The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

182 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Amy Sutton hurried from the room, forgetting | Amy—Oh, I do indeed acquit you of any evil to close the door behind her; and the Duke, clutching Christian by the arm, whispered to him in a hoarse voice, “ Not another word, I conjure you!"’—-then hoe instantaneously added aloud, “ There is something extraordinary in all this: but it shall be investigated. Of course I at once edmit———” “What your Grace cannot deny, and never cought to have impugned,” interrupted Christian boldly : “ her Grace’s innocence !” “ For heaven's sake,” said the Dachess, who had hastened to close the door—of whith opportunity her husband had availed himself to whisper that urgent adjuration in Christian’s ear,—* for heaven's sake let this dreadfal transaction be calmly and dispassionately explained !” “Yes!” cried Amy Sutton, who now burst back again into the room, with a degree of excitement she had never before in her life displayed: “ your Grace’s dresses are safe in your own toilet- chamber! But these—the very same! or at least the closest resemblance !”—and she hastily inspected the contents of the parcel which Christian had thrown upon the table. « Now hear me,” said the Duke of Marchmont, whdse countenance was deadly pale, and whose entire manner indicated the profoundest trouble of soul, notwithstanding tho almost preterhuman efforts which he made to appear composed. “Solemnly in your presence, Christian Ashton— and in your’s also, Amy Sutton—do I recognise and proclaim her Grace’s innocence. Will this suffice? For a thousand reasons this affair must go no farther !” “Tt is for her Grace to decide,” said our hero. The unfortunate Duchess could no longer blind her eyes to the fact that her own husband was at the bottom of a foul conspiracy of which she was to have been made-the victim: but still she wished to spare him as much as possible; and she there- fore unhesitatingly exclaimed, “Qh, no! let not the matter progress farther !”’ “But I also must be consulted in this,” said Amy Sutton, with that firmness which was charac- teristic of her. “I am dependent on my character for my bread,” she continued, fixing her eyes upon the Duke; “and not for a moment musi it be thought that I voluntarily or wilfully bore false evidence against her ladyship.” “TI know enough of the circumstances,” inter- posed Christian, “ to be enabled to state that it is quite possible you have been grossly deceived, and that you fancied you beheld her Grace on particu- lar occasions when it was in reality another. And now tho uses to which these dresses have been put are perhaps fally understood———” . “Ob, enough! cnough!” cried poor Lavinia, her looks recoiling from the haggard, ghastly, guilt-stricken countenance of her husband. “Ah, I recollect!” suddenly exclaimed Amy, as a thought struck her. “That veil which was worn over the head of her whom your Grace pointed out!”"—and she addressed herself td the Duke. * My lord, it was infamous of you !” “For my sake, let no exposure take place!” murmured the Duchess, with appealing looks my departure; and I request from your Grace a directed alike towards Amy and our hero. “ I thank you, Mr. Aehtun, for your kindness: your noble | ‘intention! Bat I implore and beseech that nothing of all this shall be allowed to transpire. His Grace will treat me kindly in fature——I forgive him!—from the bottom of my heart I forgive him! Tell me, Hugh, that hence- forth ” And drawing her husband aside, she concluded in a whisper her hurried prayer that his behaviour would change towards her, and in the future com- pensate for the past. “ It will indeed be better that this should go no farther,” said Christian, availing himeelf of the opportunity thus to speak aside to Amy Sutton. “Tt is for the sake of the Duchess that I recom- mend secrecy. You stand acquitted of all wilfal complicity in the odious affair. If there be exposure, a separation becomes inevitable between the Duke and his wife; and under such circum- stances it is always unfortunate woman who suffers most !” “For my part,” responded Amy, “I have no wish to bring about such exposure, now that my own character is cleared.” Bcarcely had the young woman thus spoken, when Marchmont, accosting Christian, said in an abrupt manner, “ Come with me.” “‘Yes—go with his Grace,” exclaimed the Duchess: “but again accept my most heartfelt gtatitude !”—and she proffered the youth her hand, which he respectfully took. He then followed Marchmont from the room,— Amy Sutton remaining with her mistress. The Duke led the way to another apartment; and the moment they entered it, he said to Christian, “You will keep silence in respect to this transac- tion ?” “It was not even my intention to proclaim so much,” answered our hero, “if your lordship had suffered me to breathe a few words in your ear, which would have convinced you that everything was discovered.” ‘And how was it discovered P” inquired the Duke quickly. “Did you go and seek Lettice Rodney? did Madame Angelique betray anything when you called upon her to fetch the box ?” “ My lord, if is useless thus to question me,” answered Christian: “I am resolved to give no explanations. Suffice it for your Grace to have received unmistakable evidence that everything is completely known to me. And now——” “Bat you must tell mo!” cried Marchmont vehemently. doubt and uncertainty: I must know where the treachery has been !” “Treachery, my lord !”—and Christian’s tone expressed a withering sarcasm. “ But I repeat, it is useless for your Grace to question me: I will explain nothing.” “TI cannot remain in this state of “One word?” said the bewildered Dako: “only — one word, I beseech you? Was it Stanhope him- ae 93 “No, my lord. I will tell you this much—that the villain Mr. Stanhope went away in ignorance | of all that was to take place. But beyond this I shall say nothing more. I am now about to take certificate of good conduct.” But Marchmont heard not tho youth’s last conduct nevor can be forgotten by me! And vou, | words: he had begun to pace the apartmont in an | (COL (C DOO CS (COL