The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 126: what you’re looking at

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112 the building,—when a door opened, and a female voice said in a low quick tone, “ Is it you ?” ‘* 'Yes—it’s me,” answered Kingston, speaking also ina whisper and disguising his voice: and we should add that this private door was so shaded by two large trees as to envelope the spot in the completest darkness. “Well, step in a moment,” said the female voice, “ and I will give you the money.” ‘All right !” rejoined the Baronet, still in a whisper. “Where's your friend ?” “Qh, just outside here. He'll wait.” The female, now retreating two or three paces, opened an inner green baize door, and the light of a lamp burning in a vestibule, at once revealed the two persons to each other. Sir Abel imme- diately recognised Lavinia, the principal lady’s- maid of the young Duchess ; while the abigail started with mingled amazement and affright on beholding the Baronet. ; “* Where is your mistress ?” he demanded, in a stern tone. Lavinia, who knew for what purpose the men had been hired, perceived at a glance that the Baronet’s clothes were quite dry ; and she there- fore at once comprehended that he must have by some means escaped the intended humiliation and chastisement. She was bewildered how to act and what answers to give in reference to her mis- tress. “Tell me, young woman,” said the Baronet, with even fierceness in his looks,—“ tell me where I can find the Duchess ? I am determined to see her; and as you evidently know something of her proceedings, you may also be enabled to judge whether it be worth while to save her from being compromised by my presence herg. ' For if you do not bring us together at once, I shall go and institute a search in every room throughout the premises.” “Will you remain here a little while, Sir Abel,” said Lavinia, glancing towards the stair- case; ‘‘ and I will go and see——” “Qh, then, your mistress is somewhere in this part of the building ?”--and he also glanced up at the staircase. ‘‘ You have given me a hint how to commence my search. Lead the way at once—or you will be the cause of disturbance, and scandal, and exposure.” Lavinia raised her hand in a_ bewildered manner to her brow; but the next moment she reflected that she had better comply with the mandate so imperiously given; and she accord- ingly led the way up the staircase. Opening a door on the landing above, she was on the point of announcing Sir Abel Kingston, when he pushed her aside, and abruptly entering the apartment, closed the door in the abigail’s face. The young Duchess started up from the chair in which she was seated; and the affrighted discomposure of her countenance furnished corroborative evidence to establish in his mind the conviction that she was the authoress of a trick to mortify and humiliate him. Crossing his arms over his chest, he confronted her, saying in a voice that was hoarse with rage, ‘‘ You quail before me, Mary ?” “And why should I quail before you?” she asked, at once regaining some portion of her lost self-possession. ‘‘ Because I would not keep the appointment I gave you—my mother-in-law being es _ 2 — _ en eee et THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. } so ill—and Mrs. Quinlan”—thus alluding to the female keeper of the insane dowager—“ beseech- ing me to romain and use my influence - ‘All this is false, Mary,” interrupted King- ston. “I know everything. You hired two ruffians ” “Ah!” murmured the Duchess, turning very pale; for she thought to herself, “‘They have betrayed me—or else how could he have come to the private door? how have known that Lavinia was waiting there?” ““Yes—I know all,” he continued. ‘‘I baffled and defeated the two ruffians—I hurled them into the water. You see, Mary, how completely the tables have turned: and instead of sneaking away in a condition of miserable discomfiture, I appear before you as the hero of a victory—if in- deed it were not a wretched mockery thus to speak of such a trumpery business.” The Duchess sank down upon the seat whence she had risen; and for « few moments she re- flected profoundly: then suddenly starting up again, she looked the Baronet full in the face, saying, “You must hate me very much after the discovery of my conduct ?” ; “It certainly was not calculated to inspire much affection. But still, Mary, if you will suffer me to seal my assurance of forgiveness on those beauteous lips of your’s ” ‘‘One word!” she interrupted him. ‘You do not love me, Abel—you cannot possibly love me? You must be bitterly vindictive agaitist me? Be- sides, you know that my own sentiments towards yourself are altered—that I repent the species of encouragement which I recently gave you—and that I deplore the weakness of my conduct in suffering you to perceive at that time that you had made any impression upon my heart.” , ‘‘ And to what is all this'to lead ?” demanded the Baronet, with a renewed air of sternness. ““T was going on to observe that inasmuch as you cannot possibly love me, and as you know that I am fast recovering from the infatuation which for awhile I experienced towards yourself, you cannot now What shall I say ?—you can- not now Well then, in plain terms, you cannot court my favours. You have some other motive in pursuing—aye, I will even say in persecuting me. Let there be frankness and candour between us. What is that motive? You cannot be weak enough to covet the mere eclat of being pointed out as the lover of the Duchess of Ardleigh? No: because as an honourable man you would hold yourself bound to keep the amour secret. Well then, again I ask what may be your motive ? Permit me to guess. You wish to obtain a hold upon me for certain reasons Ah !” she abruptly ejaculated, ‘why do you not appeal to my friend- ship instead of using the means of intimidation and. coercion ?” ‘‘ Since you have undertaken the part of guess- ing and conjecturing,” said Kingston, “I must leave you to pursue the same course. Go on— and when you have finished I will answer you.” ‘‘ Let me suppose, then,” continued the Duchess, “that you are in difficulties—that a sum of money is necessary to set you straight—that your need is pressing . “Well, and what if this were the case ?” ‘‘T would do for you as afriend,” answered the Duchess boldly, for she saw that the game was mr rp et IEE lI" MIO. Ne tr OS © Mr a 2p te EY A PE NT ETI pie COMO a