The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 374: what you’re looking at

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

—_" 360 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. the entire domestic staff of the establishment, were clinging to each other, half apparelled as they were, a few stairs above the one on which the valorous Sylvester had so discreetly halted. “What is it ?” he exclaimed: ‘ what’s the row ? I say, policeman, spring your rattle again, old fellow—and if nobody else comes ” ‘‘There is nothing to apprehend, sir,” said Stephen Ashborne, mournfully yet sternly. ‘‘ The fatal mischief, I fear, is done.” Here Mrs. Casey sprang forward from the threshold of her own chamber ; and darting into the room which her husband had occupied, she began to give vent to piteous lamentations. ' Syl- vester flung down the weapons with which he had armed himself, and hurried after his mother; while Ashborne quickly demanded of the trem- bling and affrighted maid-servants where dwelt the nearest medical man. ‘‘Doctor Scott—over the way,” was the re- sponse : and in the twinkling of an eye Ashborne was speeding to fetch the professional gentleman. As he tore open the front door, two or three other police-constables arrived upon the spot, to which they had been attracted by the sound of their comrade’s rattle; and we may add a great portion of the neighbourhood had been aroused by the same din, so that the utmost excitement began to prevail, every worthy householder being smitten with the dread apprehension that if it were a house on fire it must be his own, or that if thieves had broken in anywhere it must be his own special habitation that was invaded. Dr. Scott was speedily called up; and he was close upon the heels of Stephen Ashborne as the latter retraced his way into the house. They ascended straight tothe miser’s apartment; and there they found Mrs. Casey supporting her hus- band upon her bosom—while Sylvester, in obe- dience to her instructions, was bathing his father’s brow with water and applying salts and essences to his nostrils. Dr. Scott approached the couch ; and Stephen Ashborne stood by with a deep cloud upon his countenance. He indeed saw that all was over: he had suspected it from the very first—and it was only in obedience to a last faint hope, and in the usual spirit of Christian precau- tion, that he had rushed across the street to fetch the medical man. Dr. Scott’s judgment was soon given :—-Mr. Casey had ceased to exist! The widow threw herself with tears and lamen- tations upon the body of her husband: Sylvester set up a howl, which was too noisy to have much sincerity in it; and Stephen Ashborne stood by with folded arms and tearless eyes, gazing with a profound mournfulness upon the face of the dead. He felt his father’s loss,—that father whom he however dared not or chose not to proclaim as such !—and if he wept not outwardly, it was that his heart was shedding tears of blood inwardly. ‘“‘ Madam,” he said, abruptly starting from that species of stupor in which he had been standing —and as he thus approached Mrs. Casey, he spoke with a tone of the kindest sympathy,—“ your daughter—where is she? Must she not be in- formed Mrs. Casey started: she had utterly forgotten her daughter—or else perhaps she thought that Selina must be somewhere near, as Sylvester him- self was; for her mind was in a cruel state of agitation, dismay, and affliction. Her daughter ! Good heavens! where was she?. how could she have forgotten her ? Had any mischief befallen her ? had any evil overtaken the poor girl ? With passionate vehemence the poor woman gave vent to these queries : but we do not record them precisely in her own language, because this is not a scene which will admit of the infusion of that spirit of ludicrousness which pertains to the speaking of bad grammar. She besought Syl- vester to accompany her to Selina’s chamber: but the young man hesitated :—there might be a whole host of desperadoes concealed under the bed—indeed he would rather mot, unless there was at least one police-officer to accompany them ! Then Stephen Ashborne stepped forward and of- fered the poor lady his arm, saying, “‘ Permit me to escort you, madam, to your daughter's cham- ber.” ‘‘Oh! whoever you are, kind sir ‘* Ah, by the bye, who are you, sir?” inquired Sylvester, thus cutting short the expression of gratitude which was issuing from his mother’s lips. ‘I’m sure we're much indebted to you, sir ” Mrs. Casey asked his name; and after a mo- ment’s hesitation he replied, ‘‘ My name is Stephen Ashborne, madam;.and it was by a mere accident that I was just now led to suspect something and that I gave the alarm. Would to God,” he added, with mingled bitterness and fervour, ‘‘I had done so at first, instead of hesitating and delaying as I did!” Mrs. Casey did not understand what he meant; and she had not time to ask, for the door of her daughter’s chamber was now reached. She opened it and entered, followed by Sylvester: but Stephen Ashborne remained outside the threshold through a feeling of delicate respect for the sanctity of a young lady’s sleeping apartment. It was again with a wild shriek that Mrs. Casey precipitated herself towards the couch ;—and the ejaculations of despair which burst from her lips overcame every other consideration beyond that of a terrified curiosity on Ashborne’s part, so that he no longer hesitated to enter the room. There lay Selina, looking as if she were dead! But Dr. Scott now appeared upon the scene; and he quickly relieved the agonies of a mother’s suspense—for even at the first moment a certain odour which faintly prevailed in the room told him that chloroform had been used. ‘‘Thank God!” cried Mrs. Casey; and giving vent to the natural feelings of a parent, she threw herself into her son’s arms, bidding him express his gratitude to heaven that he had not lost a sister that night as well as a father. Dr. Scott hastened to apply the proper resto- ratives to Selina, the mother soon rendering her assistance; and Stephen Ashborne was about to retire from the chamber, when all of a sudden Sylvester Casey ejaculated, ‘' Hullo! what’s all this here? Papers! deeds! Why, I’m blowed if the thieves haven’t been here too!” A. cry of terror from Mrs. Casey’s lips indicated the feeling with which she was inspired at the bare idea of the ruffians having been in her daughter's chamber. ““ My eyes !” cried Sylvester, who, having ap- proached the table, was now turning over some of the documents which had been tossed out of the writing-desk: ‘‘here’s a go!” “ Sir,” said Stephen Ashborne, turing back ” conniclooolkks.conn oO