The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 291: what you’re looking at

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| | | THE YOUNG DUCHESS ; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. 277 ey conduct of the young Duchess, after all the ex- | and putting on a kind and affable demeanour to- citing and terrifying adventures through which she had passed. Besides, had she not acknow- ledged that she was in his power, and that she was his, body and soul, if he chose to be inexo- rable in the assertion of his rights and claims? Thus, though fired with passion, and burning to possess that being of a beauty alike so brilliant and so seductive, he felt that it would be only politic to yield, with every appearance of a generous readiness and magnanimous forbearance, to the demand which she had made. “‘'Your will is my law, dear Mary,” he accord- ingly said; and then, as this time he only made a movement to take her hand, and not to embrace her, she abandoned it to him, and he raised it to his lips with as much respectfulness as tender- ness. The Duchess conducted him as far as the outer door of the ante-room ; and he took his departure by means of the private staircase and the small door whereof he had been furnished with the key. On the following morning, between seven and eight o’clock, the utmost excitement, consterna- tion, and horror were prevailing throughout Thornbury mansion: for Mrs. Quinlan had been found dead in her bed—foully murdered, by means of a sharp-pointed carving-knife that was sticking in her bosom! CHAPTER LIIlI. HESTER. THERE were however other incidents which oc- curred on the night whereof we have been specially writing; and in order that we may properly pur- sue the thread of our narrative, we must take a temporary leave of Thornbury Park and return to London. It was between ten and eleven o'clock in the evening—and therefore at about the time when Mandeville was making his way to his appoint- ment. with the brilliant Duchess in the country— that Henri Ponchard, the surgeon, was speeding along a maze of narrow, obscure, and villanous streets in the spacious district of Lambeth. Pre- sently he stopped at a particular house which has before been mentioned in our narrative; and the door was opened by a pale-faced young girl, about sixteen years of age. ** Ah, monsieur,” she said, ‘is it you ?”—and a smile of satisfaction appeared upon a countenance which though very far from ill-looking, yet wore an expression of hardened depravity. ‘‘ Pray walk in.” ‘ Ponchard entered the house accordingly; and patting the girl’s face with the familiarity of one who knew her well, he asked, “Is Mother Grills in?” ‘*No: she and her husband are both out,” was the reply. Ponchard made a gesture expressive of annoy- ance; and the girl, pouting her lips, said, ‘“ Oh, then, you have not come to see me, monsieur ?” ‘““Yes—to see you, Hester,” replied Ponchard, mstantaneously throwing off his abstracted mood COTTA wards the girl. ‘1 came to have a chat and drink a glass of wine with you, Hester: but I also wanted just to say a word or two to Grills and his wife—it’s of no great consequence ‘They will be back presently,” said the young female ; ‘“‘ and therefore,” she added coaxingly, “ you can wait with me till their return ?” “ Are you all alone in the house, Hester ?” ““Yes—all alone. There’s been no company here this evening ; and I was dull enough when you knocked at the door. You know that Mr. Jasper—that’s Mr. Grills’ brother ” “Well, what of him? By the bye,” said Pon- chard, ‘if Jasper is at home, I may speak to him—it will be just as well ” . ‘“‘ But he is not at home, Monsieur Henri,” inter- rupted the girl, now familiarly pulling the French- man’s whisker. “I was going to tell you about him. He was knocked down and run over bya cab yesterday, and taken to Charing Cross Hos- pital. So Mr. and Mrs. Grills have gone to leave him a few little things in a basket : but they can- not be long before they are back, for they set off at eight but then they meant to drop in and take a friendly glass with some cronies of theirs in one of the streets leading out of the Strand. But pray step in! Here we are, standing in the passage all this while!” ‘‘ Well, Hester,” said the Frenchman, producing a sovereign from his purse, ‘‘ go and fetch a bottie of wine or brandy—or anything you like; and—~ and, my dear girl, you may keep the change for yourself.” ‘‘Oh ! you are always generous to me, Henri,” cried Hester, again caressing his cheek. ‘ And now wait a few moments while I run and fetch the wine.” Ponchard sat down in the parlour; and Hester, hurrying up-stairs, threw on her bonnet and shawl. She then issued from the house ; and the moment the front door had closed behind her, Ponchard caught up a candle from the table, and descended into the lower region of the premises. He looked into the kitchen, and then in the scullery ; the survey was only the work of a few i} moments—but evidently being quite contented - with it, he quickly retraced his way up the stairs again ; so that when Hester returned and let her- self in with the latch-key, she found the French- man, quietly seated in the parlour as if he had never for a moment quitted his chair during her absence. We have on a former occasion spoken of this young female as being very slight in figure and. pale in complexion, with her dark hair arranged in plain bands, and with a simple aad neat attire. There was nothing flaunting or gaudy in her dress : but it was cut meretriciously low in the corsage, so as to display her white neck, and the contours of a bust which was well formed though on a scale proportionate to the slightness of the entire figure. She had good features; and her dark eyes might be termed handsome. But whatsoever was good- looking in the face, was marred, if not actually spoilt, by the bold gaze of those eyes, and the unmistakable expression of an inveterate profli- gacy and hardened depravity which characterised the entire countenance. Although only sixteen, her voice sounded like that of a woman of six- and-twenty. Not that it was rough or coarse ; KOKO) Colin