heard Lady Belle speak of having seen any one--a young lady?
Half-a-dozen tongues broke out, "We thought it all Lady Belle's whimsical secrets," and as many stories were beginning, but Madame's awful little hand waved silence, as she said, "Speak then, Miss Staunton."
"I know none of Lady Belle's secrets, ma'am--ask Miss Howard."
Miss Howard looked sulky; and a little eager, black-eyed thing cried, "She said it was an odious girl whom Lady Belamour keeps shut up in a great dungeon of an old house, and is going to send beyond seas, because she married two men at once in disguise."
"Fie, Miss Crawford, you know nothing about it."
"You told me so, yourself, Miss Howard."
"I never said anything so foolish."
"Hush, young ladies," said Madame. "Miss Howard, if you know anything, I request you to speak."
"It would be a great kindness," said Betty. "Might I ask the favour of seeing Miss Howard in private?"
Madame consented, and Miss Howard followed Betty out of hearing, muttering that Belle would fly at her for betraying her.
"I do not like asking you to betray your friend's confidence," said Betty.
"Oh, as to that, I'm not her friend, and I believe she has talked to a half-a-dozen more."
"I am this poor young lady's sister," said Betty. "We are afraid she has fallen into unkind hands; and I should be very thankful if you could help me to find her. Where do you think Lady Belle saw her?"
"I thought it was in some old house in Hertfordshire," said Miss Howard, more readily, "but I am not sure; for it was last Sunday, which she spent with her mamma. She came back and made it a great secret that she had seen the girl that had taken in Sir Amyas Belamour, who was contracted to herself, to marry him and his uncle both at once in disguise, and then had set the house a-fire. Belle had got some one to let her see the girl, and then she went on about her being not pretty."