The Seamstress; or, The White Slave of England — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

OE TT AY 56 The Duchess speaks again;—and once more does Clementine listen attentively. The words to which her Grace gives utterance, are few—disjointed— and spoken painfully ; but they are comprehensive enough, and sufficiently plain to ratify the impres- sions which her former murmured revealings had made upon the mind of the Frenchwoman. ~ Brief though they be, an entire history i is’ contained -in their meaning: they ‘confirm “the clue’ previously afforded to the reading of a narrative which struck Clementine to -be interesting’ as’ a’ romance and ter- rible as'a night-mare. - Ah! ‘the ‘curiosity of that abigail had indeed experienced a wild and strange gratification ; -—and she -suddenly found herself in possession of a secret which—— But we must not anticipate: and tharsford we will pursue the revular thread of our tale, by observing so soon as‘ the French lady’s-maid had learnt that tremendous secret,—so soon, also, as she had recovered from the, startling and astounding effects of this most unexpected discovery,—she drew the morning-wrapper closely around. her form and hurried away to the apartment of the Duke.. His Grace had already risen—for he too slept uneasily, as well as his invalid wife;—and on receiving from Clementine the hurried intimation that the Duchess had given utterance to articulate words, he became visibly excited. But the Frenchwoman was now well able to comprehend the reason of that excite- ment; and it was therefore no difficult matter for her to appear as calm and composed as if nothing extraordinary had occurred. . With a feverish impatience and a nervous sus- pense did the Duke put several hurried questions to her; how many minutes had elapsed since the Duchess had first spoker. P—whether the sense and meaning of her words had been caught and-_under- stood 2—whether her Grace was awake, or speaking in her slumber ?—and if Clementine had come away the instant that the articulate syllables had reached her ears? The abigail, assuming an air of the most truthful sincerity, raspoaded that her Grace had only spoken a few words of unimportant meaning,—that it was with the vagueness and incoherency of a dream those syllables were uttered,—that she had lost not an instant in hurrying to acquaint the Duke with the circutievance,—and that the Duchess was still sleeping at the moment when she left her Grace’s chamber.* This was: the colouring wherewith Clementine.now chose to invest the matter: for the time had not yet come for her to make use of the stupendous secret which accident had so strangely revealed to her ears! But all the while she was giving these varnished and distorted explanations, the Duke fixed upon her an earnest and scrutinising look, as if he sought to penetrate into her very soul. The French- woman, however, kept her countenance admirably ; —and the nobleman appeared satisfied that she was telling the truth, without either misrepresentation or suppression. He accordingly thrust a bank-note for fifty pounds into Clementine’s hands,—telling her at the same time that it was a reward for her attentions towards the Duchess;—and having bade her seek her own chamber and take a few hours’ rest, of which he pretended to think she must stand much in need, the Duke repaired to the apartment of his wife. THE SEAMSTRESS. The Frenchwoman did not follow him: contrary, she hastened to adopt the counsel he had given her;—for she knew full well that nothing which might take place between the noble couple, could add any important materials to the stock of information she had already succeeded in ac- quiring. She therefore repaired to her own bed- chamber on an upper storey, while the Duke of Belmont proceeded to the apartments. of the Duchess. He found her Grace just awaking from the uneasy slumber and disagreeable visions in which she had been wrapped;—and it was indeed true that she had recovered to a considerable extent the faculty of speech. What now took place between the Duke and his invalid wife, we are unable at present to explain: suffice it to say that their dis- course was long—frequently interrupted by tears and sobs on either side—and broken by intervals of physical prostration on the part of the Duchess. But when that interview terminated, their coun- tenances and their minds were evidently more se- rene ;—and the temporary agitation which her Grace endured, had totally subsided by the time her me- dical attendants were announced. From that day forth her health continued to im- prove even more rapidly than before. The wound healed fast—her physical energies revived—and all danger of a relapse disappeared. Her husband spent many hours by her bed-side ;—and Clementine observed that his manner was most affectionate towards her. On the other hand, the Duchess ap- peared to receive his attentions with a sort of picus resignation, rather than as proofs and evidences of an attachment that was welcome to her: she never repulsed them—but she assuredly gave no sign of courting them. The calmness of a fixed and settled melancholy took possession of her ;—and even when she was declared convalescent, she seemed to have renounced all idea of ever returning to the pleasures, gaiety, and bustle of the realms of fashion—and to have been led by the influence of circumstances to a fixed resolution of withdrawing from the world as much as it was possible fur a lady in her exalted position to carry such a design into execution. CHAPTER XVII. THE SENTENCE.—THE VISIT. Two months and upwards had now elapsed since the tragic and mysterious adventure of the cons servatory at Belmont House; and the April Ses- ‘sions of the Central Criminal Court were drawing near. But so soon as the unfortunate Mr. Laven- ham, who in the meantime had remained a pri- soner in Newgate, received the intelligence that the Duchess was entirely convalescent, he sent for his legal adviser and addressed him in the following manner :— “TI believe that until the day comes when it is my intention to plead guilty to the charge laid against me, lam at liberty to dispose of my pro- perty in any way that I may think fit. Well, such being the case, I intend and propose to assign the enjoyment of all my worldly possessions to the Duchess of Belmont, as the only possible atone- on the - GEomichbooks (6)