The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

170 THE YOUNG DUCHESS ; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. lating, ‘“‘Good heavens! is it possible that so tremendous a sacrifice can be made to the shrine of Vanity ?” She was almost disposed to hate herself for re- maining any longer in such a position : but when. she sought her couch and strained her dear child to her bosom, she thought that she could do aty-= thing for her beloved little Alfred’s sake; and it was “with a thrilling heart that she remembered how Lady Langport had assured her that the future welfare of herself and her child should be her care. And thus serene was the slumber that presently stole upon the eyes of the beauteous Ethel, while the charming head of her cherished boy was pillowed upon her snowy bosom. On the following day Lady Langport requested Ethel to go into London and purchase at the eminent perfumer’s in Bond Street certain articles that were required for her ladyship’s mysterious toilet. One of the carriage-horses had met with an accident: the carriage could not ch refore be used. Lady Langport did not thin +: to make use of an omnibus ; neither would she have asked Ethel to have recourse to this means of convey- ance, if it were not that the young lady had ex- pressed a desire to go into London shortly to make some purchases for herself. She required summer dresses, and likewise lighter clothing for her little boy; for it was now verging close towards the end of May. As Ethel wished fo. be as expeditious as pos- sible, and had several shops to visit, she did not take the child with her. Nor indeed was it necessary, inasmuch as a nursemaid had been provided to look after him: she therefore pre- ferred leaving him with the girl, who was a very steady young person, to inhale the fresh air in the country. She accordingly proceeded alone on her business-visit ; and with the least possible delay she made her purchases, not forgetting the commissions entrusted to her by Lady Langport. She was just issuing from the perfumer’s shop in her, dressed in a plain style, if not with actual shabbiness, at all events in a manner which was sufficiently poor and humble to strike Ethel with astonishment. “Ts it possible ? Lady Langport here, in this sort of disguise !' hurrying along in this manner ! passing me by, evidently without seeing me! Good heavens! what can it mean? what new mystery is this? Why should she have sent me into town, pretending that she purposed to remain at home ?—and above all things, why that plain and sordid apparel, so different from the usual toilet of Lady Langport !” Ethel asked herself all these questions as ra- pidly as if they were so many flashes of lightning darting in quick succession through her brain. She was transfixed to the spot with amazement : but suddenly resolving to clear up the mystery, she rushed after the object of all her curiosity and interest, along Old Burlington Street into Cork Street. ‘Good heaver.s, my lady! what is the meaning of this?” cried Ethel, catching her by the folds of her meagre shawl: “ ‘has anything happened? I beseech your ladyship ‘‘Ladyship? happened?” repeated the female whom she had thus accosted. “What on earth | those of "Lady Langport were much darker : hair of this female was brown, while her ladyship | —it is impossible! Bond-street, when she was suddenly struck by } amazement on beholding a female hurrying past [{ ‘in a particular direction. flung her own looks towards the same point; and does this signify? It must be a mistake !”——and breaking away from Ethel, she hurriedly pursued her way. “A mistake? No! no!”—and in another in- stant Ethel was again by her side. “What do you want, young lady ?” asked the woman, stopping short, turning round, and fixing her iy be full upon Ethel. h!” said the latter: and now, as she was enabled to survey the female more attentively, she | began to think that she must indeed have made a mistake ; for this person’s eyes were blue, whereas the wore her’s dyed a deep glossy black.- “I beg you a thousand pardons,” faltered Ethel. ‘‘ Yes —I now really perceive that I have made a mis- take But the likeness—the expression of coun- tenance ! Good heavens!” cried the young lady, as a strange wild idea abruptly smote her ; ‘‘is it possible? No! no! it cannot be! And yet Oh! I conjure Fou to tell me who you are 2?” The female now became excited with curiosity and interest in her turn; and she said, ‘“‘ Rather do you tell me in the first place, young lady, why you thus accosted me—for whom you at first took me, and whom you take me for now ?” “No, no—I cannot answer you!” replied Ethel quickly. ‘You must speak first! Good heavens! the more I look at you . ‘“'Phis is indeed very remarkable,” said the wo- man, evidently growing more and more interested. .‘* What on earth can you mean? But perhaps,” she instantaneously added, her manner at the “game moment changing into an expression of in- difference, ‘it is a miistake—or a mere coin- cidence 7 oA coincidence ?” xepeated Ethel, vaguely and dubiously, for she was in a state of utter be- wilderment: ‘a coincidence? It is possible. No And yet At this instant an ejaculation of mingled aston- ishment and terror burst from the lips of the woman, as her blue eyes suddenly became riveted Ethel mechanically it was almost a cry of alarm which started from her own tongue as she caught sight of the same object on whom the woman’s regards were fixed. There, at a little distance—having just turned the corner of a neighbouring street—dressed with his usual fashionable elegance—his lips apart with a strange supercilious smile, and his white teeth gleaming in contrast with his glossy black mous- tache,—there stood Count Mandeville! “Devil!” fiercely burst from the woman’s lips as she suddenly accosted him: and Ethel— disenchanted from the spelJ-like impression which the woman’s appearance had made upon her, and feeling only that she was in the presence of aman who had pursued her for infamous purposes— glided away from the spot. Glancing over her shoulder at the corner of the street, she beheld the Count and the woman stand- ing where she had left them, apparently in earnest conversation; and the young lady pursued her way. She was beginning to relax her pace and was recovering from the fright into which Mande- ville’s appearance had thrown her, when she felt a light touch upon the arm; and stopping short, she COMO YN Wn) Colin