The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 25: what you’re looking at

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ee 11 was so situated that while he was writing his back was turned towards Ethel. ‘““ Now,” he said, ‘I must trouble you to pro- cure me the amount for this. Itis for five thou- sand pounds. Ethel started; and she could scarcely keep back a cry of astonishment. Indeed, at the moment she was half inclined to fancy that the elderly gentle- man would be taken quite aback by such a de- ' mand. But this individual continued perfectly calm and unruffled ; and receiving the cheque, he again issued from the parlour. Tthel cast a look of bewildered inquiry upon Alfred, who smiled confidently, but said nothing. The bald-headed gentleman very speedily returned, and handed Trevor five bank-notes, each for a _ thousand pounds. Ethel felt as if she were in the midst of a dream ; and the parlour, with the table and desk, and the little bald-headed gentleman, ap- peared to be whirling round and round. It was the same with the public part of the bank, as Alfred led her through it; and the sounds of chinking gold mingled with the buzz of voices in a@ manner that only seemed to increase the con- fusion of her brain. It was not until she again found herself in the street that the dreamy feel- ing of hallucination quitted her, and that she be- came conscious of the reality of the whole pro- ceeding. “‘ Ah, dearest Alfred,” she murmured, “it must indeed have been most painful to you to have been mistrusted and suspected yesterday, not only by others, but by your own wife! Now that I am so perfectly convinced of the prosperity of your position, I am happy—Oh, so happy! I feel as if my form were as light as the elastic air itself —and that I could spring up into it!” Alfred flung upon her a smile of mingled .ten- derness and pride; and then stopping an unoccu- pied hackney-cab that was passing, he handed her into it. His instructions were given to the driver, and the vehicle proceeded into the City. In due time it stopped at an office in the immediate neighbourhood of the Bank of England; and Alfred, leaping out, left Ethel alone in the vehicle for a minute or two while he entered the office. On re-appearing, he said to her, ‘Come, dearest —alight. Mr. Warren is disengaged.” ‘‘ And who is Mr. Warren?” inquired Ethel. “A stockbroker,” was the reply,—'a gentle- man who transacts all kinds of business in respect to money.” The office was entered; and Mr. Warren —a tall, good-looking, elegantly-dressed man, whose age was under thirty—bowed most courteously to Ethel as Alfred presented him to her. “Pray be seated, Mrs. Trevor,” he said: business will not occupy a long time.” “Here is the money,” said Alfred; and he handed the five bank-notes to Mr. Warren, who immediately quitted the office. “These stockbrokers,” said Alfred to Ethel, when they were alone together, ‘‘make a great deal of money. Here is Mr. Warren—a single man, with a splendid house at Highbury, his hunters and his yacht, his shooting-box down in the country—and yet scarcely able to spend all the money he makes!” “And what has he gone to do with your money ?” inquired Ethel. “With mine?” ejaculated Alfred. ‘“ With “the yours, you mean! Yes, dearest—he has gone to place that sum of five thousand pounds in the Bank of England in your name; so that if any- thing should prematurely happen to me—for of course we are all mortal—you and our dear little Alfred will be provided for. Not but that I hope to leave you a large fortune,” added Alfred, with the sudden quickness of an afterthought. The tears were streaming down Ethel’s cheeks; and with mingled smiles and sobs she flung her arms about his neck. She had scarcely composed her feelings when Mr. Warren re-entered the office. ““The money is duly invested,” he said, “in your name, madam; and here is the Bank re- ceipt.” “Put it in an envelope,” ejaculated Trevor, “Cand seal it. It will be safer so.” Mr. Warren did as he was requested; and when the envelope was duly sealed with a ring which he took from his finger, he presented the packet to Ethel, saying, ‘ This is your’s, madam.” She took it; and in a few moments she was again seated with her husband in the vehicle, which retraced its way towards the West End. The hotel where the postchaise had been left, was reached—the equipage was soon in readiness—and by five o’clock in the evening Alfred Trevor and AT AE ET TOIT TUDE nents THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. the beauteous Ethel were again at Dahlia Cottage - in the picturesque village of Addington. ““Now, my dearest wife,” whispered Alfred, | when they had embraced their infant, “‘ go and secure that packet in some safe place. And re- member—remember, dearest Ethel, the solemn injunction which I now give you—that you never open that packet until I shall be no more!” Having thus spoken, he hastily turned away and walked forth into the garden; while Ethel, _ascending to her chamber, consigned the sealed packet to a place of security. Meanwhile her husband sought an arbour at the extremity of the garden;- and rushing into that shaded retreat, he threw himself upon the bench, murmuring in accents of despair, ‘‘My God! what stratagems! what subterfuges! Oh, that I dared fling myself at her feet and tell her everything !” fae CHAPTER III. THORNBURY PARK, THE scene now changes to a noble country-seat called Thornbury Park, and situated in one of the most beautiful parts ‘of Buckinghamshire. It was evening;, and a flood of lustre streamed from the array of windows belonging to the spacious drawing-room; for there were many guests on this occasion at Thornbury. The moon was shining brightly in company with legions of brilliant stars, so that the argentine beams de- scending from heaven’s canopy, mingled with the roseate effulgence flowing forth from the gilded saloon. It was the last day of April; and therefore scarcely a week had elapsed since the occurrences which we have related in the preceding chapters. The weather was more than usually warm for that season of the year: there was not the slightest conniclooolk Colin