The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

226 TILE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. was removed from the face which was now almost close to her own—and, just heaven! what a thrill of horror passed through the form of the beau- teous Duchess when she recognised Sir Abel Kingston ! Consternation struck her dumb; and as her brain reeled, darkness came upon her eyes—though she just remembered that she beheld the mask again adjusted upon the features which they had for an instant revealed, and then the wearer thereof was lost amidst the crowd. She staggered back to the seat, on which she sank down under the influence of a mingled terror and dismay which it were impossible to describe. Mandeville, after quitting the Duchess, as al- ready related, made his way through the crowd, and issuing from the brilliantly lighted saloons, hurried down the staircase. In the hall his valet Edmund Vaughan wag at once descried amidst a knot of other servants; and the Count beckoned him into the cloak-room, where there happened to be no other person at the time, ‘‘Edmund,” said Mandeville, “it was a pre- sentiment which bade me order you to be here on the present occasion.” ‘J shaJl be glad, sir,” answered Vaughan, re- spectfully; “ if I can be of any service.” ‘You can,” resumed his master. ‘ Have a cab in readiness—watch well for the appearance of a person dressed as « Turk—follow him—and as- certain who he is. I need not tell you that caution is to be used, and he must not be suffered to suspect that he is pursued.” The Count then gave some few requisite details with regard to the costume of the individual who had thus become an object of interest; and Edmund promised to fulfil the mission thus con- fided to him. Mandeville retraced his way to the brilliantly lighted saloons; and he was lounging amidst the company, when some one suddenly took his arm, and he found that it was none other than the brilliant Duchess in her Page’s attire. “For heaven’s sake, let me speak to you some- where!” she said, in a voice which sounded deep and hollow; and. Mandeville felt that she trem- bled violently as she clung to him for support. “What is the matter ?” he asked quickly. “‘T cannot tell you here!”—and it was evident that the patrician lady was labouring under a ‘violent agitation; for her pale lips were quiver- ing below the mask, and her bosom was heaving like a tumultuous sea against the Count’s arm as she literally clung to him to prevent herself from . falling. “Shall we return to the box?” asked Man- deville. “No, no! Ihave a horror of it!” rejoined the Duchess, with mingled terror and impatience. ‘ It is the same as if you were to ask me to go into a haunted room!” ‘Mary, this must be scrious—very serious !” said Mandeville; ‘and you absolutely frighten me! But whither can we go?” “Ah! I recollect!” said the Duchess, whose brain now began to reel less than it had been doing, and who was regaining somewhat of her natural courage, ‘This way !” They passed through the crowd, and nowhere did she again perceive-the individual i in the Turk’s garb who had so much frightened her. They de- scended to the dining-room, where refreshments were served to those who required them; and the Diichess begged Mandeville to procure her a glass of water. He suggested wine, but she would take nothing but water; and it was with a petulance savouring even of irritability that she spoke, as if she were impatient of every instant of unneces- sary delay ere she communicated to Mandeville the cause of her excitement and terror. The beverage seemed to revive her; and again taking the Count’s arm, she passed with him into a conservatory leading out of the dining-room. “T thought that we might be here alone to- gether!” she said, as sweeping her looks around she beheld no one amidst the tropical trees and choice plants which were grouped and arrayed so tastefully there. ‘‘And now tell me, dearest Mary,” deville, “what is it that terrified you ?” ‘“‘You remember,” she gasped for breath,— ‘you remember,” she went on to say, “that per- son who was dressed as a Turk ?” ‘‘Ah!” said Mandeville; ‘ to be sure! the impertinence to peep in upon us - “Hush, bush! for God’s sake hush !”’—and through the holes of the mask the beautiful eyes of the Duchess were swept in terror around. “What of this personage?” asked Mandeville, with a curiosity and interest that were now poig- said Man- He had nantly, excited. ‘You will not believe me!” said the Duchess, in a voice that was still trembling and agitated. “No, Iam sure you will not believe me !—but it ‘is true! It could not possibly have been a dream! And yet how can it be true?” “ Do speak, Mary! What is it that has happened ?” ‘‘ After you left me—you had been gone some minutes — that form returned Yes, yes! it was not a dream! it was a reality !—a horrible, frightful reality!” . ‘One would almost imagine you had seen an apparition, dear Mary !” “Oh, tell me, do you believe in them? But no! it is ridiculous! Oh, how weak and foolish I am!” she exclaimed. ‘I will be more courageous —and as it could not have been an apparition, but must have been he himself, in the veritable flesh and blood-—— “Of whom were you speaking ? whom did you see? or whom thought you that you saw ?” “That man removed the mask from his face,” replied the young Duchess, in a very low voice, but yet in a firmer tone than she had yet been adopting ; ‘‘and it was—it was-—the countenance Qh, do not doubt me !—Sir Abel Kingston that was thus revealed !” Mandeville started: but instantaneously regain- ing his self-possession, he reflected deeply for a few moments,—at the expiration of which he asked, “ Are you sure of this, Mary ?” eT am sure of it,” she replied solemnly and ear nestly. ‘He placed one hand upon mine, while with the other he removed his mask.” ‘And he said nothing ?” “Not a syllable. He looked at me in sucha way Oh, I cannot describe how! but there seemed to be a mingled mournfulness and malig- nity in the gaze that he for a few moments bent upon mie.’ Again Mandeville reflected; and he said in a YN Wn) COMO Colin