The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

36 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. While the man and woman were whispering, the disguised lady watched them with the in- tensest anxiety, though she did not appear to be doing so; for every movement and every look— aye, and every word that she might by any possi- bility catch, was of importance to one in her situa- tion. At length footsteps were heard approaching —Bax hastened to open the door—and Tim Gafi ney made his appearance. ‘* What a confounded break-neck place it is to grope one’s way about in the dark!” he grumbled forth. ‘‘ Howsomever, it’s dangerous to have a light. Now, Bill, put out the bingo and let’s get to business.” The disguised lady gave a sudden start; for she thought that the word “ bingo” might possibly be a synonym for “candle,” and that therefore the extinction of the one remaining light was contem- plated. On this score, therefore, her mind was relieved when she saw Mr. Bax open a small cup- board and take out a bottle of brandy and some glasses. “Do you do anything in this way, ma’am ?” asked Tim Gaffney, as he filled one of the glasses. Notwithstanding the circumstances in which she was placed, the disguised lady averted her looks in disgust from the ruffian who thus ad- dressed her; and then, in atone of sudden ex- citement, she exclaimed, ‘‘ Keep me not in suspense! tell me why you have brought me hither! What is it that you demand? what paper is it that I am to sign? or was that only a pretext 2” ‘““We didn’t want no pretext,” replied Gaffney, “when we had. got you so completely in our power. But now, ma’am, we will get to business. We are no more inclined for any unnecessary delay than you are. So in order to make a be- ginning, just tell us your name.” “My name? No, you cannot want to know it.” ‘“‘ Very well, keep it to yourself,” responded Tim Gaffney: “but if you don’t choose to let us see your name at the bottom of a cheque, you must put it inside a note that you will have to write to some friend, ordering that five hundred guineas are to be given to the bearer and no questions asked.” ** Yes—lI will do this,” answered the lady; and it was almost with a tone of cheerful gaiety that she spoke. ‘I will write a letter to my bankers But they live in London, remember !” “ So much the worse for you,” remarked Gaff- ney. ‘Have you no friend in the neighbourhood to whom you could apply ?” ‘‘ None,” answered the disguised lady. “I am a perfect stranger in this part of the country.” ‘‘ Well then,” pursued Gaffney, “it must be a letter upon your London bankers. I will lose no time in running up to London Pll undertake to be at the bank the moment it opens to-morrow morning at nine o’clock; and then—let me see? —by one o’clock in the afternoon I'll be back here again. I can use the rail all the way from Lon- don to Chatham i ‘*Good heavens,” exclaimed the lady, “you surely do not mean me to stay here until you re- turn ?” ‘“‘Tn course we do,” answered Gaffney. ‘ Why, seeing you togged out in this style, I took you for a shrewd, cunning, wide-awake kind of a young lady; and therefore I am surprised to find that you think us such precious flats as to part with ‘you before we get hold of the ransom-money. Nothing of the sort! paid !” “But you shall see the letter, all except my signature!” cried the lady; ‘‘and I will pledge myself in the most solemn manner not to give any counter-instructions !” “It won’t do, ma’am,” said Tim Gaffney: and Bill Bax shook his head in a knowing manner at the same time. ‘We daresay you are a young lady of honour: but we'd rather not trust to mere promises. Mrs. Bax will do her best to make you comfortable; and after’ all, it’s only a little temporary inconwenience to which you are going to be put.” The lady was perfectly dismayed at the idea of having to pass a night in that gloomy place and with such dreadful people: she almost wrung her hands in despair; and after a few moments’ bewildering reflection, she exclaimed, “‘ Take all my jewellery! Here is my watch! —it cost fifty guineas !—here is my chain—here are my rings! See! these are diamonds!—and I swear most solemnly that their value is not less than two hundred pounds!” ““Oh, but we meant to have them into the bargain,” said Tim Gaffney. ‘The ransom- money is quite another thing. And now please’ to observe, ma’am, that the more you delay the business the longer you'll have to remain in this place.” “You shall not keep me here!” she cried, starting up in feverish excitement from the seat which she had taken. ‘I insist upon being restored to liberty! There are all my jewels! Now let me depart! Do not drive me to despe- Here you stay till it’s ration! I will rend the entire place with my screams! JI will shriek on and on until succour comes! Do you hear me?” ‘'T hear, ma’am,” said Tim coolly ; “but you're only wasting precious time in mere idle talk. Look here !” He went to a corner of the room, stooped down, and catching hold of an iron ring, raised a trap-door. “There!” he said; “that goes right down to the ground-floor: there is no break between! It’s where the sacks used to be hoisted up and down. Here’s the rope still. So you see, ma’am, that if you made any inconwenient noise you could be very quickly disposed of.” The unhappy lady recoiled in horror from the dark mouth of the abyss; and Tim Gaffney, closing the trap-door, returned to his seat, re- filled his glass, and inquired coolly, “ Well, how is it to be ?” ‘‘ They would not dare take my life!” thought the lady to herself: ‘it would be such a needless crime!”—then speaking in an audible manner, she said, ‘‘I will not submit to your terms! I have given you my purse and my jewels: but I will give you no more! Let me depart.” ‘Nay, young lady—this nonsense won't do with us,” replied Gaffney, producing a pistol from his pocket. ‘‘ Are you not afraid that punishment will over- take you,” she exclaimed: “do you not think that you would do well to conciliate me somewhat ? YN Wn) COMO Colin