The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

150 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. ‘‘much as I love and revere my parents—tondly attached as I am to my dearest sister Avaline— yet I love thee incomparably more! Oh! it may be a crime thus to feel and thus to speak : but Iam not the master of my actions or my thoughts! Were I only concerned there is no sacrifice that I would not make to ensure the welfare and happiness’ of all whom I love!—aye, even to being stretched upon the rack, or to undergo any other hideous tortures that ever were invented by demon-hearted men! But there is no such sacrifice to be made!” ‘*' Yes!” exclaimed Imogen, rising up from her seat ; ‘“‘ sacrifice your love for me to your duty towards your parents! — sacrifice it, I say, Launcelot—and in so doing, take to yourself all the merit of enduring the hideous tortures to which you have alluded !” “Do I not tell you, Imogen,” replied Launce- lot, “‘ that if it regarded me alone, I would do this ? But you, my well-beloved—you who are the angel of my life—how can I think of plung- ing you into the vortex of unhappiness! Oh, I know that you love me ” “Yes, Launcelot,” answered Imogen, tremu- lously :- ‘‘ too well—too well to suffer you to com- mit a thousand follies for my sake! Oh, you would feel like one accursed ”’—and she shuddered visibly as she spoke—“ if you were to bring down destruction on the heads of your parents and your sister !” ‘‘ Now, hear me, Imogen,” said Launcelot ; and he also rose from his’ seat, while he spoke in a voice that had a terrible seriousness for one natu- rally so amiable and mild as he. “ No one is more impressed with his filial duty than I: no one is more sensible of all that he owes to kith and kindred! ButI take God to witness that I will ot sacrifice your heart’s happiness, Imogen, for these selfish considerations that would send me perforce as Selina’s bridegroom to the altar! What! for the sake of acquiring the dross that shall restore the fortunes of my family, am I to be thus sacrificed? It was not I who ruined those fortunes! Or to save the name of Trentham from disgrace am I to be offered up as a victim? It was not I who brought the black clouds of menace and danger to gather above the noble house of Trentham! Then wherefore should I be called upon to plinge a dagger into your heart, Imogen—to bring a curse and a blight upon your existence—to poison the very springs of your life—and to drag you down perhaps in sorrow to an untimely grave ? For if you love me to the extent that you have declared, and as I love you, such would be your fate! And as for mine own—God help me, Imogen, if I be compelled to work all this tre~ mendous mischief against thee !” THe sank upon the sofa, exhausted by his feel- ings; and Imogen, weeping and sobbing—full of indescribable emotions—fell upon her knees by his side. She took his hand—she pressed it to her lips—her eyes gazed carnestly and lovingly up at him through her tears—her bosom was heaving and swelling like the billows of the tumultuous ocean. “‘ Launcelot, Launcelot,” she murmured, ‘I do indeed love you!—heaven knows how fondly I love you! But 7 “We will never separate, Imogen !” he cried, Ree in an impassioned tone; and the next instant she was clasped inhisarms. ‘I love you before all the world! —ten thousand times more than parents or kindred !—and I swear that your hap- piness only will I consult! What! to bring tor- rents of tears from those beauteous blue eyes—to let the floods of weeping furrow these damask cheeks, so soft and warm—or to think that these sweet lips which I kiss thus—and thus—should ever writhe in anguish instead of wreathe in smiles! Oh, no! no!—never! never!” Then again and again did he press the superb creature to his heart: he imprinted a thousand tender kisses upon her face—and she gave them back again. “Qh, Launcelot,” she murmured, ‘“‘ you have shown to me that your love is the strongest and most devoted that ever yet was cherished in the heart of man; and I will prove to you that mine is the tenderest and the most devoted which ever harboured in the soul of woman! (Illimitable are the sacrifices which you are making for my sake; and there are none which I will refuse to make for yours! I will be your slave, if in such capa- city I can serve you! Oh! no thought will I ‘have but for you!—your will shall be my law —and my greatest happiness shall consist in obeying you with the blindest confidence! Iam your’s, Launcelot—your’s in all the strength of this first love which my soul has ever known !” “And I am your’s, Imogen,—your’s—your's only !” replied Launcelot ; “‘ and I take heaven to witness that never by deed or word of mine shall the teardrop be drawn from those eyes or the smile be crushed upon those lips!” It was thus in terms the tenderest and the most fervid, that the lovers pledged themselves to each other. They were alone—the night was advanc- ing—silence was around them—all the circum- stances in which they were placed were peculiar— and they were frail and fallible like other mortals. Their love was deep and impassioned: they felt as if they were indeed all in all to each other; and while on the one hand Launcelot had vowed to make every earthly sacrifice for Imogen, she on her part felt that there was none which she could refuse to offer as a proof of her own devotion. Need we say more ?—unless it be to add that this was no deliberate seduction on Launcelot Osborne’s part, nor was it a meretricious surrender on the part of Imogen: but it was the almost inevitable result of the circumstances which surrounded them and the influences which had been brought to bear upon this young loving couple. CHAPTER XXXIII. TILE MYSTERIES OF A TOILET. A rorrnicut had elapsed since Ethel had entered upon her situation at Hendon Court; and she found that Martha Crediton’s assurance had been fulfilled to the very letter, that apart from the one drawback she would experience perfect happiness under Lady Langport’s auspices. She was treated with kindness and consideration—as an equal by her ladyship, and as a mistress by the domestics. All her wants seemed to be anticipated; and on two or three occasions she received an intelligible er, conniclooolkks.conn oO