The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 281: what you’re looking at

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

— THE YOUNG DUCHESS: OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. came half-way up his countenance, while the brim of a sort of wide-awake hat shaded the upper part of the face. “Ah, Zadouski,” exclaimed Mandeville—for this was the new-comer. ‘You are first here at the meeting to-night? And the very person, above all others, whom I wished to encounter alone for a few minutes!” “ Indeed ?” said Ivan Zadouski. can you have for me, Mandeville?” “Nothing that concerns the objects of our meeting here,” replied the Count. ‘But as you are aware, I move in the very best circles of society; and therefore you will not be astonished to hear that I received a card of invitation to the soirée given by Countess Olonetz last evening.” “Well,” said Zadouski; “and what next ?” “T got into conversation with the Grand Duke,” continued Mandeville; ‘“‘and I happened to men- tion that I had heard tidings of the death of the Polish General, Daboyar, the other day in Paris. The Grand Duke asked me quite in a casual way from whom I received the intelligence ?—and I said, ‘ From a friend of mine, a Polish gentleman named Zadouski.’—Really, my dear fellow, I was quite unprepared for the effect which this an- nouncement seemed to produce upon the Grand Duke; but he started, and then inquired if the Christian name of the friend to whom I alluded was Ivan 2” ‘¢ And what did you tell him ?” asked Zadouski, with mingled interest and anxiety. ‘“‘T began to think that I had better be cautious, and that 1 had possibly let out something which you would have wished to be kept back. So I said that I really did not know what my friend’s Christian name was; and when the Grand Duke pressed me for a personal description, I answered him so generally and vaguely that J suffered him to arrive at no positive opinion on the subject. - Then he expressed his anxiety to meet this M. Zadouski: he begged me to arrange an interview. But whether he perceived by my manner that I was disposed to be guarded and cautious, or whether other motives were floating in his brain, I cannot tell: certain however it is that he pledged his word, on the honour and faith of a prince and a gentleman, to the effect that he had no hostile nor sinister intention towards you, but merely wished to put a few questions.” “And you are utterly ignorant of everything that concerns myself and that Russian Prince ?” asked Zadouski, fixing his dark eyes with pene- trating keenness upon Mandevilk. ‘Utterly ignorant,” replied this personage, in an easy off-hand manner, and with an air of the most genuine truth. “ The Grand Duke told me nothing more than I have stated to you.” Zadouski reflected for upwards ofa minute; and then he said, ‘‘I will meet the Russian Prince.” “Ah, by the bye,” added Mandeville, ‘I us What secret _ forgot to say that the appoiitment must of course | be of a secret nature.” “That is exactly how I intend it,” rejoined Zadouski. ‘It shall be some place where I can look round and see that the Duké comes alone— that my movements are neither dogged nor watched —and that no treachery is intended.” “Good,” said Mandeville. ‘Tell me where you choose to meet the Prince, and I will make the appointment for you.” .spirator made his appearance. 267 “Well,” said Zadouski, after another brief in- terval of reflection, ‘I will say on Waterloo Bridge—hetween eleven and twelve o'clock at night. The place is pretty clear then.” ““ To-morrow night ?” asked Mandeville. ‘To-morrow night ?—no. Nor yet the night after,” responded Zadouski, in a musing strain. “But the night after that. Let me see—this is the Ist of June. Well then, the appointment is for the night of the 4th, at half-past eleven o'clock.” “Good,” said Mandeville: ‘I will arrange with his Imperial Highness to that effect.” ‘* And now let me tell you one thing, my dear fellow,” pursued Zadouski, with a sinister look and a sort of sarcastic politeness; “if I find that any treachery is contemplated towards me by this Grand Duke, I will manage to send a bullet through your brains as certain as you are now here.” ‘““These threats are stupid, Zadouski,” said Mandeville, coolly, and with a slight tincture of contempt in his tone. ‘ What earthly object could I have in doing you an injury ?¥ ‘“‘T do not know,” answered the Pole doggedly. ‘“‘It is sometimes difficult enough to tell men’s motives, or even to discern what the persons them- selves really are. I know little or nothing of ou—” “And [ little or nothing of you,” rejoined Mandeville. ‘““ Well, this is strange!” said Zadouski, as if struck by the reflection: ‘‘and yet here we are, rowing in the same boat—embarked on the same venture—having the same object in view a “Yes,” interjected Mandeville; ‘‘ because we are the ‘haters of tyrants—because at the bottom of our hearts we cherish the fervent desire to be- hold the glorious republican institutions upraised . in France—and because likewise,” added Mande- ville, lowering his voice to a confidential whisper, and bestowing a significant look upon the Pole, ‘we are men of desperate fortunes, and we know that amidst the ruins of a monarchy, the upheay- ings of a revolution, and the raging of the poli- tical storm which we are about to conjure up,—we know, I repeat, that we must inevitably become the gainers.” “True!” said Zadouski. ‘Here’s my hand upon it, Mandeville !—and if I have said anything to wound your feelings or give you offence, I crave your pardon.” “Tis granted,” replied the Count. ‘‘ We shall know each other better some day, Zadouski; and then you will learn how fervid I can be in my. friendship.” “ And I also, Mandeville, And as a proof of it, I will take an early opportunity of telling you how it was that I ever came to know anything of the Imperial Prince—how I left the Russian army By Jupiter! it was a perfect romance!” ** Hush! there is a knock at the door!” inter- jected Mandeville, who could scarcely repress a smile as he turned round to answer the summons, ‘and said to himself, ‘“Ha! ha! my friend! you little conjecture that I am as well acquainted with all those antecedents as you yourself are.” Mandeville opened the door, and another con- This was Ivan Zadouski’s fellow-countryman—a Pole, of despe- rate character and courage, as Mandeville had oO COMIGIOO Colin