The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 344: what you’re looking at

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

eee ge 330 THE YOUNG DUCIIESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. ““Yes—assuredly !” cried the young lady; “ and I am bound to admit that your conduct has been most courteous and gentlemanly—so that my best thanks are your due.” Edward Walpole fancied that this was an in- timation for him to depart; and he rose from his seat. ‘“‘One minute longer!” said the fair stranger, with a gesture which made him reseat himself. ‘‘T have yet a few words to add to the explana- tions already given. You may possibly have ob- served that Lady Amesbury joined me yesterday in the orchard after I had been conversing with ou?” “Yes: and I could not help overhearing her as she asked with whom you had been talking.” ‘** And perhaps, in the reply which I gave,” re- sumed the young lady, “I may have said some- thing which seemed to have a peculiar significancy in the warped and clouded estimation of my poor friend. I may have spoken of you as one that had excited my sympathy:—would it not have been natural that I should have done so? for you remember under what circumstances I addressed you at the outset.” “Yes, yes!” exclaimed Edward: “I was weeping and sobbing as if in profoundest dis- tress !” “And you may also comprehend,” continued the young lady, ‘that inasmuch as [ had in- truded upon you at a moment when there was the sanctity of secrecy, so to speak, in the state of your feelings, I did not explain to Lady Ames- bury kow I had found you weeping, or why I spoke to you at all. Thus, as in one sense I must have appeared reserved towards her, while in another sense admitting that I had felt in- terested in the young gentleman with whom I had just been speaking, she arrived at certain conclu- sions—and—and—she acted upon them. Need I say more ?” ‘‘T understand you fully!” answered Walpole. ‘Lady Amesbury thought she would be perform- ing an act of kindness and friendship in bringing us together :—she meant it also to assume the appearance of a surprise for both !” “And she was ignorant,” added the young lady emphatically, ‘‘that she was taking a step which might cruelly compromise me, if I had been brought in contact with one of less gentlemanly feeling and less delicate appreciation than your- self. As a matter of course it will be scarcely necesssary for me to express a hope that this ad- venture—half serious, half ludicrous—shall re- main a secret ?” ‘But may I not on my own side hope,” asked Walpole, ‘‘ that an acquaintance which has cer- | tainly commenced so singularly, shall not he put an end to abruptly ?” | “Remember,” said the young lady, with a smile, ‘that I do not as yet even know your | name.” “My name is Edward Walpole—and I ain the nephew of Mr. Seymour, as I think I intimated yesterday. I have just inherited a fortune ” “And I hope you will enjoy it, Mr. Walpole,” interrupted the young lady, with a singular blend- ing of sweetness and abruptness in her manner. ‘‘T shall take leave of my friend Lady Amesbury to-morrow morning, and I know not when I may visit her again; so that, to be very candid with you, it were useless for you to desire the continu- ation of an acquaintance which would only allow you a chance ef bowing to me across a fence be- tween an orchard and a paddock, some two or three times in the course of the year.” Walpole looked embarrassed and discomfited for a moment: he almost felt humiliated—for it seemed that the continuation of their acquaintance was declined in a manner which though perfectly polite, was nevertheless cold and distant. But suddenly ‘plucking up his courage, he said, ‘‘ Al- though it were only to have the opportunity of bowing to you at distant intervals, yet would it be alike an honour and a pleasure to feel that I am permitted to claim your acquaintance.” “Oh, Mr. Walpole,” ejaculated the young lady, with a generous warmth, “you must not fancy that you gave me any offence by proposing that our acquaintance should continue. A young lady may safely answer in the affirmative when such a proposition is made by a gentleman and a man of honour ; and you have proved yourself to be both. Besides, to confess the truth, I really care little for those cold social formalities and conven- tionalisms which act as trammels and shackles But enough !” she suddenly interrupted her- self. “I must not get preaching and sermon- ising now. Our acquaintance shall continue, Mr. Walpole. Do you know who I am ?” ‘‘T have not that honour,” answered Walpole ; ‘but I feel convinced that you are a lady of high birth e “ Do you know,” she interrupted him, with an air half grave, half good-humoured, “ if you con- tinue to fling flatteries and compliments at me, even though it be by the merest inuendo or impli- cation, I shall repent the promise which I have given to the effect that our acquaintance may continue. I do not wish to seem singular nor to pretend to eccentricity—for these are affectations of the most nauseating description: but at the same time I do not choose to be confounded with the generality of silly frivolous creatures who are only to be amused by compliments or pleased by adulation.” “TY will endeavour not to sin again in that respect,” replied Walpole. ‘But really,” he added, with a smile, ‘‘ one must be very guarded indeed when in discourse with you; for it is scarcely possible to help expressing one’s feeling every now and then.” “Again?” —and the young lady blushed slightly ; then bursting out into a silvery laugh, she said, ‘“‘ You are incorrigible ; so I had better tell you at once who I am in order that you may have no excuse for tarrying here any longer. I am the daughter of Lord and Lady Trentham ; and therefore you may address me as Miss Os- borne.” ‘‘ Miss Osborne,” said Walpole, with a bow, ‘TY hope that you will not send me away imme- diately, just at the very moment when I seem to be getting better and better acquainted with you. A short half hour !—TI ask no more it is not yet late——” ‘ Pray be seated again, Mr. Walpole! If you wish to remain another half-hour here, it is not for me to reply in the negative after everything that has occurred. Perhaps you would like to learn some additional particulars concerning my poor friend Lady Amesbury? I knew her first A VP OPPS sss he au sieves ss hennsegueapassapastsutaneensonsaseees » COMO YN Wn) Colin