The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 132: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A este ; THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. 118 “Give it to me. your mistress either. Ah! by the bye, were you to receive anything in return ?—any letters to take back ?” ‘Nothing, my lord,” answered Lavinia. “I was simply to deliver this letter, and then return to Ardleigh House.” ‘Very good,” said the Duke. ‘I will deliver it. You can return home—tell her Grace that you met me, and that I am doing that, which is best under existing circumstances. And now go, Lavinia—and be not frightened either on your own account or on that of your mistress.” The abigail entered the cab which had brought her thither; and it immediately drove away. The Duke of Ardleigh then examined the address, and opened the letter which had just fallen into his hands. It contained nothing but the cheque: the address was penned in a feigned writing; and thus it became at once evident to the Duke that his wife was studiously avoiding to compromise her- self in respect to correspondence. ‘‘ Well and good,” he thought to himself. “I must have been wrong in the idea J formed this morning, and she can have no letters to get back from the Baronet. Lavinia was not told to, wait for anything. No!—it is as clear as possible there are not any letters !” The Duke consigned the cheque to his pocket, and proceeded to knock at the door of the house where Kingston lodged. The reader may now | imagine with what a sudden surprise and conster- nation the Baronet was seized, when the door of his sitting-apartment was thrown open and his man-servant announced the Duke of Ardleigh ! A glance showed Sir Abel that it was no acci- dental visit which the Duke was paying him—but that there was a settled purpose evidenced in the severe composure of his looks: but quickly regain-. ing his self-possession, he smiled, and got his countenance ready as it were to assume any look that might be suitable to the scene that was to take place. ‘‘Sir Abel Kingston, are we completely alone 2” demanded the young nobleman, as he flung his eyes around the room, and then plunged his regards into the chamber adjoining. ‘Yes, my lord—completely alone,” responded | | I know, you may possibly turn round upon your ‘Why am I here? Did you not expect a mes- | wife.” senger from the Duchess of Ardleigh ? and who | the Baronet. “But why ” better fitted to execute her missions than her own husband ?” The Baronet was confounded: he knew not what answer to give; for he thought to himself that the Duke must be confident of wielding some strong power over him im order to act with this degree of bold independence. But then the next moment Sir Abel said to himself, ‘‘ Perhaps he means to discard the Duchess—to expose the whole thing—and hence his demeanour towards me !” ‘You do not speak, Sir Abel,” proceeded Her- bert. “It is for you, my lord, to explain yourself,” was the response ‘Very good! You expected a messenger from the Duchess ; and I am come in that capacity. You further expected to receive the sum of twenty thousand pounds—but you shall not receive a shilling.” ; No harm shall befall you, nor | '§0 because he felt how completely he deserved the ‘the Baronet. ‘ twenty thousand pounds——” _ that house to meet you ?” “YT am to understand, therefore, that your Grace intends to adopt the extremest measures? Well, I cannot help it. Your wife is innocent as far as IT am concerned; but that, I daresay, no earthly power could make you believe.” ‘On the contrary, I do believe it—and it is in this belief that | have undertaken to become the champion of her cause. I know all. She has been weak, but not guilty ; and I will protect her against extortioners and calumniators.” ‘‘Do you mean, my lord,” demanded Kingston, fiercely, “‘ to apply those terms to me ?” “What does your own conscience tell you ?” ‘Conscience ?” echoed the Baronet, with a sneer. ‘‘ But if you mean to hush up your wife’s reputation, you must purchase ‘my silence, my lord. Now I have said it, and that’s the English of the whole affair.” “My wife’s reputation is not injured,” responded Herbert haughtily. “ No—not yet : but it may be,” answered the Baronet menacingly. “Not by such a tongue as your's. No one would put faith in the statements of a man who at the same time proclaimed himself to be a scoundrel,” ‘Scoundrel ?” ejaculated Kingston, colouring up to the very hair of his head—and all the more appellation. “Why, yes—scoundrel,” proceeded the Duke, with an air of the loftiest scorn and contempt. “What tale could you tell against the Duchess, except that she gave you some little encourage- ment———” “Ab, my lord—you little think,” interrupted the Baronet, “to what extent the good name of the Duchess of Ardleigh is in my power !” “You dare not pretend that any written corre- spondence has compromised the Duchess ?”—and the Duke’s looks were riveted searchingly upon “No. But if you wish to learn a great secret, my lord, and if you wish me to tell you how my silence can be cheaply purchased at the sum of ‘Proceed. Why do you stop short ?” “ Because, if I tell your Grace something that “Nothing that you can do—nothing that you can tell me, will have that effect,” answered the Duke. “Very well, then. Go, my lord, to a certain street which I can name in Lambeth—there in- quire at a certain house of no very good repute— and you will find that on the evening of the 8th, a certain lady was in that place. That lady was the Duchess of Ardleigh.” The Duke was for a moment staggered ; and he regained not his self-possession ere the Baronet perceived his emotion. ‘And will you have the assurance,” demanded Herbert, “to tell me that the Duchess went to ‘No. I do not pretend that such was the case. I simply tell your lordship that she was there. Go and inquire for yourself.” ‘‘) will, And now let us understand each other. If I discover a fact the secrecy of which is worth purchasing, you shall have your money, Colin a COMO