The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 30: what you’re looking at

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i that I love him! 16 Alice. “JI was merely saying that I used to think he might live in this district, and that there- fore it never struck me as being at all peculiar that I should so often meet him. But now a new light has flamed upon me, and I understand it all! It was to see you that he frequented the theatre!—and he is the one whom you love! Is it not so?” “Why do you think it?” asked Imogen. ‘Because he evidently admired you so much when first we saw him on board the steam-boat ; and you remarked to me what a nice-looking young gentleman he was—and for all the rest of that day you were abstracted. Do you not re- member that I jested you on the subject? Well, it all went out of my mind until this moment; and now it comes ‘back to me with the force of a revelation. Again I ask you, Imogen, am I not right ?” Miss Hartland remained silent ,for nearly a mi- nute; and then she replied, ‘Yes, Alice, you are right.” “And who is the young gentleman?” inquired Miss Denton, with the quickness of an excited curiosity. | “T do not know,” was the answer. ‘Well, but his name, then?” ejaculated Alice. ““T do not know it,” was the response. ** Not know it! But where does he live? Tell me ¢hat—and we will very soon know his name! The nearest butcher or baker in his neighbour- hood will give us the information.” “‘T do not know where he lives,” rejoined Imo- gen. . - & Ah, this is strange!” cried Alice. love him? Is he aware of it?” ‘““Perhaps—I do not know said Imogen, in a slow thoughtful manner. have never spoken to him. And yet a “Oh, this is the most extraordinary adventure I ever heard of !” exclaimed Alice Denton. “‘ Here is a young gentleman with whom you are despe- rately in love, and who I feel convinced is equally enamoured of you; and yet you know nothing of him!—not so much as his name! You have never exchanged a word with him—and you do "not even appear to be sure that he knows he is loved in return! But surely, my dear Imogen, there is a language in the eyes—an eloquence in the looks——-” “Yes,” said Miss Hartland, in a still lower 4nd + more deliberate tone than before; ‘‘he must know When we’ have met in the | streets, or have passed each other in the Park on a Sunday, he must have seen the tell-tale blush which has swept across my cheeks! And then too, in the circus, he must have observed the emo- tion which I have not possibly been enabled to " conce ” “Of course he has seen all this!” cried Alice. “But what a singular sentimental affair it is! Why, when Sylvester took it into his head to fall in love with me, he soon found an opportunity of speaking out; and then I at once asked him his name. Ah, I remember the occasion well!”—and Alice laughed merrily. , “‘ First of all he said his name was Sylvester; and I assured him it was a very pretty one. But I told him that was not “Yet you I cannot tell,” 73 I enough—that he surely had another name—and that he must deal candidly with me if he wished me ever to speak 10 him again. So then he gave THE YOUNG DUCILESS; OR, MEMOIKS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. me his card. Mr. Sylvester Casey! Oh, how I laughed at that name of Casey! Indeed I could scarcely restrain myself when he went on to tell me that his father was the rich Mr. Casey of Hatton Garden ” “You have told me all this before, my dear Alice, over and over again!” ejaculated Imogen, somewhat impatiently. “True! so I have,” said the good-natured Miss Denton. ‘‘So now let us return to your own affairs, my dear friend. This young gentle- man—how stands the matter now ?” “How stands it now?” echoed Imogen. ‘**Look!”—and for a moment her beautiful blue eyes flashed with a sinister glare, and she ex- tended her faultlessly shaped hand towards the child, muttering ominously between her white teeth, ‘‘ There is the cause of all I now suffer !” Little Annie was playing with a new doll, and she did not hear what was thus said—nor did she observe the strong emotion that was at the instant agitating Imogen: she was unconscious of the fierce gust of passion whereof she was the cause on the part of that female. Nevertheless this strange impulsive creature was evidently smitten all in a moment with a remorse at her conduct towards the child; and bounding across the room, she snatched up the little girl and pressed her to her- bosom, exclaiming, ‘‘Dear Annie! . darling, darling Annie! Oh, you pretty crea- ture, you! how I love you! how I love you!” The child thréw her arms about Imogen’s neck, smiling with a sweet infantile joy, while Alice Denton looked on with an air that showed she was by no'means surprised ‘at the scene, and that therefore it was not the first time it had occurred in her presence. - “Yes, she is a sweet dear little creature,” said Alice, now in her turn bestowing a caress upon Annie when Imogen set her down again upon the carpet. ‘But tell me, my dear friend,” she con- tinued, “how it has happened. 2 “Listen !” interjected Imogen: “I will tell youin a few words. Six months have passed since that excursion to Margate, when first I be- held the handsome young stranger. You noticed the incident of his picking up the book which I dropped. It had on the fly-leaf the name of Mademoiselle Imogene; for it was a present from our young French friend Rose. Well, I saw that the handsome young stranger glanced at the name on the fly-leaf as he picked up the volume ; and then he flung upon me a look full of surprise and delight. The very next evening he was at the theatre. Iam not going tomake a long story of it, my dear Alice: suffice it there- fore to repeat what you yourself ere now said, that- during the last six months he has been often and often at the theatre and often and often wander- ing about the neighbourhood. I have no vanity —but I could not help understanding what all this meant. Ah! and I comprehended likewise that his love must be a pure and honourable sen- timent ; for if he had entertained a different pas- sion—if he had hoped, in a word, that he could make me his mistress, he would speedily have ac- costed me with his overtures. Well then, Alice, it was because I felt convinced he loved me as I could wish to be loved, that I came to love him so fondly in return. And often and often, when we met, his eyes told me the tale of his honour