The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

nee 14 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. attached, and on whom he is inclined to lavish large sums. All this I can prove.” The beautiful Duchess became pale as death— yes, pale as the marble statues which embellished the spacious garden; and then in another moment a crimson glow suffused her cheeks, her neck, and her bosom. But again that vivid evidence of indignation vanished; and she said with white quivering lips, and in a low deep tone, “‘ Prove to me the truth of the assertions you have just made —and—and—lI will refuse you nothing——I will be wholly thine.” It was an ejaculation of joy which burst from the Baronet’s lips, and at the same time an ex- pression of sardonic triumph flitted over his coun- tenance. Then, as he continued to walk slowly by the side of the Duchess, he gave her certain explanations in proof of the statements which he had put forth. Shelistened in profound silence— with colourless cheeks, and with a fixed resolute gaze of the beautiful blue eyes; so that as Sir Abel glanced at her, he had no difficulty in dis- cerning that whatsoever design she was revolving in her thoughts, she was certain to carry out, for that a new spirit had been conjured up within her. When he had ceased speaking, a deep silence prevailed for some three or four minutes; and then the Duchess said, ‘‘ I have listened to all that you have told me—and not a syllable has escaped my attention. I shall find some means to test the truth of the story. If I find that it is precisely as you have represented, and that my husband has thus so entirely bestowed his heart upon another, the pledge which I have given you shall be kept. But on taking leave of me this evening you must not return to Thornbury until you receive a note from me. We must not meet again until it be decided on what terms we are henceforth to regard each other. For I swear, Sir Abel Kingston, if I find you have deceived me in reference to my husband, everything shall be at an end betwixt youand me. But if, on the other hand, I discover that the facts are precisely as you represent them, then the first vengeance that _ I will wreak upon my husband will be to fulfil the pledge which I ere now gave you. Meanwhile let us separate.” Having thus spoken, the young Duchess turned abruptly away from the spot where she had halted to address this last speech to Sir Abel Kingston; and she began to retrace her way rapidly towards the mansion, The Baronet re- mained for nearly a minute where she had left him; and the intensity of his inward chuckling was expressed by the glow of triumph which overspread his countenance. He at length moved away from the place—that is to say, he sauntered a little farther along the avenue; and then he returned to retrace his steps. the beautiful Duchess was out of sight: and then he proceeded quickly towards that knot of ever-: greens to which he had glanced so keenly when kneeling at the feet of the brilliant patrician lady. In another moment there was a rust- ling amongst those shrubs; and then a man came forth from the place which evidently had served him as a lurking-hole. He was about fifty ‘years of age; his complexion was sallow—and upon his face there were many hard lines which gave it a most sinister expression. He wore a *so,” said Casey. He watched until. long surtout coat, which fitted him loosely, as if his form, which was naturally thin, had shrunken since it was made for him—or else as if (which was much more likely) the garment had been bought ready-made and had therefore never fitted him properly at all. He wore shoes, the strings of which were tied in a slovenly fashion; and his trousers hung in wrinkles or plaits about the lower part of the leg, as if they were not braced up suf- ficiently, or as if they had been always too long. A portion of a red cotton pocket-handkerchief hung out of his pocket; his hat was almost nap- less, and the ‘front part of the brim was greasy and also put out of shape with much handling. He walked with a stick; and though only of the middle age, he seemed to be prematurely infirm in his limbs. Such was the individual who emerged from the hiding-place of evergreens on perceiving that the Baronet halted near the spot in a significant manner as if to imply that the coast was clear. ‘Well, Casey,” said Sir Abel, in a half-patron- ising, half-entreating voice, ‘‘ you have heard what has taken place. Are you satisfied?” ““T have heard that the young Duchess has confessed her love for you, Sir Abel,” replied Casey ; “‘ but I cannot say I am satisfied that you will be enabled to turn the circumstance to the advantage you expect: for how do [I know to what extent her Grace is allowed to put her hand into her husband’s purse ?” ‘‘Come, come, my dear Casey, be reasonable !” exclaimed the Baronet. ‘You promised me that if I afforded you a proof of the probability of this love-intrigue of mine turning out successfully, you would agree to wait awhile. I have done what you required—l elicited from her Grace’s lips the avowal on the very spot where it could best reach your ears ” | ‘But how do I know what followed?” demanded Casey, whose voice was hard and cold and mo- notonous, and the expression of whose eyes was implacable as well as full of mistrust. “ You walked away together:—she may have recanted by the time she was fifty paces off, and when be- yond earshot in respect to me——” ‘“‘No, no, she did not recant,” exclaimed the Baronet. ‘On the contrary, in a very short time she will be so far compromised with me as to be entirely in my power; and you, Mr. Casey, with your knowledge of the world, cannot fail to be aware of how much a man can do with a woman who is infatuated with him! And when once I secure this hold on her, it will be as easy as pos- sible to obtain a few thousands 7 ‘Well, I hope for your sake, that it will prove ‘‘T shall wait to see the issue of this adventure of your’s; and then I shall wait no longer. You know what I mean. So let there be no unnecessary loss of time.” Casey bent a look of reptile-like significancy upon the Baronet, who failed not to perceive it ; and for an instant he actually ground his teeth with rage at finding himself in the power of such aman. But instantaneously recovering himself, he said, in that half-patronising, half-entreating tone to which we have before alluded, ‘ Come, come, Casey, do not be too hard upon me, nor yet too impatient—and all will yet be well. And now you had better take yourself off. That avenue is the one by which you entered the grounds » COMO YN Wn)