The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

f . THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. 53 t . ‘ 1 from her childhood! — but — but —it is a duty: , The worthy clergyman’s voice was choked with sobs—he could say no more: but Gibson the sexton, who was a sworn constable, stepped for- ward and said, “Its a hard thing to do—the hardest I’ve ever done: but I can’t help it. Mrs. Trevor, you must consider yourself my prisoner.” Whiter grew Ethel’s already pale face; and for a moment her ashy lip quivered—and she said in a low voice, ‘‘If I go to prison, my child——” ‘‘ Shall accompany you, unhappy young lady!” replied the clergyman, who was at length enabled to master his emotions. “ And now,” said the sexton, “ we must makea move to Squire Ponsford’s.” CHAPTER XII. ETHEL. THE seat of Squire Ponsford, Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace, was at a distance of a mile from Southdale; and Mr. Milner suggested that they should all walk thither, as there was no need to be hasty in spreading the scandal of what had occurred throughout the village. The Duke eagerly adopted the suggestion. Ethel’s appearance was now coldly listless, and she re- mained silent—as if by her demeanour she studied to support the idea which she had heard thrown out, to the effect that she was suffering under an aber- ration of the intellect. During the walk of about twenty minutes from the village to the mansion, Ethel kept betwixt Mr. Milner and the constable: | she would not permit the Duke a moment’s op- portunity of approaching her or breathing a whis- pered word in her ear. He comprehended the policy of this portion of her conduct: it was to prevent it from being thought that in whatsoever might be proved against her, she had acted under his influence,—an impression which might arise if they stealthily exchanged communications. The Firs, as Squire Ponsford’s seat was de- nominated, was an old red brick building, ram- bling in style and incongruous in the varieties of its architecture, situated in the midst of a spa- cious park, and having a background of hill rising upon hill to a tremendous height. The dusk was closing in as the party reached the front door ; and in the midst of the increasing obscurity, no one observed that they had been followed from the village by Messrs. Gaffney and Peppercorn. These two individuals had however observed the meet- ing of the Duke and Ethel: then they had seen the approach of the clergyman, the farmer, and the sexton; and though they had not caught a syllable of anything that passed, yet they ob- served sufficient to induce them to believe that something of no ordinary character was trans- piring ; and thus they had followed the party to watch the result. But when they found that the destination was the Firs, they exchanged ejacula- tions expressive of surprise, as if they also had originally come into the neighbourhood for the purpose of transacting some little business at that Same country-seat. The front door was opened by a portly middle- . aged footman, to whom Mr. Milner said, “I am afraid we are about to disturb your master at a somewhat unseasonable hour: but it is an urgent case.” “Please to walk in, sir;”—and the footman led the way into the library, leaving the door of that room as well as the front door open, in obedience to a general instruction which he had received, the proceedings before a magistrate being public. In a very few minutes Mr. Ponsford made his appearance. He was a person of about sixty —having naught in his appearance of the country Squire, but much more likely to be taken for a gentleman who habitually dwelt amidst the crowds of fashionable circles. He was dressed in black, with a white waistcoat: his countenance was pale, with a serious if not severe expression : his features were decidedly handsome: he was a little above the medium stature, and inclined to port- liness without being corpulent. Altogether his appearance might even merit the term “ distin- guished.” On entering the library, he shook hands with Mr. Milner—nodded to Farmer White with a cer- tain degree of haughty reserve—and merely be- stowed the most transient glance upon the Duke and Ethel as he proceeded to place himself at-the head of the table. He then at once saw that it was a case of some prisoner being charged before him, and that Ethel was the offender ; for the constable, according to his wont, made the captive stand at the lower extremity of the table. ‘‘ Before I enter upon the case,” said Mr. Pons- ford, ““I must observe that my clerk is not pre- sent ; and therefore if there be copious depositions to take, we must wait until we can send into the village to fetch him.” “I do not think the case will be a long one,” said Mr. Milner. “If it be only as brief as it is distressing: ? ; “Let us enter upon it,” curtly interjected the Squire, with a significance of tone and look which implied that no one ought to seek to bias his mind for or against the prisoner by any extra- neous comment. ‘‘ Who charges this”—he hesi- tated for an instant; he was inclined to say ‘‘ lady,” for there was something unspeakably fascinating and lady-like in Ethel’s appearance ; but he checked himself and said, ‘‘ Who charges this person ?” “It is with infinite regret,” began Mr. Milner, “that I have to answer to your worship’s de- mand. Perhaps you may recollect that this young lady lived for a number of years in the vil- lage ”? ‘‘ What is the prisoner’s name?” inquired the Justice. “Tell his worship your name,” hastily whis- pered the sexton. But Ethel remained silent, and appeared to look unmoved upon the proceedings; so that Mr. Mil- ner continued to make his statement. “The young lady’s name is Ethel Trevor: she is married; and I am compelled by a sense of duty to charge her with the abstraction of a leaf from the parish register of marriages.” “Where is the leaf?” inquired Mr. Pons- ford. ‘“‘T know not,” answered the clergyman. ‘The prisoner may have it about her; and if so, I am sure that 1 should not wish to press the charge.” COMO YN Wn) Colin