The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 292: what you’re looking at

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

teeth. 278 but it exhibited this precocity as one of the usual evidences of an early acquaintance with crime and a career of dissipation already pretty well entered upon. One thing was particularly observable about this girl: namely, that though she was forward and familiar, there was nothing absolutely vulgar in her manner. Her language was grammatically correct ; and beneath the bold veneering of de- pravity, a glimpse might be caught of a gentility beariug reference to other and better times, and engendering the suspicion that the creature was a lost star fallen from some superior sphere. The wine was drawn—Ponchard filled the glasses—and Hester drained at a draught the one which he presented to her. ‘“‘ You seem thirsty, my dear,” said Ponchard, ‘smiling ; for he did not think it was greediness on the girl’s part. ‘““No, I am not thirsty,” smiling, but with a certain degree of bitterness ; yet the smile displayed a very excellent set of “But drinking drives’ away care, you know; and therefore, to tell you the truth, I was almost inclined to bring brandy instead of wine, as you appeared to leave the choice to me.” ‘I wish you had done so, Hester, if you prefer brandy,” said Ponchard. ‘“No matter now! Another time! This wine is strong enough for the present. Besides, when you are with me I do not feel dull.” ‘Little flatterer!” ejaculated Ponchard. ‘ Do you say the same thing to every gentleman who visits you ?” ‘“ No !—that I swear I do not!” replied Hester, almost indignantly. ‘Do you think that it is not permitted for such as I to entertain a prefer- ence—a caprice—perhaps a sentiment ? Ah! you may laugh at the idea of sentiment in such a place as this “YT will not laugh, Hester, at anything you tell me of a serious character.” “There! that is like yourself, Henri! It is because you are always so good and kind towards me, and so considerate that—that——-But no matter! It is of course ridiculous! Come, fill the glasses.” Ponchard gazed upon the girl with a certain amount of mingled surprise and interest for a minute ; and then he obeyed her request by re- plenishing the glasses. “So you are dull here sometimes, Hester ?” he said. ‘“Who could help being dull? I cannot settle my mind to needlework, because that leaves one to the mercy of one’s own thoughts.” “But you can read amusing books,” suggested Ponchard. _ No,” rejoined the girl; ‘because nearly all novels end by making the heroine marry happily as a reward for her virtue; and then—and then Ah ! now again you will think me very fool- ‘ish, Henri; but I cannot help it.” ‘‘-Well, what were you going to say ?” ‘“‘ That when I read of virtue’s reward, after all kinds of trials, temptations, and difficulties, it seems as if it were pointing a moral that comes terribly home to myself; and then I sit'down and cry But how I am going on!” exclaimed Hester, thus suddenly interrupting herself: and she tried to force a laugh of hardihood and de- fiance, ‘‘ Here, give me some more wine, Henri!” taken. she replied, also” THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. Te te egg ‘‘ Somehow or another,” said Ponchard, “I do — not think you are altogether happy here ” “ Happy ?” and it was almost a veritable scream of mockery to which the girl gave vent: it was certainly far more than a mere laugh of derision. ‘“‘Happy ?” she repeated: and then all in a mo- ment the tears gushed forth from her eyes. ‘“‘ Hester, my dear girl——” ‘“‘ No excuses! no apologies !” she cried, hastily dashing away those tears with her kerchief. “I am as foolish as IE can be to-night—and I shall plague you to such an extent with my silliness that you will never come and see me again.” ‘* On my soul I will!” replied Ponchard. ‘ And to tell you the truth, Hester, I am rather in- terested in the turn which the conversation has I have more than once been going to ask you two or three questions ; but I did not like to put them.” ‘Well, now you shall put them,” said the girl: and then; as an idea struck her, she hastily added, “But don’t ask me anything about my earlier years !” ‘Ah, then, I must remain silent,” said Pon- chard, with an air of disappointment ;- “ for those were ‘the very topies on which I was going to question you.’ ' “Were they? Well then,” continued Hester, in a sort of musing strain, though she spoke audibly, ‘ you must experience some little interest for me after all ;—and God knows it is pleasant to entertain the idea that any living soul sym- pathises on behalf of a poor miserable cast-away! —And now, Monsieur Henri,” she added, suddenly turning towards him, ‘put your questions !—yes, as many as you like; and I will answer them truly and faithfully.” “T do not think, Hester,” said Ponchard, “ that you could have been born and bred in an inferior class of life ?” ‘* As to the class to which my parents belonged, I have no idea,” responded the girl, “seeing and considering that I never knew them. But as for the sphere it which I was bred, of this I can speak with certainty ; because I was educated at a very excellent boarding-school until I was be- tween twelve and thirteen.” “Well, and then ?” asked Ponchard. “ And then,” replied Hester,—‘‘ and then—— You will say that the transition was as ludicrous as it was painful !—and then I was sent to the workhouse !” ‘“‘Good heavens! The workhouse ?” ejaculated the Frenchman, with the most unfeigned astonish- ment. “‘ Yes—the workhouse,” repeated Hester. ‘No remittances had reached the schoolmistress on my behalf for a couple of years—no one claimed ma —no one seemed to care for me-—the schoolmis- tress did not know where to write to the person or persons who had at one time made their remit- tances with regularity—perhaps they were tired of paying for a poor forlorn creature whom they knew not—but no matter what the reason was, the schoolmistress could not afford to keep me any longer, and so she did the only thing that under the circumstances it was possible to do—namely, to fling me like an outcast upon the poor-rates,” ‘But before you ‘went to that school ?” said Ponchard inquiringly. “Qh, you wish me to go back to the very be- YN Wn) COMO | | | Colin