The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 256: what you’re looking at

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

242 —- —_ demanded, after a long pause ; and now he again suddenly stopped short and confronted her. ‘‘ Surely the reason which brought you hither,” she said, ‘‘ must prove suggestive 7 “ Answer me!” he interrupted her: ‘‘why do I find you at Hendon Court ?”- “Tf you knew in what relation Lady Langport stands towards me ” “Well, Lady Langport—yes, it is she whom I came to visit, What is she to you sas Mildred had already revolved in her mind the answer she should give, for she saw at u glance that it would be to her advantage to prove how respectably and honourably she was living. She therefore said, ‘‘ Lady Langport is my mother.” “What! your mother ?”—and the Grand Duke looked fiercely indignant as if repelling a lie that was being told him. “JT repeat, my mother,” said Mildred, firmly yet mildly. “Your mother? Why, she perished in the Neva many long years ago!” “The Russian authorities said so,” rejoined Mil- dred: and then she added significantly, “ But they do not always tell the _ I know to my cost.” ‘But this is strange!” “Tt is nevertheless true. Lady Langport is my mother. Awk‘her. She will not deny it—— and then perhaps you will believe me; for Oh! you believe me not now!” ‘““And how long have you known that this mother of ‘your’s exists ?” “Only afew days. But why “Stop!” interjected the Grand Duke: “do not question me yet——-You know a certain Ethel Trevor ?” Ob, to be sure,” cried Mildred. ‘‘She lives here.” ‘“Yes—as a sort of companion or friend of Lady Langport ?—is it not so?” “ Precisely,” answered Mildred. ‘‘ And therefore she is perfectly respectable—a gentlewoman by birth and education ?” ‘Oh, in.all respects!” rejoined Mildred, deter- mined to invest everything belonging to her mother’s household with the most roseate tint. ‘‘ And now answer me, Mildred,” observed the Grand Duke. “ Has Ethel Trevor spoken to you of me—and—of—of—Roxana ?” “Yes.” replied Mildred, thinking it safer to tell the truth, the more so as she felt convinced that Count Olonetz must have kept the Prince in the dark with regard to many important details, even | if not the whole series of recent circumstances. “Do you know,” was the illustrious Russian’s’ next question, “ what business Ethel Trevor could have had to transact the other day with Count Olonetz ?” “Oh, yes,” answered Mildred, with an air of the most ingenuous candour. “ Count Olpnetz somehow or another discovered that Lady Lang- port was my mother; and Ethel Trevor was made: the means of communicating the circumstance to me. ” “Ah!” said the Grand Duke: “now I under- stand!”—-for indeed the matter thus far became clear and apparent enough. ‘ Mildred,” he said, after a few moments’ additional reflection, “how is it possible that you can be ignorant of the motive which brought me hither this evening ?” re me re tr ee ee ree, THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. ‘TI cannot even now divine it,” said Mildred, —‘‘ unless it be that you wish to see this Ethel Trevor of whom you have been speaking ? But I ought to tell you that she is not going to remain here—she departs to-morrow—she leaves of her own accord ‘* Well?” said the Grand Duke, as if asking for the remainder of the explanation. ‘She has got another place somewhere,” con-~ tinued Mildred. “ And do you not know where?” inquired the Grand Duke. ‘““No — indeed I do not,” rejoined Mildred. “Kthel is naturally Pa reserved and close per- son-———” “No matter!” interjected the Prince, who thought to himself that another mystery had just arisen which must. be cleared up. ‘Now, Mildred,” he went on to demand, ‘‘is it possible that my visit hither can remain a secret —at least for the present—from Lady Langport and Ethel Trevor?” ‘‘ Yes—it can be kept a secret,” responded Mil- dred. ‘ They are in the drawing-room up-stairs ——Doubtless they wonder what detains meso | long: but——” . ““Can you not devise some pretext—some ex- cuse ?—pretend that it was an acquaintance——” “If you wish it—if you command it,” said Mil- dred, with an air as if it were only a reluctant assent that she gave to the utterance of a false- hood. ‘I must manage by some means——” ““Yes—this must be done,” said the Grand Duke. “I have the most cogent reasons for the course which I am enjoining. ~—- Mildred,” he con- tinued, after a brief pause, during which he con- templated her with the most earnest attention, ‘‘ you shall soon hear from me—or else we shall meet again. Be cautious—be circumspect and fear not that you will be compromised through me.’ For a moment she fancied that he was about to take her hand: indeed he appeared to make a gesture to that effect ; but he doubtless thought better of it—he perhaps feared to commit himself too much, at the present uncertain juncture of affairs—and it was with some degree of abrupt- ness that he quitted the room. Almost imme- diately afterwards Mildred heard the vehicle drive away from the front door, and all that had just passed wore the aspect of a dream. But no—it was not adream! He who was once her husband—he who was the father of her child—he who years back in the depths of Siberia had plighted his vows to her at the holy altar— had just now been in her presence! As she rapidly reviewed everything which had passed between them, she saw full well that she had moved him, even if she had not convinced him. A wild hope was now agitating in her brain: a splendid vision seemed to be passing before her : every pulse thrilled with the fervid fire of this ambition that had been so suddenly resuscitated within her. Was it possible that the dream might be fulfilled—that the hope which was expanding in her bosom would be gratified ? In short, was it within the range of probability that the Grand Duke should become impressed with the conviction of her innocence—that he should insist upon re- storing a mother to a beloved daughter -—that he might succeed in overcoming all difficulties, even \ YN Wn) COMO Colin