The Seamstress; or, The White Slave of England — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

ie ca RRO Ds ON Ad | a ec ATE rR a eta eee Pe 118 THE SEAMSTRESS, rE whether she be even in the land of the living or in | tertainment, Julius Lavenham was conversing with the realm of departed saints e me, when the discourse took a somewhat serious And overpowered by his feelings, he melted into | turn, upon the Duke’s embarrassments and Lord tears: for illimitable as heayen itself, and profound | Mostyndale’s attentions to your sister Mary. The as the unfathomed depths of the ocean, was his love for thee, Virginia Mordaunt! “‘ We will find her out, Charles,” exclaimed the Duchess, suddenly speaking forth in a tone of fer- vid feeling : “we will discover her abode, if the poor girl be still a denizen of this world. Oh! my God! who can describe the emotions which filled my heart when two years ago a young maiden, beautiful as an angel, stood in my presence— there, in the adjoming room—and on being asked her name, she rephed ‘ Virginia Mordawnt !’— That was the first time I had ever seen or heard of my daughter since I beheld her an infant in the arms oi: Mrs. Mordaunt, the widow of the land- steward, on the day when I bade her farewell at her own humble dwelling. But, Oh! that 16th of January, 1844, was indeed a memorable day! In the morning I encountered my own child whom I had not seen for eighteen years and of whose ex- istence I was not even certain: and in the eyven- ing, I was destined to behold the object of my at- fections—the father of that unacknowledged girl —branded as an assassin “4 “ Mr. Lavenham!’ exclaimed Charles, “Good heayens ! is it possible? Mr. Lavenham Virginia’s father |” “Tt is so,” responded the Duchess. induced to leave England, he repaired to Ireland where some petty government situation was pro- cured for him. But embarking in business as a merchant, he speedily accumulated a princely for- tune—so large a portion of which has been devoted by him at various times to prop up the falling grandeur of the house of Belmont !” “Poor Mr. Lavenham!” said Charles, in a tone of the sincerest sympathy. ‘‘ How deeply I com- passionate his lot!” “Rather, raise your voice, my dear son-in-law, to glorify and extol to the seventh heaven,” ex- claimed the Duchess, “the admirable man, who, with generosity unparalleled in this world, has sacrificed himself to save me from shame! Yes— Julius Lavenham,” continued Augusta, her cheeks flushing with the entbusiasm inspired by the sub- ject, “is one of those chivalrous and exalted cha- racters that only appear upon earth at long intervals, and whose devotion to the object of their love is proved by a cheerful self-martyrdom !”’ “Do you mean me to understand that he is innocent ?”? demanded Charles, anxiously. “As innocent of the attack upon me as you yourself are!’ returned the Duchess solemnly. “ Strange! most strange !” said the young Mar- quis in a musing tone as a particular incident flashed to his memory. “ Virginia is slightly ac- quainted with Mr. Lavenham—she visited him in Newgate—and she expressed to him her conviction of his innocence !”’ “And it was of her own father that she was thus speaking !’’ murmured the Duchess, the tears streaming down her cheeks: then, after a long pause, she observed, “ But you are doubtless anxious to learn the true version relative to the tragic occurrence in the conservatory—and if you grant me your patience I will soon satisfy you on that head. You must know then, my dear Charles, that on the memorable evening of the grand en- ———E Ee aaa ’ “On being | business-like nature of the topic induced us to leave the saloons and enter the conservatory, where we might continue our remarks without retraint. But the discourse soon took a turn of deeper and more tender interest,—assuming a complexion such as Lavenham and myself had not permitted it to take for years before. Charles, that never—oh! never did I prove un- faithful to the marriage vows which I pledged your father at the altar x “Do not insult yourself, my dear mother-in- law,” exclaimed Charles, “by volunteering an as- surance so unnecessary—so uncalled for. You were telling me that the conversation between | yourself and Mr. Lavenham in the hot-house | turned upon a tender topic which you had both ' previously avoided for some time past ?” «“Yes—and I know not how the discourse came thus to touch upon the forbidden ground,” said the Duchess: “but so it was. Julius Lavenham 'addressed me in that tone of fervid eloquence to | which no woman who fondly loves can listen with impunity. And I did love Lavenham then—I ‘love him now—TI shall never cease to love him while the breath remains in my body! Well, Charles, you who have loved so tenderly and who still love so devotedly,—you, I say, can pity and pardon me—or at all events you can understand me when I tell you that overpowered by the various feelings which thronged in upon my soul, I threw myself into his arms —TI proclaimed my unalterable love—I vowed never to separate from him again—and I implored him to take me thence | and let me be all and everything to him in future. | But Julius Lavenham would not thus devote my ‘name to infamy and sacrifice my reputation to | scorn and scandal: his was no selfish passion—it ' was the holiest, purest love—and he idolized me with an affection too profound and a worship too ethereal, to permit him to become the means or the cause of dragging me through the mire of public reprobation. In his generous enthusiasm on my behalf, he caught up one of the fruit knives ‘in the conservatory and threatened to plunge it into my bosom rather than become the destroyer of my peace and let me live! I recollect that I threw out taunts and reproaches against him—that I upbraided him with a want of affection—and that I almost goaded him to madness by my insane words and excited actions. But I was not the moment. into my breast: he flung it from him—he caught “mein his arms—he implored me to tranquillize , | . . . ; myself{—he covered me with~his caresses! At this ‘juncture the glass door communicating with the garden was opened suddenly—and the Duke of | stood in our | Belmont, trembling with rage, “presence. Passion sealed his lips—but lent furious | energy to his hand,—and snatching up the fruit- | knife which Lavenham had flung upon the table a moment before, your father plunged it into ™ bosom !” “ My father—always my father!” exclaimed Charles. “Just heaven! how misfortunes and erimes have multiplied upon his head within the last two years! But pray proceed, my dear |?? For I solemnly declare, » mistress of myselt—I was a perfect maniac at the | Wildly I bade him plunge the knife |