The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 100: what you’re looking at

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| 86 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. speak sentimentally, and vow that you loye me! Yet what motive can you have for this base hypocrisy ? Is it that you burn to possess me ? or is there some other motive which I cannot fathom ? No, no—I will not succumb! There was a time when I liked you yes, might have loved you !—but it is past—and you now seem to be altogether a different being! The mask has fallen from your countenance—you are hideous in my sight! But, Oh, my God! I am in your power !” The Duchess clasped her hands. together, and she shivered from head to foot as she thought of the tale which the Baronet might tell in reference to the incidents of the preceding night. “ At all events,” she said to herself, ‘‘ I have got three days before me to arrange some plan ; and that is an advantage! Who knows what may turn up ?” It was thus that the Duchess gave way to her reflections ; but the day passed without enabling her to settle in hex mind any project by which she might emancipate herself from the power of Sir Abel Kingston. In the evening the Duchess learnt that her husband had just returned to Ardleigh House, but that he had at once repaired to his own chamber, alleging that he was ill, and desiring that he might not be disturbed. She did not therefore go near him. In the morning she sent her favourite maid Lavinia to inquire after the Duke’s health : she was informed that he was much better—that business compelled him to go off immediately into the City—but that he should see her Grace in the course of the day : and then for form’s sake before the servants, he superadded some message couched in terms of seeming affec- tion. The young Duke fancied that Ethel -would most probably come up to London wath the least possible delay to see Mr. Warren, the stockbroker, in reference to the sum of five thousand pounds which had been invested ia the Bank in her name. He longed to see her—to implore that she would change her mind, and that she would not separate herself eternally from him! It was therefore in the hope of falling in with Ethel that the Duke proceeded to Mr. Warren’s office in the neighbour- hood of the Bank.of England. The stockbroker had not yet arrived. Herbert waited and waited with the most feverish impatience. Would Ethel come? or would Warren make his appearance ? He was anxious to enlist Warren as an inter- mediary to plead on his behalf with Ethel, in case she should call at an hour when he himself should not be there waiting for her. At length, between one and two in the afternoon, a servant came from Mr. Warren’s house at Highbury, to tell the head clerk that his master would not be there until the next day, as he had run down into the country to secure the purchase of some celebrated race-horse which he had suddenly learnt was to be disposed of. ‘ “T will call to-morrow morning at ten punc- tually,” said the Duke to the head clerk. ‘“‘ Tell Mr. Warren that I shail be here, if he happen to arrive before me.” Herbert then returned to the West End; and on reaching Ardleigh House, he was informed that two persons desired to speak with him on very important business. They were waiting to see him, and in the meanwhile had been shown into the library. Thither the Duke accordingly pro- ceeded; and he found, as indeed he had expected, that his visitors were Mr. Timothy Gaffney and. Mr. John Peppercorn. They were dressed in bran new apparel from head to foot: a ready- made clothing mart, had supplied them with suits confectioned after the sporting fashion which they. both affected: they had gold chains festooning over their waistcoats and rings upon their fingers. Altogether these worthies were better up in the world than ever they had before been in all their lives: and as a matter of course they were in the greatest possible spirits. “ Bes your Grace’s pardon, my lord,” said Tim Gaffney as he and his companion both made a very respectful bow to the Duke; ‘“‘but you told us as how we might come ” “You have not heard or seen anything of—of —that lady ?” demanded the Duke hurriedly. ‘Nothing, my lord,” was the response. “T believe you returned to Southdale— you said you thought of doing so Was anything suspected there ?” . “Nothing, my Jord. Everything was so well managed———” “Enough!” said the Duke. “I suppose I can guess what you require of me—you have experi- enced some difficulty in changing the notes ms “Just so, my lord,” responded Gaffney ; ‘and we therefore thought we would take the liberty 7 “It is no liberty. I told you that yon might come. But hush!” At that instant the handle of the door was heard to move; and hence the ejaculation with which the Duke’s speech abruptly closed. The door opened —and the Duchess made her ap- pearance. She had been told that the Duke had returned and that he was in the library: she did not know that there were persons with him ; but on the contrary, she thought the opportunity favourable for learning how he had fared at Southdale in his pursuit after Ethel. On per- ceiving however that there were two individuals with him, the Duchess was just on the point of retiring, when she caught sight of Tim Gatfaey’s countenance. She recognised him immediately : but she maintained the utmost composure upon her own features, as she now advanced into the library, saying to her husband, “I thought to have found you alone; but I suppose you are not particularly engaged ?” | ‘“‘Not very particularly,”«answered the Duke. ‘Only these persons called to speak to me about some horses which they have to sell , ‘Ah! then, it is not a subject,” exclaimed th Duchess, “‘ which need exclude me from the room On the contrary, I am very much interested in it —especially as [ myself want you to treat me to a new pair for my light @pen carriage—and I must also have another saddle-horse.” Then, with the most natural air in the world, the Duchess advanced into the room and took a seat near her hushand on one side of the table, while the two men were standing on the other side. | “TI do not know that these persons have got anything that will exactly suit you, my dear,” said the Duke, who as a matter of course wished that his wife had not taken it into her head to NOO a) ©) = A Colin