The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

I ct a THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. But she stopped short; and Ethel said, ‘ Her ladyship has acquainted me with the nature of the duties which I shall have to perform.” “Of course! I thought so! Well then, you must surely understand why it is so absolutely necessary that there shoutd always be a new Com- panion ready to succeed an old one?” ‘““Ah! I suppose you mean,” said Ethel, “ be- cause her ladyship entertains such an insuperable objection to be attended upon in her dressing- room by lady’s-maids ?” Again Martha Crediton looked verv hard at Ethel ; and then she said i in a peculiar tone, ‘“ Yes —that is the reason.’ _ * How long have you been witht her ladyship ” inquired Bthel. “About three years. And I will tell you very frankly,” continued Miss Crediton, in an eartiest tone, “it is in your power to be as happy as pos- sible—if you can only bring your mind- [ mean to say, with the exception But no matter!” and she glanced quickly around as if afraid that her words might be overheard. “If you mean,” said Ethel, “that apart from the performance of those little duties which Some persons might think too menial, it is possible to be happy here,—I can assure you that I shall be enabled to make myself perfectly happy—that is to say,” she “added with a sigh, ‘as far as other circumstances will permit.” ‘Her ladyship is of an even temper,” pursued Miss Crediton: ‘she never scolds—she is never petulant—she will treat you just as if you were her own daughter “ ‘‘ But she herself is not so very old!” interjected Ethel: “thirty-five, I should think, at the ‘out- side—while I am eighteen. So she would be rather a young mother . . But Ethel stopped short: for there was now such a peculiar expression on Miss Crediton’s countenance that she was almost inclined to ask whether there were not some mystery with which she herself was unacquainted ? But she did not like to appear inquisitive within the first few minutes of her installation beneath that roof; and So she gave not utterance to the question which rose up to her lips. ‘6 Yes,” said Miss Crediton, taking up the dis- course from another point; ‘‘I have been with her ladyship three years ; ani little did I think that I should ever leave her, when all of & sudden I received a letter to tell me that an old relative of mine has died abroad and left me his entire fortune. I keep reading that letter over and over again,” continued Martha, “for there are times when I can scarcely believe in its truth!” “‘ T sincerely hope you will be happy with your newly acquired fortune,” observed Ethel. . Miss Crediton gave a suitable answer ; discourse soon reverted to Lady Langport. “ You must not think,” continued Martha, ‘that you will be dull here. On the contrary, you will see a great deal of society—but it is very select. Her ladyship is fond of company; and all the best families in the neighbourhood visit her. It is for that reason she has modernized this suite of rooms—which you will admit are very elegant. Of course you understand,” added Martha, sinking er’ voice to the lowest possible whisper, “‘ what her Jadyship’s failing is: but as you will not have to administer to it—indeed as it would be impossible, and the 127 knowing what you do, or what yol soon will know —it is of no consequence to you. It is a foible, and no crime Did you happen to notice the two portraits in the dining-room ¢ kd ‘“T have not been in the dining-room?” replied Ethel. ‘““ Oh, come with me!” exclaimed Martha: and she bounded from the apartment, for she was evidently of a gay and lively disposition. “I can spare you half-an-hour, my dear Mrs. Trevor, before I order the carriage and, take ny departure. Besides, her jadyship must bé walking in the erounds—she does not expect you so soon—and I cannot therefore leave you alone.” Thus conversing in a lively strain, Miss Crediton led the way down stairs, Ethel follow- in ay ‘What a gloomy hall—isn’t it? I have oftel advised her ladyship to modernize the entire edifice insidé and out: but she takes a pride iti the antiquity of the Court—particularly this old hall, with its red tiled floor.and its great massive beams across the ceiling! But here is the dining- room.’ Erhel was now conducted into a spacious apart- ment, low-pitched like the rest. It was furnished in that handsome massive style which belonged to the middle of the past century: but there was something sombre and gloomy in the general effect —the elaborately carved chiirs with their cushions of Utrecht velvet, the dark wainscoat, and the ceiling painted of the same colour. Martha drew aside the heavy and dingy ted moreeh curtains at one of the windows—of which, by the bye, theré was an array of five, though all narrow and low; —and the additional light which was now admitted, streamed upon the portrait of a fine handsome man, in the pritne of life, and wearing some diplo- matic uniform or Court dréss. “That is the late Lord Langport,” said Miss Crediton. “He was, Ambassador at one of the foreign Courts when that portrait Was taken—— Yes, and also at the time when he marriéd her ladyship—who, I believe, was a Miss Malcolm and belonged to avery Bood family. So now you know who the noble couple were, even if you did not know before.” “ How long has his lordship been dead?” in quired Ethel. “About fiftteen years,” was the answer. “Then her ladyship was left a widow quité young !” observed Ethel : but she stopped short, for again she saw the dark blue eyes of her com- panion fixed upon her with a peculiarly mysterious expression. Then the next instant Martha exclaimed, “ Here is the other portrait !”—and bounding forward, she drew back the draperies from the window at the end of the array. Ethel new found her attention riveted upon the portrait of a beautiful female, whom she at once knew to be Lady Langport—only it delineated her with a more slender figure and with a plump- ness of countenatice which she did not now pos- sess. The expression of the features was pecu- liarly sweet and pleasing—seeming to indicate an unalloyed amiability and goodness. Yet there was a certain vanity evidenced in the picture, either on the part of the lady herself, or else uxoriously demonstrated on that of her husband who might have been proud of his beautiful wife ; COMO YN Wn) Colin