The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

i pyrene 4 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. ‘ There was a silence of upwards of a minute, during which the veiled lady was evidently sur- veying the fantastically clad female with the utmost attention; and then it was equally visible that through the thick folds of her veil she slowly sent her regards travelling round the neatly- furnished parlour. Mademoiselle Imogene watched her narrowly, but with a seeming carelessness, as if she were waiting in a sort of easy indifference for the moment when it might please her visit- ress to enter into further explanations. ‘“‘ And your name is Hartland!” the latter at length broke silence, but without making the slightest movement towards withdrawing her veil; and it also struck Mademoiselle Imogene that she was speaking in a feigned tone. ““Yes—my name is Hartland,” replied the young female, “* Miss Hartland therefore, I presume >” was the next query. “Yes—Miss Hartland,” was the response. “But the rest of the family—your father— your mother—your brother - “My father and my mother,” said Imogen Hartland—for such was really her name—“ are dead.” “‘Dead?” ejaculated the veiled lady. | long have they been dead ?” | ‘Two years have elapsed,” responded Imogen, “since they both perished within thé same week, of the fever that ravaged this neighbourhood. As for my brother ” ““Did he die too ?” asked the veiled lady; “how many died within this house ?” she demanded in accents which denoted a.feverish anxiety. “ Only two died within these walls,” answered Imogen,— “‘ my father and my mother. My brother has gone to sea; for we were left in poverty.” ‘‘ Poverty ?” echoed the veiled lady ; and she started and shuddered visibly as she spoke the word. ‘Yes — poverty,” said Imogen. “My father had been foolish enough to speculate with some money that he had; andthe worst of it was that the money could scarcely be called his own as perhaps you, madam, have already more than con- jectured.” _ ‘7 ?”_and the veiled lady gave another start more abrupt than the former one. “Oh, I beg your pardon,” said Imogen, with a tone and manner of easy carelessness. ‘‘ Proceed, madam. You shall continue to be the ques- tioner.” ~ “Your brother, you say, has gone to sea?” con- tinued the veiled lady. ‘And you——” | - “Qh, surely you can see what I am,” ejacu- lated Miss Hartland, with a smile that seemed to be’ good-humoured, but which . notwithstanding might have had a tincture of bitterness in it. ‘Perhaps you may have heard of me? There is my portrait. My real. name is Imogen: but when I first entered the Circus, the manager stuck an e on the name—put a Mademoiselle before it —and coolly announced me as the celebrated Mademoiselle Imogene of Franconi’s in Paris, al- though there perhaps never was any Mademoiselle Imogene there at all, but still more certain that I myself never was there. However, the thing took; and hundreds came every night to see Mademoiselle Imogene who would never so much “ How Serine We emma ate sat as traverse the street much less cross Westminster Bridge to see plain Miss Hartland.” ‘‘Do—do I understand you right?” said the lady, who spoke as if she were gasping and half- suffocating behind her veil,—‘‘ do I understand you right—that—that—you are an equestrian performer at Astley’s Circus ?” ‘That is exactly, madam, what I am,” replied Miss Hartland, with a cool easy off-handedness of tone and manner. “TI amagreat favourite at the amphitheatre. This is my principal character,” she continued, glancing down at her costume. ‘I perform the part of a Greek bandit pursued by a host of troops. Of ccurse I fly before them. I am a sort of female Dick Turpin for the nonce; and I light a cigarette, which I smoke while stand- ing uptight on my horse with an air of cool un- concern, although the animal is galloping round the circus at the height of its speed, just as if it were really over the plains of Greece.” ‘And therefore,” murmured the veiled lady, “vow are well paid doubtless ?” “Oh, well paid indeed!” laughed Imogen, displaying two rows of brilliant teeth: ‘who ever heard of people in our profession being well paid? But so long as I can keep a roof over my head and maintain those who are dependent upon me, I care not. Three guineas a week do not go -very far; and yet they accomplish all that I need for the present.” “Ah!” said the lady; “those who are de- pendent upon you? Then you mean perhaps— you mean 7 “My servant for instance,” replied Imogen,— ‘fa worthy creature who has lived for the last ten years beneath this roof. And then too 7 ‘“‘And then too?” repeated the lady. ‘You were about to sa , “Hark!” ejaculated Imogen, rising from her seat and opening the parlour door. ‘There is another who is dependent upon me!”—for little Annie, having now awakened up, was crying— though she soon ceased when the good-hearted Fanny placed a piece of cake in her little hand. “Good evening, Miss Hartland—good evening -———I must go,” said the lady. ‘Another time I will come and call upon you to-morrow evening perhaps——-You may think my conduct strange 7 “So strange,” interjected Imogen, “that I do not choose to put up with it:’—and at once closing the parlour door, she placed her back against it. “Good heavens! what do you mean?” mur- mured the veiled lady, tottering back two or three paces as if she had been stricken a blow. ‘You bar my way? Oh, let me depart, I beseech you! Ah, I forgot it was my intention to offer you my purse, Miss Hartland! But my brain is so con- fused ———” ‘‘Sit down and compose yourself,” said Imogen coolly. “You and I will not part thus. You have had your turn as questioner: it is now for me to have mine. Tell me therefore sd ‘Ask me nothing now!” cried the lady en- treatingly: “ask me nothing now! I am not equal to the scene! Ihave mistrusted my own powers——But I will come to you to-mor row “What guarantee have I for that?” demanded Imogen. “I know you not——” ” é a re a ca TR NE SS ST EY A