The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 219: what you’re looking at

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

eg THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. terested! Your very parents make stipulations with you! As for friendship !"—and here Mil- dred’s mocking laugh rang like an infernal music through the suite of apartments. Ethel was shocked; and for a moment she re- coiled from the presence of a woman in whose disposition there seemed to be something abso- lutely fearful : but recollecting all that Mildred had gone through, she again felt the necessity of making every allowance for her—and she said mildly, yet firmly, ‘“ There i¥ such a thing as a mother's disinterested love :—there is likewise such a thing as an unselfish friendship.” “By the bye, Mrs. Trevor,” said Mildred, sud- denly assuming a more amiable demeanour, “‘ you have perhaps come to give me some explana- tions? And indeed they are necessary. Do you know what this means ?”—and opening the Peerage, she pointed to the representation to which we have above referred. “ Everything shall be explained,” said Ethel. ‘Your mother would have given these explana- tions with her own lips—but the discourse took a turn which prevented it. Oh! you will pre- sently understand how impossible it really was fora mother so far to humiliate herself in the presence of a daughter! Ah, and you may per- haps comprehend how disagreeable is the task deputed to me——” ‘* My dear Mrs. Trevor,” interrupted Mildred, ** tell me the truth at once. I hate circumlocu- tion I always suspect some treachery where it is used.” ‘“When you come to know me better,” said - Ethel, somewhat coldly, “you will not judge me in this manner. However, if your mind do in- deed require no preparation for those mysteries which are about to be revealed, you had better hear the truth at once. Your mother Lady Lang- port has for a long series of years passed in the world as being much younger than she really 1S ene.) “So I should think,” interjected Mildred. ‘‘ But there is no harm in that:” “It was not as the Widow Malcolm she mar- ried Lord Langport ” ‘‘Never mind what name she took,” said Mil- dred coolly, “since she got the husband aad has kept the fortune.” ‘““It is her own fortune that she possesses,” continued Ethel. “Lord Langport had nothing except this little estate of Hendon Court. But let me come to the point. It was not as the Widow Malcolm your mother was known in the world when she married Lord Langport: she passed as Miss Malcolm. Yes—it was as the daughter, and not as the mother , ‘“* Oh, ho!” cried Mildred, beginning to com- prehend. “I see! My mother’s name was men- tioned amongst the deaths caused by the accident on the Neva 7 ‘““Yes—and you disappeared at the same time,” said Ethel. ““ Ah !—and now the bandage fell completely from Mildred’s eyes. “‘T need say no more,” said Ethel. “TI see that you fathom it all.” — Mildred looked grave, and reflected deeply for n few instants : then she suddenly burst out into the merriest peal of laughter,—exclaiming, ‘ This is excellent! It is the very comedy of romance! 205 it is the most admirable blending of farce and tragedy I ever knew !"—and again the reckless, callous, heartless laughter went pealing through the suite of rooms. ‘““Madam,” Ethel at length ventured to inter- pose, ‘‘rememberthat it is your own mother whom you are thus making the subject of your merri- ment.” ‘‘ All the better proof that I am not angry for the trick she played! So she has been passing herself off as me, thinking I was dead? Well, you seem to chide me for want of respect to- wards my mother :—you must however permit me to observe that I don’t think she could have entertained any very great amount of love for her daughter.” Ethel felt that it was indeed a subject on which she could scarcely argue with any chance of suc- cess. She felt distressed—and she remained silent. ‘‘ Now, as far as I am concerned,” resumed Mil- dred, ‘‘my mother is welcome to take my name and pass herself off for me; and I am sure that I shall never think of betraying the secret. I should like however to be initiated into the mysteries of her toilet _ ‘Oh, I beseech you,” interjected Ethel, with accents of the most earnest appeal, ‘not to touclt upon this subject,—the subject which your own good sense, Mildred, must show you ” “To be sure! a painful and a delicate one! Well, well, leave me to manage my mother. But now, what does she propose? How can I be sud- denly introduced to the world as her daughter when I look as old as herself—or to speak more correctly, she looks no older than I myself am ? Besides, what a mass of contradictions will there be—what a heap of inconsistencies, for the world’s scandal to feast itself upon !” “This is the very subject,” said Ethel, “ which requires so much deliberation. It was for this reason that I bade you on your arrival be cautious how you spoke before the servants ; and this was what I meant when IJ intimated that I was as yet ignorant how your mother purposed to act in a certain respect.” ‘‘And so the servants know nothing at present ?” said Mildred, musing. ‘‘ Absolutely nothing,” replied Ethel. ‘“‘And they do not suspect that my mother hag a daughter living ?” ‘* No one suspects anything of the real truth.” ‘“* But my mother’s age,” continued Mildred,— ‘* some one besides yourself must have known it? Her lady’s-maid. , ‘“‘No one but myself !” rejoined Ethel emphati- cally. “ Ah, then, in plain terms, my dear Mrs. Trevor, you are my mother’s sole confidante ?” Ethel intimated an affirmative. ‘The course to be pursued,” continued Mildred, ‘is as simple and easy as possible. It may be described in half-a-dozen words. Look you, Mrs. Trevor! My mother has suddenly found a sis- ter !” “ Ah—a sister?” said Ethel: and a gleam of satisfaction appeared for a moment on her coun- tenance; but it was instantaneously succeeded by a shade. ‘What is passing in your mind ?” demanded Mildred, eyeing her searchingly. “Nothing particular,” responded Ethel: but COMO oO — Colin