The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 236: what you’re looking at

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

222 THE YOUNG DUCHESS: OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. which indeed we only introduce on the present; that beautifully-shaped head: the light brown occasion on account of the incidents that occurred | hair shone with so rich a gloss as it flowed in there, they being inseparable from the continuous | tresses upon shoulders of alabaster whiteness ;— thread of our narrative. Suffice it therefore to | eyes of so lovely a blue looked through the holes say in reference to the masquerade itself, that the | of the mask, which also left a most delicious dresses were as costly in their materials as they | mouth entirely revealed. But still, as all the were varied in character, and that the élite of the | upper part of the countenance was hidden, it was aristocracy were gathered there under the guises | by no means easy for even the most penctrating of heathen deities, priests, Spaniards, shep- | observer to discover who the lady was that wore perdesses, Bohemians, warriors, monarchs, pil- | so gracefully the dress of a Page of the [liza- grims, courtiers, Crusaders, troubadours, Turks, | bethan period. brigands, nymphs, dryads, Bedouins, sultanas, Presently a Troubadour, whose costume had Virginian planters, veiled Circassian slaves, | been creating almost as great a sensation as that Hamlets and Macbeths, Juliets and Ophelias,— | of the Duchess herself, gradually made his way in short, it would be impossible to enumerate the | towards her Grace, and whispered, “I know you.” varieties of personifications which were assembled | Andon her side the Duchess instantaneously in the -brilliantly-lighted saloons of Todmorden | knew who the Troubadour was,—-not by any House glimpse which she obtained of his features, nor The most spacious apartment was fitted up| by the symmetry of his shape, nor by his gait with a row of boxes on each side, after the fashion | nor his gestures; for all these were concealed or of a theatre, and these boxes were for the accom- | disguised :—nor yet from his voice, for it was in modation of those guests who either being too old | a whisper that he had spoken: but it was from an or too sedate to wear fancy costumes, might | intuitive knowledge that this was he whom she nevertheless feel pleasure in gazing upon the | had promised as it were to meet at that masque- scene that was passing before them. Thus that| rade. She trembled for a moment; for she felt large saloon had to a certain extent the appear- | as if the man whom she thus met exercised some ance of a small theatre the pit of which is boarded | mysterious power over her own destiny. But over for the purposes of dancing. It was this | conquering this superstitious feeling —or rather, effect also which the arrangement was intended to | we should say, suddenly falling back upon the produce; but contrary to Lady Todmorden’s cal- | characteristic gaiety and enjoyment of the scene, culation, very few persons chose to avail them-| she said in a disguised voice, ‘‘You think that selves of the boxes, for nearly all had come in a| you know me,-Sir Troubadour? But perchance fancy-costume of some kind or another, or else | you are mistaken. Name me—but only softly in in dominos. There was a splendid band in at-| my ear; and say whose page I am.” tendance ; no expense had been spared to give “T know you, beauteous lady,” replied the eclat to the entire proceeding, and altogether this | Troubadour, still speaking in a cautious whisper, was the most brilliant entertainment which had! for masques were passing and repassing them in ever taken place at Todmorden House. all directions: ‘‘I know you by that elegance of As a matter of course the utmost hilarity pre- | carriage mingled with dignity of gait which so vailed : but still there was nothing uproarious or | completely belongs to the brilliant Duchess that boisterous—there was a visible and appreciable! she cannot even forget her sex or her rank *while gloss of good-breeding over all. The badinage | undertaking to play the part of a dashing reck- and the repartee were refined and exquisite: jests | less young page. Ah, lady! if every one beheld innumerable circulated, but without the slightest | you with the same eyes as myself, you would tinge of coarseness. Yet on the other hand, all, vainly endeavour to conceal your identity beneath ceremonial stiffness was banished—there was no | that garb—but everybody would know who it is unnecessary reserve nor cold formality, nor any | that is thus apparelled. You are silent! Perhaps unpleasant restraint upon the gaiety of the scene. ; you think my discourse too bold ? or perhaps you So much for the outward appearance thereof.; marvel with what eyes I dare to contemplate But Ah! who can tell how the opportunity served | you? That every one surveys you with admira- for avowals to be boldly made and attentively | tion, I need not say: but I may venture to ob- listened to ?—avowals which perhaps would have | serve that a more tender sentiment can blend with been otherwise long postponed or never made at| that of admiration. May not the Troubadour all ! speak of love? It is the theme of which he most And as the masks concealed blushes, in the| likes to sing; and Ah, lady! it is love which same way that the disguises concealed the iden- | gives keenness to the vision, and which, even if the tity of the individuals from the general know- | eyes themselves were shut, would warn the heart ledge, it followed that young wives averted not | by the magnetism of some unkown sympathy that their countenances when listening to the language | the beloved object is near.” of illicit love and audacious hope which young| ‘“ That you know who I am, I feel convinced,” men who were mot their husbands dared: to| said the Duchess, laughing, and no longer attempt- breathe in their ears. ing to conceal her voice: “ but I really am at a But let us quit the general description and pro- | loss to know whether you are remaining faithful ceed to the incidents which we have to relate. | to your assumed character when availing yourself The young Duchess soon attracted universal at-| of the privilege it gives you to address me in this tention. The richness and elegance of her cos- | strain: or whether ” tume first riveted the regards, which were then ** Whether it be Hippolyte Mandeville address- still further attracted by the matchless symmetry | ing the Duchess of Ardleigh?” added the Count of the shape which that fancy dress set off. The|in a whisper so low that it was impossible for snowy plume waved with such grace from the | those who were passing at the time to catch what cap which rested with such airy lightness upon | he said. . Connicloooks oO Colin