The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 313: what you’re looking at

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

ed Ll THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. ‘Her Grace is completely sensible,” answered Lavinia, ‘She likewise appears quite sane!” “Ah! sane!”—and once more were the affrighted looks of our heroine flung upon Man- deville, as much as to imply that the dreaded peril was at last overtaking him. There was a certain air of indecision about him: it was pretty clear that he knew not how to act, though he by no means lost his self-possession. ‘‘Her Grace,” Lavinia quickly resumed, ‘is quite prepared to die.” “To die, Lavinia?” exclaimed our heroine. ‘“ Alas, yes, my lady !—and Dr. Brooks, who is there, says that in a short time it will be all over. Oh! I am really glad that your ladyship was not there, when her Grace seeming to recol- lect everything al] in a moment, made the accu- sation in such rending accents ——” “The accusation ?”-—and the young Duchess felt that her simbs were failing under her. “‘ Yes, say lady—the accusation. And Oh! how we alJ shuddered; for there was something fear- fw = “My God, speak, Lavinia! The accusation? —against whom?” “Against whom?” repeated the abigail, as if evidently surprised at the question. ‘Ah, I see that even until the last moment your Grace finds it difficult to believe ” ‘“‘ But speak, Lavinia! speak ! —against whom?” ‘¢ Against herself!” . “My God!” murmured the young Dutchess, with 4 sensation which in oné respect was fraught with infinite relief, though in another sense it was full of a sliuddering horror: and after staggering for a moment against a chair for support; she rushed from the room. The accusation — CHAPTER LVII. THE DOWAGER. Upon the bed in the chamber to which she had been conveyed, lay the Dowager-Duchess of Ard- leigh. Mr. Brooks and two or three lady’s-maids were present when the young Duchess entered, followed by Lavinia. The instant our heroine met the looks of her mother-in-law, she was struck by the lucidity and intelligence which reigned in them. A bandage was fastened over her forehead ; her countenance was very pale; but her eyes seemed brighter than for a long time past they had been. They neither wandered wildly, nor yet remained fixed inanely; but they vibrated with a steady lustre shed from the lamp which reason had once more lighted up ih her soul. ‘““\fary—dear Mary,” she said, ‘‘ come to me.” The young Duchess threw herself upon the bosom of her mother-in-law, who wound her arms 7 about her neck; and thus for several minutes they | remained embraced. Both sobbed—but neither spoke a word, until our heroine, looking around, perceived that she was alone with the Dowager, the surgeon and the handmaidens having left the room. " ‘‘Did you tell them that they were to go, dear mother ?” asked the young Duchess. ee eee 299 “No: but they have acted through their own discretion—and they have done well: I wish te be alone with you. I am going to leave you, Mary Oh! I feel that life is ebbing away !” “Speak not thus, dear mother!” cried our heroine, the tears flowing down her cheeks, “Tt is the truth, my love—and you must bear it,” rejoined the Dowager. ‘“ But where is Her- bert? Will he come soon ?” “JT expect him every minute—he ought to be here by this time! I sent for him the first thing in the morning——” ‘‘ Doubtless he will come shortly,” interrupted the Dowager; “and heaven grant that I may see him ere Death, whose cold hand I already feel upon me : ‘‘No, no, deat mother! you will not die thus!” cried our heroine in an impassioned tone. “T cannot deceive myself, Mary—nor will I attempt to deceive you. My mind, awaking from a long night of dbscurity and gloom, is now en- dowed with a horrible clearness., You may think it strange to hedr me thus speak: but you may judge from what I say whether my reason be still wandering or not. And therefore let me at once avail tnyself of this lucid interval, for fear lest the cloud shovld come over my mind again,—let mie avail myself of it, { repeat, to impress you with the conviction that it is better I should die now than live td pass through a terrible ordeal ” “Mother! what do you mean?” asked our heroine, in a low shuddering voite ; for though she put the question, she had no difficulty in com- prehending what the Dowager did mean. “J tell you, Mary, that I am now completely calm and lucid,” resumed the unfortunate lady. “ Just now I awoke from a deep torpor to the ex~ cruciating sensitiveness of my actual position—I was startled up as it were from the death-like darkness of a profound trance to the blaze of a vivid sunlight which threw out into the boldest relief all the circumstances that environ me. The paroxysm was fearful—and for an instant it seemed as if vultures were tedring at my brain— scorpions plunging their stings into my heart !” “Oh, mother! mother!” groaned the young Duchess; with clasped hands ; ‘“ this is frightful!” ‘Calm yourself, Mary—for you perceive that I am now calm; and it is no unnatural calmness which possesses me. It is the calmness which in- evitably attends upon the prostration of all phy- sical energy—the calmness which is unto the soul that experiences it the unmistakable herald of ap- proaching death !” “ Oh, why is not Herbert here ?” cried our heroine. ‘ Shall I send again for him ?” “No,” responded the Dowager; “ he will per- haps come presently ; I am not sorry to be alone with you, Mary. Few are the rerhiniscerices which I have of the incidents that belong to the night- gloom in which my soul has been for some years wrapped: but nevertheless there is one thing which is deeply impressed upon my convittions— and this is that you, Mary, have ever treated me with the tenderest love and kindness. Yes! of this I have a perfect consciousness! There are many points.upon which I would fain question you— but a3 perhaps my time may be short ‘i “No, dear mother—do not think so! You shall live—yes, live to enjoy happiness yet!” — but ae oO COMO Colin