The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 244: what you’re looking at

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230 that air of calm confidence, which he was so well able to assume, as if he were utterly incapable of vaunting or exaggerating the extraordinary powers “which he seemed to possess. ‘' I know where he is —TI can lay my hand upon him at any moment.” ‘‘'You have seen him ?” ‘Only at the instant that he peeped in upon us when we were inthe box; and then, as you are well aware, I did not:see his face, nor at the mo- ment did I suspect who he was. But he has written you a note i ‘Good heavens!” ejaculated the Duchess, her pallor now becoming deadly: “he does not mean to sleep until he has shown me how well he can become a persecutor !” .. “Wear not, Mary—fear not,” said Mandeville, throwing his arm round her waist, and now for the first time venturing to press his lips to her cheek. ‘‘ Have I not begged you to repose the fullest con- fidence in me?” ‘* Yes, yes—I do! I will! I must!”—and she suffered him to strain her to his heart. ‘ But that note which he has dared to write me - ‘““It is here,” said Mandeville; and he produced it from his waistcoat-pocket. “Good heavens! in your possession !”—and the Duchess gazed with a species of trembling awe upon a personage who naturally appeared to her to be the most extraordinary being whom she had ever encountered. Yes,” continued Mandeville, quietly, and Without appearing to think or feel that he was doing anything out of the common way, ‘this note is from that man. See! it is addressed to yourself. His messenger was bearing it to Ard- leigh House, when it fell into the hands of some one who at once brought it to me.” ‘And why to you?” asked the Duchess, with an amazement that was utterly bewildering. ‘Oh, simply because he was a faithful adhe- rent of mine—one whom I had sent to ascertain whatsoever might be gléaned in reference to this resuscitated villain, Sir Abel Kingston. Do not fear that your name will be talked about. I have saved it from that danger. If the billet had not been intercepted by an agent of mine, it would have been left at Ardleigh House; and who can tell what curious or impertment eye might have peered into its contents ?” ‘True, Wippolyte—true!” said the Duchess. ‘How considerate you are on my account !”—but still bewilderment and a species of awe-struck amaze blended with the gratitude which her looks expressed. ‘Oh, heaven knows that now—now,” she emphatically repeated, ‘‘I can entertain no doubt of your power to help and to save me in every danger! But this note you are ac- quainted with its contents ?” ““T? Oh, no, Mary,” responded the Count with asmile. ‘I am not quite a conjuror.” ‘‘My vision is dazzled,” said the Duchess: “and I really could scarce tell whether the seal were broken or not.” ‘Think you,” asked Mandeville, in a tone which seemed to be full of gentlereproach, “that I would violate the sanctity of a correspondence - addressed to yourself ?” “Oh, under such circumstances — this letter having fallen into your hands—and considering, too, all the reliance I place upon you—all the con- fidence I repose in you ym a ie pi ee THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY. OF QUALITY, ‘Thank you, dearest Mary, for these assurances :” —and again the arm circled the waist, and again the lips imprinted kisses on the beauteous counte- nance. ‘ Read that letter,” he said, ‘“‘and let us see in what terms the villain has the audacity to address you.” The hands of the Duchess trembled as they held the note’; for it actually appeared to her as if it were a missive which had emanated from tlie dead! But Mandeville spoke encouragingly in her ear, so that she mustered up her courage and broke the seal. ‘The address on the envelopo had been written in a feigned hand: but the writing of the note itself was that of Sir Abel Kingston. The contents ran as follow :— ‘““Midnight, May 30. ‘‘T have revealed myself to you. You now know that I am not numbered with ‘the dead, as you had doubtless hoped. That you never loved me, is evident from a thousand circumstances ; and you will not be surprised at the tenour 6éf this communication. I am a desperate man, as you may readily suppose; and as the world has shown no mercy to me, I intend to show none to others. You know that you are in my power; and if you dare to breathe a whisper of my existence I will be signally avenged I will expose you though I sacrifice myself! Ah, you have a new lover! What think you of anonymous notes and in- dustriously circulated whispers, to the effect that the Duchess of Ardleigh went disguised to Lady Todmorden’s to meet her paramour? And who will not recognise and acknowledge the truth of the averment, when it is likewise proclaimed that the brilliant Duchess was apparelled as a Page and her lover as a Troubadour? But enough! This is only a fresh instance of the power which I have acquired over you,—a power which you dare not defy! And now mark well. It is absolutely necessary we should meet, and that on the occa- sion of such interview you should have twenty thousand pounds at your disposal. It will only be paying me the sum which you promised a short time since. Therefore I command you that at eight o’clock in the evening punctually, on the lst of June, you meet me by the Duke of York’s column in Waterloo Place. You can wear some mean apparel if you seek to disguise ycurself effectually. It will not be the first time you have done so—as perhaps a certain Mrs. Grills might be enabled to certify. Precisely as the clock strikes eight, you will drop your kerchief twice, as if by accident; and thus I shall at once recog- nise you. Think not, however, to play off any treachery upon me. My disguise will be impene- trable until I choose to reveal myself. Therefore if you come not alone—or if I behold the slightest grounds for suspecting that you mcan to deal per- fidiously with me—TI shall take a step which will wreak a deadly vengeance upon your head, al- though at the same time I may be involving my- self in utter destruction! But I care not: for remember, I am a desperate man!” It was with a variety of feelings, the intense- ness of which can be better imagined than de- scribed, that the Duchess of Ardleigh perused this missive. The colour completely deserted her cheeks ; and when she had finished reading the document, she handed it to Mandeville, who had a COMO ee Colin