The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 255: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. tf XQ “ wis ee MNoono pf ase VW: Wii ~Yii== UP; Wi Behl iy ih Ze, tee \ 1 t ' » 1 ’ i sy H t t ‘ 1 . 4 1 gk 1 ' 1 . \ 1 . F « > cy A mG z ros of WS % luge va \u gy y = \ =) ) aN , Vib \ \ , pr! |: \ = i ns \ \ Ps eld ty ) i ) 4 » \ i \\ Lay yeti > t “ Tee Ne | re ‘ sam™ ae voy A , . ok Ne > . ! , } ' > 1 e . \ ~4 ' ° oe . . \ ' ( \ = tye RY) i fc “ity ii ‘My | deen an agent in the employ of the Russian authorities. He persecuted me with his addresses at Sydney—I repulsed him. He threatened,’ me—and by his menaces he revealed himself in his true character, for he proclaimed what he had in his power to do unless I submitted to his will. I fled from Sydney to escape the importunities and the perils which environed me. But behold! he was in the same ship ; and at Bombay ’twas the same as at Syd- ney—aye, worse! for there the villain’s treachery was crowned by my betrayal into the hands of the Russian consul—and my God! 1 was borne back to Siberia !” “ And what has become of that Englishman ?” demanded the Grand Duke. “T do not know,” replied Mildred, without the least hesitation ; for she saw the answer was a safe one. Again did the Grand Duke turn and pace the apartment : again was he most cruelly bewildered No. 31.—Tue Youna DucHeEss, \ YS how to act. Mildred’s tale might be true—and the grossest, the foullest, the most ahominable calumnies might have been uttered against her; for the Prince knew how unscrupulous was the policy and how utterly unprincipled the diplomacy of the nation to which he belonged. On the other hand Mildred’s tale might be false ; for the Grand Duke bore in mind all that he had read in the re- ports of the Russian agents of the artfulness as well as profligacy of her character, her specious- ness, her plausibility, and her powers of dissimu- lation. On the one hand his heart yearned to do justice to an injured woman, if injured she really were : but on the other hand he recoiled from the idea of being duped and deceived by a hypocritical, crafty, designing wanton. And for so many long years had he been accustomed to look upon her as guilty, that it was difficult for him to deem her innocent all in a moment! ‘‘ How is it that I find you here, Mildred ?” he COMO oO Colin