The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 43: what you’re looking at

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THE YOUNG DUCHESS: OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. - 29 then ? I suppose it was rather inconvenient to | them whiskers and mustashes was took away from produce the certificate—eh ?” ““Ynconwenient ?” exclaimed Mr. MHogben. “ Not a hattom of it! The certificate was forth- comin’ in no time.” “You mean to say that?” cried the young ex- quisite, suddenly turning nght round upon the old clerk. ‘To be sure, I mean it, sir. is so singular—you gave a sort of sta ‘Tt was nothing, my good man—only a twinge which seized upon me.” “Ah! it is the roomatiz, sir. Pray take care of it! I was laid up for three year ” ‘“‘ Never mind how long you were laid up!” in- terjected the young exquisite petulantly. ‘ You were telling me that the certificate was pro- duced ?” “Of course it were,” rejoined the old man ; “and then, as soon as our wicar saw that they was raly married, he became all politeness—he offered to introduce Mrs. Pickstock that’s his wife—to Mrs. Trevor, and to mention to all the other families in the neighbourhood. ” ‘““ Well,” interjected the young exquisite ; ‘“‘ and then it was, I suppose, that Mr. Trevor signified his desire to live in seclusion ?” “ Just so, sir,” answered the clerk. “Well, but that certificate,” proceeded the young stranger, on whose mind the discourse ap- peared to be making an impression which was something more than the mere casual interest that attends upon a passing gossip: “are you sure it was a genuine one?” ‘“‘Geniwine, sir?” cried the old man, in astonish- ment at the implied doubt. ‘‘ Do you think that Dr. .Pickstock, with a red hood at his back, doesn’t know what a geniwine certificate be? In course he do !—and I rayther think—but mind! I’m not sure—leastways I rayther think he know’d the incumbent which signed it, and in consequence his handwriting.” The young dandy reflected profoundly ; and then he said, “* Did you happen to see the certifi- cate ?” “In course I did, sir. Why, I was in the westry at the time when Mr. Trevor produced it.” ““ Good God ! how strange!” ‘¢ What did you say, sir?” “Oh, nothing! I was only asking if you hap- pen to recollect where Mr. and Mrs. Trevor were married ?” ‘“‘ Well, I don’t know that I can exactly remem- ber the place,” replied the clerk; ‘for of course I didn’t seize hold of the certificate and examine it just for all the world as if I thought it was a forgery-———” “A forgery? Ah! by the bye,” said the young stranger, ‘‘such things are sometimes forged—are they not? We have heard of certificates of every kind being forged — matrimonial, baptismal, Surial_—_”” “You seem to be getting excited, young sir,” interrupted the parish clerk: and then, as he again scrutinizingly surveyed his querist, he went on to remark, ‘I hope that I haven’t been saying too much—the fact is, you have led me on—your manners is so insiniwating—and then too there’s summut about you—a hair of distinction—and taly it has two or three times struck me that if But your manner Rb] your face, you’d be much more like——” ‘My good friend,” interrupted the young ex- quisite, with crimson upon his cheeks, “never mind what I, should be like or what I should be not like:” then drawing out his purse, he thence extracted a sovereign; and placing it in the old man’s hand, he said, “I feel that I ought to re- comipense you well for all this tedious process of questionings to which I have subjected you. Keep on your hat, my worthy friend—it is not for ad- vanced years such as your’s are, to show so much deference to comparative youthfulness such as I can boast of. You have still something more to tell me. That certificate whereof we were speak- ing,—do you happen to remember the place where it was signed, and where consequently it is sup- posed Mr. and Mrs. Trevor were married ?” ‘Supposed ?” ejaculated Mr. Hogben, catching at the word which seemed to throw a doubt upon that marriage altogether: but then, as he dropped the sovereign into his waistcoat-pocket, he said, “Well, it is not for an old man like me to look too deep into motives. You seem to be a young genelman with coat, veskit, and breeches—and that’s enough! Well, sir, Ill take you as sich. Now about that there certificate, I rayther think —but mind I’m not quite sure—it come from Southdale.” ‘““Southdale? To be sure!” ejaculated the young exquisite. ‘It is a village in Dorsetshire.” ‘“‘ Dorsetshire, to be sure!” cried the old man. “Tll take a davy that was the county! But Ah!” ——and he now glanced towards Dahlia Cottage at a little distance. The young gentleman turned his regards in the same direction; and he beheld a lady approach- ing. “‘That, I presume,” he said, “is Mrs. Trevor?” “The same, sir,” ejaculated Mr. Hogben. “Ah! by the bye,” pursued the exquisite, suddenly recovering all his off-hand self-posses- sion and easy air of indifference, “you forgot to ie me what sort of a looking person Mr. Trevor is ” “He is a tall young man, sir, with dark hair and eyes—very handsome—I should think his age may be something between five-and-twenty and thirty “‘Seven-and-twenty !” interjected the fashion- able querist. “Why, one would think that you knew as much of these people as I do!” exclaimed the parish clerk. ‘“‘ But I forgot! It’s no business of mine,” he immediately added, as the young gen- tleman again drew forth his purse. ‘You are paying me for my information,” continued the uld man, with a humiliated air; ‘“‘ and I must not say that my soul is my own. Well, sir, I dare say _Mr. Trevor is about seven-and-twenty. I do not think he is in the village at this moment—I’m al- most sure that I saw him atop of the Harlequin yesterday morning ” ; “Enough, old man!” ejaculated the young ex- quisite. ‘‘I thank you for your information. The money I have already given you was to purchase it. This additional sum is to ensure your silence in respect to the questions that I have been putting to you.” Thus speaking, the delicate-gloved hands drew forth a couple of sovereigns from the tiny bead- oO Connicloooks EE Colin