The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

Trucs nr ha St Pa ehh gp ye sn ety Get oP? THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. 75 you. But I shall stand upon no such scruples, if you disobey me in respect to the injunctions I am about to give. hese are simply that you say nothing to the Squire of your meeting with me, nor of the fact that you have failed to obtain possession of this sealed packet. Not that I should care very much if you did reveal these facts,” added’ Ashborne carelessly, “ though perhaps it would better please me that you should not.” While the bailiff was thus speaking, Tim ney had raised himself up from the floor ; and he made a rapid calculation of all the chances for or against the success of a sudden attack ypon his | epponent: But he had lost all his weapons; and experience had moreover shown him that he was inferior in strength to the other. He therefore | abandoned the idea: but he said sullenly, “ You | think to get all the reward for the delivering up of that packet of papers to the person who wants to get hold of them?” “You are mistaken,” replied the bailiff coolly: | ‘“ F want no reward at all. Make your own bar- gain. with the person—get out of him all you can —all I require is that he shall apply to me for the papers.” *¢ Ah, that’s another thing altogether!" said Tim Gaffney, to whom the entire’ proceeding was re- plete with mystery. “If you hold to that bar- gain, [ll bind myself on the other hand to say nothing to the Squire about you and me meeting here and your having got hold of the packet.” “ Let it be a bargain,” said Stephen Ashborne. “But, Ah! one word! How do you intend to effect your departure without doing any violence to the Squire? for it seems to methat if you have set your comrade to keep watch over him “FT know what you’ mean,” interrupted Gal. ney: “but you neefin’t be afeard—we ain’t a- going to silence him by knocking him over the head. A little chloroform’ does it ‘ ' Fnongh!” said the bailiff: I consent to this arrangement. And now depart. But, Ah! take the bunch of keys with you to the Squire’s cham- ber. oi) Tim Gaffney stole forth from the library, as- cended the stairs, and reached the Squire’s room, where he found the aspect of affairs precisely the same as when he had quitted the apartment a quarter.of an hour back. "There lay the Squire in his couch—-and there was Jack Peppercorn bend- ing over him with a clasp-knife at his throat. “What a deuce of a time you've: been!” said Jack impatiently. “TY thought I heard a noise in the house,” re- plied Tim; “ and 80 T was obleeged to lay amet for a few minu He now drew forth a very small phial from his waistcoat-pocket: he poured some of the contents - upon his handkerchief—which ‘he then appliéd to the Squire’s nostrils. The effect was almost in- stantaneous—Mr. Ponsford became insensible— and’ the two burglars speedily made their exit from the premises. _ CHAPTER XVII. THE DEN. WE must now return to the young Duchess, whom we left at the moment when on issuing Gaff- ; | any risk!” from Miss Hartland’s house, she was suddenly caught round the waist by the strong arms of a man and thrust info a cab,—the fellow following her into the vehicle, which immediately drove away at a rapid rate. It was all the work of an instant: the street was one that was little fre~ quented by passengers—the dusk was closing i in— and the countenance of the Duchess was so muffled in the thick folds of her veil that even the ejacula- tion of surprise nd alarm to which she at once gave vent when as seized upop, was stifled, or at least g0 far subdued as to prove unavailing. The windows of the cab were closed; and scarcely had the Duchegs time to glance towards. the fellow Who took his seat opposite to her, when he pro- duced a pistol, holding it by the barrel, and say- ing at the same time, “If you make any noise I shal] be obliged to silence you with a touch of the butt-end of this here barker.” Fhe patrician lady shuddered ; and to the very depths of her whole being did she recoil, as much from the coarse language of the roffian ‘as from the threats which it conveyed. Through the folds -of her veil she could perceive that he was an ill- looking fellow, with a dark complexion—not tall, but stoutly buijt—and dressed in a suit of black. She soon recovered a syifficient degree of self- possession to enable her to say, “You surely cannot suppose that I shall be overawed by your shocking threats. You would therefore do qwell to let me alight at once, ere I dash my band throygh the window and cry out for assistance.” It's of no use, ma’am, for you to come this gammon with me,’ said the fellow. “My orderg is positive. I’m to take you to a certain place ; and if so be you don’t come by fair meang, you shajl by foul.” The Duchess, who had now completely re- covered her self-possession, was half inclined to make one desperate cluteh at the pistol, and then while struggling with the fellow, shriek out for assistance: buf she feared lest she might expe- rience some violent treatment at his hands—and a glance flung through the window showed her that the cab was proceeding amidst the narrow streets of that. low neighbourhood whose very aspect appeared inimical to the idea that succour could de readily; obtained. Suddenly an idea giruck her; and she said, “‘ Depend ppon jt you mays, made a mistake. For whom do you take me ?” “Now I tell yon what it is, ma'am,” replied the man with dogged insolence; ‘‘J know that women is up to all sorts of tricks, but you won't succeed (un humbugging me. So it’s of no pse your saying any more. [ won't hear, and I won't axiswer. I’m deaf and I’m dumb!” The Duchess was just upon the point of pro- claiming that if she had been taken for Made- moiselle Imogene a tremendous error had been committed, when she thought to herself, “In this case the ruffian may insist on seeing face— and then he may. perhaps recognise med” Her next idea was to offer him a liberal reward to let her go: but then she said to herself, “ If I display the contents of my purse, he may per- haps murder mei I must try the former plan at —then at the expiration of a minute, dixring which she again reflected profoundly, she said, “‘ Perlaps you took me for the equestrian conniclooolk Colin