The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

ee et". a oS — ——————————— eres — —— THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. 85 unto me——in a word, that you would be mine? Now answer me, Mary !—have I deceived you? If you tell me that I have—or if you hesitate to answer—I will then take it upon myself to con- vince you——” “Sir Abel Kingston,” interrupted the Duchess, while the colour went and came in quick transi- tions upon her countenance, and her bosom heaved and fell visibly ; ‘‘a woman in a moment of weakness may promise more than is consistent with her safety on earth and her salvation in heaven e ‘¢ Answer me one word, Mary,” said Sir Abel in a sombre voice and with gloomy looks: ‘‘ you are seeking to fly from your word and to break the compact of love which existed between us ?” “If I have the courage to stop short on the very verge of an indiscretion—a crime !” she an- swered, while the red blood again flushed her cheeks, “is it for you who pretend to love me, to seek to drag me down into the abysm? Oh, you ought to strengthen me in my resolve!” “This is ridiculous, Mary!” interrupted the Baronet, with anger and disgust, which he did not particularly study to conceal; for he saw that she was playing a part, though he was at a loss to surmise upon what grounds or for what pur- pose. “‘If you ever loved me, you love me now!” and he took her hand. ‘‘ She withdrew it, saying, ‘‘ Let us be friends —only friends !” “T will not be thus trifled with!” cried King- ston. “By what motives are you swayed in your present conduct ? Not by any returning love for your husband ; because you have dis- covered his infidelity! Not by any reviving fondness on his part towards you; because he is absent, and unable to show it! What then am 1 to think ? That you are a prude—a jilt—a co- quette ? that you have deliberately trifled with me? I should be sorry to think so!—and yet before I come to a conclusion, I will ask you ‘for tke last time whether you still keep your com- pact with me?” ‘‘ And if I refuse ?” asked the Duchess, who experienced a presentiment that the present scene must now be brought to a crisis of some kind or another. Sir Abel Kingston bent upon her a strange look ; and he said in a low sombre tone, “If you trifle with me, all my love will turn into hatred, and you shall be made to feel that you are in my power !” « The brilliant Duchess started: her cheeks flushed—her bosom feaved as if it would burst through its prisonage of corset: then she became very pale—and she murmuringly repeated the words, ‘“‘In your power ?” « Xye!—and deeply, deeply would it grieve me to come to angry words with you and prove that such is the fact!” “ Explain yourself sir,” she said, determined to put him to the fullest test. “Need I ask the Duchess of Ardleigh where she was last evening ?” ‘What do you mean ?”—and the air of asto- nishment which she assumed appeared to be the most natural. . Sir Abel was not deceived by it ; and he replied _ with a look of the most wicked significancy, ‘When a door opened and a certain woman en- tered a particular room, I was in the passage— and I obtained a glimpse of the lady in that room. She was plainly dressed, with a large muffiing cloak—she had on a simple straw bonnet, and the veil was thrown back from over her countenance. That lady was you !” ‘Indeed? his is an extraordinary delusion !” —and the Duchess laughed. ‘“‘ Do not compel me to test it by such rules as shall prove it to be a veritable fact. How was it that the brilliant Duchess of Ardleigh could have placed herself in a position to be carried off in mistake for the actress Mademoiselle Imogene ? I confess that at present I know not: neither am T as yet aware how your Grace escaped from that room wherein I saw you. But there are ample means of proving the whole mystery—and by heaven, I will do it!” The Duchess now felt as if a mask had fallen completely from the countenance of the man who had pretended to love her; and she saw that he was a selfish, malignant, ungenerous individual. So much the more reason, thought she, for deal- ing with him in a manner consistent with the utmost prudence and with the astutest policy. But how? She required time for deliberation ; and in the interval she must play the hypocrite. “You are unkind towards me,” she said, in « soft murmuring voice: ‘‘ you will not help me to save myself when I wish to be saved. I must yield—not to your threats, but to the weakness of my own feelings. On the third night hence, be- tween nine and ten o’clock No! better that it were later !—between ten and eleven—you will meet me at Thornbury—in the same avenue—you know where I mean—close by the statues “a “‘ Enough, Mary !” said the Baronet, overjoyed at the idea of the triumph which he considered to be already as good as achieved. “ A thousand, thousand thanks, dearest, for the hope with which you have now filled my soul !”—and taking her hand, he pressed it to his lips. ‘IT need not ask, Abel,” she said, in a low voice, and with a flush upon her cheeks, ‘‘ whether you took care that no one else but yourself should. become acquainted with the fact that I was car- ried off by force——” “ No one else knew it !” exclaimed the Baronet. “But how in heaven’s name, dearest Mary, could you have been in such a position? how was it that you were either coming out of the house of the equestrian actress, or else passing through that street at the moment——” “Tt was a fantasy 9n my part—I wished to know her. But I will tell you all about it when me meet at Thornbury. And now leave me, Abel !—leave me, I beseech you! Iam not well —TI am nervous and agitated from the incidents of last night——” “No wonder! -I will leave you, my sweet Mary. But, Oh! it will appear an age until we meet agairi at Thornbury, according to the ap- pointment which you have given me !” He again pressed her hand to his lips and then took his departure. ‘‘ Miserable hypocrite!” ejaculated the Duchess, as the door closed behind him. ‘ You profess to love me—and yet you frequent such dens as that where you saw me last night! Ah! and you would use coercion to bend me to ‘your purpose ? And then you kiss my hand, and thank me, and oO COMO Colin