The Seamstress; or, The White Slave of England — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

a a a a pn Ft 116 THE SEAMSTRESS. the Duchess, in a dying tone—for in her heart the query was already ans‘ vered. “Who has perpetrated them ?” echoed the young nobleman, suddenly starting with fierce excite- ment: “my father—your husband!” =~ “God protect me!’ murmured the Duchess, falling back upon ¢he sofa—not in a state of insen- sibility—but in a condition of mingled despair and stupor, as if her spirit were utterly appalled and broken. Then there was a long pause in that room, during which the Marquis of Arden sate gazing im mournful earnestness upon his unhappy mother- in-law ;—and the dreadful nature of the thoughts that were preying like vultures upon his brain, was evinced in the nervous quivering of his white lips, the contracting lines of his forehead, and the sinister light that burned in his eyes. “Charles,” said the Duchess, at length raising herself slowly. to a sitting posture upon the sofa, and speaking in a voice that was profoundly marked with an illimitable woe, —“ Charles, tell me everything! The first paroxysm of agony is passed—the first access of excruciation has gone by. Iam now prepared to listen, Charles: but I beseech you to reveal all you know—without re- serve e “I will do so,” said the young Marquis, in a tone strongly accentuated. | “ Yes—it is meet and proper that you should know everything: and therefore I will commence my narrative with cer- tain particulars which will explain the cause of that change which has come over me during the last two years. Mother-in-law, be pleased to carry your recollections back to the 16th of January, 1844—— “Heavens! the incidents of that day are seared upon my brain,”. ejaculated the Duchess, in the rending voice of an agony produced by the most poignant reminiscences suddenly awakened. “Is it possible that your afflictions date likewise from that terrible evening ?” “No—not from the evening of the entertain- ment,’ answered the young nobleman: “ but from the morning of that day. _ Nor can I precisely aver that my sorrows began on the occasion referred to —hbecause with the early portion of the narrative which I am about to reveal to your ears, there were many pleasing hopes, many delicious feelings, and many elysian dreams intermingled.” ‘Ah! then, you also have loved—and have loved unfortunately?’ said the Duchess, in that low, measured, and profoundly mournful tone which showed that she was involuntarily expressing. the secret of her own life in the query aE she thus put to her son-in-law.” ““Yes—I loved—and heaven s1ie can tell how fervently I have loved!’ continued the Marquis. “But in desiring you, my dear mother-in-law, to carry back your recollections to the morning of that memorable day which well nigh terminated so fatally for you,—and in fixing your attention upon that particular date, I wish to ascertain if you recollect an incident which was trivial enough with regard to you, but which was important enough in respect to me to give stamp and im- press to the current of my destiny.” “To what incident do you allude ?” asked the Duchess, completely at a loss to penetrate the meaning of her son-in-law. “Tax your memory,” said Charles, “and sce -e@2----- > snk eee=e<ea_eeeeeee ee se if you can recollect the fact of a young milliner ealling upon the particular day of which I am speaking “ Heavens! what mean you ?” cried the Duchess, now once again becoming dreadfully excited, as a suspicion of the truth flashed to her imagina- tion. ‘‘ Yes—I remember the incident to which you allude——” “And you therefore remember the young seamstress herself ?’’ exclaimed Charles, eagerly. “ Well “ Yes— yes—I remember her,’ Duchess: “ what then?” “She was a beautiful girl—genteel and well bred as any lady in the land,” said Charles: “did you notice all this P” “TT did—I did,” murmured Augusta. you saw her, then ?” “ I saw her,’ replied the young > gasped the ce And Marquis, solemnly: “‘and she became the object of my love.” “ Her name—her name?” faltered the Duchess, who was nearly overpowered with. ex- citement. “Virginia Mordaunt,” was the answer. The noble lady threw herself back upon the sofa —pressed both her hands to her forehead as if to stay the violent throbbings of her brows—and then remained silent and immoveable for upwards of a minute. “Charles,” she at length said, slowly withdraw- ing her hands from her head, and gazing with a solemn earnestness into the young nobleman’s face as she bent forward and inclined her head towards him,—* Charles, answer me as you would reply to your God! Has Virginia’s honour been made a sacrifice to your passion? or has she passed pure and spotless through the ordeal? Tell me, Charles —tell me truly—as you may value my blessing or dread my curse!” ‘ “Virginia is an angel of chastity and inno- cence !” cried the young Marquis, gazing upon his mother-in-law in astonishment, at her manner, her worts, and her looks. “You swear that you are speaking the truth, Charles ?” she exclaimed, grasping his wrist with convulsive violence and fair her eyes upon him with a scrutiny that seemed intended to pierce hun through and through. . “TI swear,” he repeated, with a thrilling em- phasis, his amazement mmaneasing to a positive wildness. “Then may God in bearee bless you, Charles !”’ cried his mother-in-law, in a tone of fervid en- thusiasm, while the tears ran down her cheeks: and falling upon her knees at the young man’s feet, she took his hand and pressed it to her lips, exclaiming, “Oh! yes—I thank you, Charles—God knows how sincerely, how unfeignedly I thank you for sparing the honour of‘that poor girl whose virtue doubtless is her only dowry.” And having covered the hand of the Marquis with her kisses and her tears, the Duchess rose from her suppliant posture—resumed her seat upon the sofa—and, burying her countenance in one of the pillows, gave vent to a tide of emotions the spring of which was beyond all possibility of con- jecture on the part of her son-in-law. COMMICLIOOM<S (coil EEE Se