The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 208: what you’re looking at

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194 Casey senior, ‘‘ when he had opened negotiations for me to withdraw from the prosecution and let the matter be hushed up on certain conditions.” ‘And of course you would have agreed ?” said Sylvester. ‘‘ Of course I should !” said the father. ‘“ What the deuce did I have the scoundrel arrested for but to bring him to book?” ~ ‘And a precious book you’ve brought him to!” interjected Sylvester. “Of course, if the poor devil had a disease of the heart, gll this ex- citement was the very thing to make it prove fatal. However, the evil is done—and so I sup- pose you've lost a jolly lot of tin, governor ?” “Lost?” echoed the miser spitefully: “of course I have lost! Did I not advance him the money on his forged securities !” “I think perhaps I had better tell you the truth at once, governor,” interrupted Sylvester. ‘“There’s no use in blinking it—but the fact is the scoundrel Kingston got an acceptance out of me——” “What !"—and Mr. Michael Casey’s counte- nance became of a sallow ghastliness. ‘You don’t mean to say, Sylvester” “I do mean to say, botkier take the thing! that I was fool enough just to write my name across a slip of paper for a cool thousand.” ‘Fool! dolt! idiot !’ —- and Michael Casey ground his teeth with rage. “Well, I knew you’d blow me up,” said Syl- verter; ‘and I felt myself a precious fool at the time. I was quite mad with myself!—and I re- member that when I signed the bill I was so con- foundedly aggravated my hand shook to a degree that the writing didn’t look like my own.” ‘“‘ Arve you sure of that?” demanded his father eagerly. : ‘Of course I am,” replied Sylvester. why do you look at me so hard ?” “Why? don’t you see?” said his father, in a low half chuckling voice. ‘The acceptance to that bill——_” “Well, what’s the caper now ?” “Why, it is not your signature at all!” ‘Oh, that’s the dodge—is it?” said Sylvester, assuming a very knowing look and winking at his sire. ‘To be sure it is! You understand? That acceptance is as much a forgery as any of the others! The fellow’s dead—and how the deuce can he ever prove that your signature was genuine?” ‘How indeed?” exclaimed Sylvester; and with another knowing look he was passing out of the office, when his father called him back. ‘‘ Have you seen Launcelot Osborne?” inquired Mr. Casey senior. ‘Not since the other evening. met at Astley’s " ‘‘And this is the third day since then,” re- sumed Mr. Casey, ‘‘and he comes not near the house. Never mind! this is the 27th—and on the 3ist the bridal takes place. What does Selina say ?” “She does not speak to me on the subject,” responded Sylvester; ‘‘and as the thing’s all settled, I did not think it necessary to bother her, poor girl!” ‘Poor girl indeed?” ejaculated Mr. Casey sharply: “why do you call her poor girl ?” But I told you we ‘it, if you will, as a marriage of interest. THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. “Because the match is a capital one for her, and yet she doesn’t seem to like it; so I call her a poor girl because she appears to be so ignorant of what is good for her welfare.” ‘‘ By the bye,” said Mr. Casey senior, ‘tell Selina to come and speak to me.” “All right, governor :”—and the son issued from the room, having taken a first lesson in rascality from his delectable father—we mean in reference to the bill of exchange, his acceptance to which he was tutored to deny. In a few minutes the door opened, and Selina -made her appearance. She looked pale and some- what thoughtful : but the general expression of her countenance was serene. ‘She walked with a slow pace; and if there were not an actual coldness, there was at least a complete absence of filial warmth in the tone and manner in which she said, “ You sent for me, father?” ‘Yes: sit down, Selita. Come now, my child, three days have passed since I expressed my final wishes and intentions in reference to this match. You are prepared, I hope, to accompany Mr. Launcelot Osborne to the altar on the 31st ?” Selina remained silent. “You do not answer me,” exclaimed Mr. Casey sternly. ‘‘ Do you mean to tell me that you do not love him ?” ‘‘T did not say so, father :” and a quick flush passed over the young lady’s countenance. ‘“‘ But love is out of the question,” continued Casey. ‘I have said so before—and I was a fool to mention the word again. We will look upon The Trenthams want money—and we want rank. I can give them the money by releasing them from the mortgages that I hold upon their estates—the bonds, the warrants-of-attorney, the cognovits, and heaven only knows what other securities !— and all these I intend, Selina, to give as your dower on the morning of the 31st. You ought to be happy, girl—and be proud likewise that you possess a father who is so well off. Ha, ha, elina! I am perhaps richer than you fancied ?” ‘““Much, father. You seem to have lent Lord Trentham a great deal of money ?” ‘* Well, well—perhaps I did my business cleverly and acutely,” resumed the miser, who could not help rubbing his hands at the idea of the several bargains he had made in reference to Lord Trent- hams affairs. “‘ Perhaps I bought up a bond here at fifty per cent.—and on the other hand dis- counted a bill with a profit of thirty per cent.— But after all, girl, you know nothing of such mat- ters as these.” ‘Nothing whatsoever, father,” answered Selina, in that same quiet level tone in which she had all along been speaking. ‘ But when you told me just now that I ought to be happy at the prospect of receiving such a dower, I felt inclined to an- swer that I should be happier still if you would send for Launcelot Osborne and tell him that you demand no self-sacrifice on his part—while on the other hand you scorn the idea of bestowing your daughter upon one by whom she is not be- loved y “Love again? Nonsense !” ‘‘ Well then,” continued Selina, “ say, father, that you will not thrust your daughter into a family where she cannot possibly be welcomed, and where she is already despise ' COMO a er es” lf eee pe Colin