The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 98: what you’re looking at

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anna 48 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. “No, that you ain’t! Why, how is this ?”— gnd Mrs. Grills looked almost bewildered. “It was a mistake! Tell me, was it not in- tended to carry off the actress Mademoiselle Imo- gene? Speak, and you shall be rewarded !” “Yes—that was what was meant. But who are you, ma’am ?” : The Duchess was rejoiced to find that she was not known; and shesaid, ‘‘No matter who I am! Ah, that disturbance!” “The two gentlemen who have come!” ejacu- lated Mrs. Grills. ‘I do believe one’s fighting with the other!” “Good heavens! who are they? who are they? Speak, woman! I mean to deal liberally with you !”—and she drew forth her purse. “Well, its young Mr. Casey—and how disap- pointed he’ll be!” ‘‘ And the other ?” “T heard Mr. Casey call him Sir Abel.” “‘ Heavens!” was the ejaculation which again burst from the lips of the Duchess; and for a mo- ment a violent trembling seized upon her: but the next instant recovering her presence of mind, she said, “Fifty guineas if You let me escape !” “Done!” cried the delighted Mrs. Grills. The Duchess flung a bank-note and some gold upon the table; and Mrs. Grills caught up the money with avidity. The next instant she threw up the window, and simply said, “‘ The ladder !” This was immediately supplied; the Duchess descended—and she found Mr. Grills and his brother in the yard below. Now the fact was these worthies, instead of smoking their pipes in the kitchen, had been sit- ting on the sill of a window beneath the room where the Duchess was confined; for they thought it prudent to keep watch lest she should attempt to make her escape. Hence the promptitude with which they obeyed the summons of Mrs. Grills; and they asked no questions—neither did they pause for the slightest syllable of explanation— inasmuch as they knew that whatsoever the dame herself might ‘do, would be the result of a sudden necessity or else of an equally potent appeal to her personal interests. The whole proceeding was conducted in the course of a few seconds; and while the Duchess was traversing a little yard to- wards a back gate, Mrs. Grills was facing Sir Abel Kingston in the passage. Having given these explanations, we may re- sume the thread of our narrative. It was the day after the adventures of which we have been writing, and between one and two o’clock in the afternoon, when the door of the drawing-room in which the Duchess of Ardleigh was seated, was thrown open; and the domestic announced Sir Abel Kingston. It was exactly ten days since she had last seen him, at Thorn- bury Park, when she had enjoined him not to seek her presence again until he should receive some communication from her. ‘“‘Can he have found eut where I was last even- ing ?” was the first question which instantaneously occurred to the Duchess ; and a flush swept across her countenance: but the next moment it had disappeared, and it was with the most perfect self- possession so far as the outward demeanour was concerned, that she gave him her hand. There was nothing peculiar in the Baronet’s manner,—nothing significant so as to make the Duchess suspect that he knew aught of her adven- ture of the preceding evening: but he wore that look of love and tendérness which he had of late assumed towards her; and there was likewise somewhat of respectful entreaty in his tone, as he said, ‘‘May I hope, dearest Mary, that you are not angry because I come without receiving per- mission from you ?” | “Let that scene which your words recall, be entirely forgotten?” said the young Duchess ; for her soul now recoiled from the man who she natu- ‘rally thought frequented such dens as that where accident had so nearly thrown them together on the preceding night. ‘‘I beg you, Sir Abel, to look upon meas an acquaintance—a friend, if you will: but—but——” ‘Mary, what means this coldness? Perhaps you have not made any discovery of the kind which I mentioned in reference to your husband ? And yet I swear to you that it was the truth !” ‘“Who told you,” asked the Duchess, ‘that Herbert was keeping a mistress in the neighbour- hood of Tunbridge Wells ?” “It was a person named Manning—a horse- dealer at Maidstone. He sold some horses for me—your husband bought them—he gave a cheque signed with his own name 4 “Yes, yes—I recollect! You told me at the time,” said the Duchess. “But I had for- gotten ” ‘‘ And have you willingly forgotten all the kind and hopeful things you said to me on that occa- sion when I walked with you in the grounds at , Thornbury ?” ‘*Do not remind me of it! But come, Sir Abel,” said the Duchess, assuming a lively air, as if suddenly throwing off some cause of restraint : “let us talk on general subjects. What think you of the prospects of the opera season ? how do you like the new novel ?” “Oh, Mary!” exclaimed the Baronet ; “ how can you find it in your heart to treat me thus ? Now listen to me while I tell you that I know - you have discovered the truth of my statement in reference to your husband’s mistress at Adding- ton.” ‘“‘ How so?” ejaculated the Duchess, with a start. ‘‘ Because I received a letter from some one, telling me that the establishment at Dahlia Cot- tage is broken up——”’ “‘And that some one ?” inquired the Duchess. ‘‘'That very same Manning the horsedealer. The animals have gone back into his hands ; and the lady herself left the place precipitately, with her nurse and her child. But of course you know all this as well as I can tell you.” The Duchess remained silent. She remembered her pledge to the Baronet ; and though the love, or rather the fantasy she had conceived for him, had very much subsided, she nevertheless knew not how to answer him. ‘‘ What were your words, Mary,—the words from your own lips?” he proceeded to say. “ Did you not swear that if you found I had deceived you in reference to your husband, everything should be at an end between us ?—but if on the other hand you discovered that the facts were precisely as I had represented them, then the first vengeance which you would wreak upon your husband, should be to fulfil your pledge of lova ¢ a COMO Colin