The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 26: what you’re looking at

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12 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. chill in the evening air—but just a sufficient fresh- ness to prevent the atmosphere from being slug- gish or oppressive. Some of the guests began to stroll forth from the mansion into the spacious gardens ; and they soon scattered themselves in the different avenues. And presently the mistress of that palatial dwelling imitated the example set by the ma- jority of her guests, and came.forth likewise. . The reader already knows her:—she. was the hand- some Duchess who had paid so mysterious a visit to the abode of Imogen, Hartland. .She now ap- peared in evening toilet, which displayed her fine shape to the fullest advantage. , Her carriage was not stately nor her mien imposing: but better still, the former was elegant and the. latter en- gaging. ‘She had evidently no more pride about «her than that which. properly belonged to her sex, apart from the social rank which she occupied. But exceedingly beautiful was she; and hence in fashionable society she was usually known as “The Brilliant Duchess.” If a newspaper para- graph, while recording any circumstances con- nected with high life, simply mentioned “ The Duchess,” without giving her.the rest of her title, everybody knew who was meant. People spoke: of “‘ The Duchess” as if there were only one lady of that exalted dignity in the land—while in re- ality it was because this particular Duchess was held paramount over the rest. Often too she was spoken of as ‘The Young Duchess ;” for whereas her age was only five-and-twenty, she was actu- ally the youngest, lady. who bore a ducal rank. | _ Yes—exceedingly beautiful.was she, with her light-brown hair rendered lustrous by the; moon- beams, and with her pure complexion seeming all the fairer and more brilliant.in the chaste halo which the heavens shed around her. As a flower ) sits gracefully on its stalk,.so was the well-shaped_ head poised upon an arching neck,, which rose up. from a bust of grand development.. The waist was slender: the arms, bare to the shoulders with the evening toilet, were modelled to a statuesque. Her eyes were of a clear liquid blue,- perfection. —not nearly so deep as the violet-: indeed ‘they, were only a shade darker than the azure of that heaven from which the flood of silver light was pouring down upon her. ‘The expression of those eyes can only be defined by blending the ideas of softness and animation—of clear bril- liancy and of limpid calmness. The mouth was beautifully formed: the teeth were like rows of ivory; and the softly rounded chin completed the oval of that countenance of transcendent love- liness. . She came not forth alone from the mansion, to ramble through the gardens. She was accompa- nied by a gentleman of elegant appearance, and who was dressed in the most fashionable style, yet with the best possible taste. He was very handsome ; and his slender form was well pro- portioned. He had light hair that curled natu- rally; and a moustache somewhat concealed the strength of passion which would otherwise have displayed itself in the curving voluptuousness of the mouth. His age was about six or seven and twenty: he was a Baronet—and he held a com- mission as a Captain in the Guards, with the rank therefore of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was un- married, and had the general repute of being very gay and of loving pleasure; while amongst those f who knew him most intimately, he bore the cha- racter of a successful libertine. He belonged to an old fafnily ; but from various circumstances it had been getting poorer and poorer for the last two centuries—so that it was but a very moderate fortune which descended to Sir Abel Kingston, the personage of whom we are writing. _ Such was the individual who escorted the young Duchess forth from the mansion. She did not lean upon his arm: he had offered it—but she had ‘declined to accept it; and silence reigned between them for several minutes as they descended a flight of marble steps, leading down from a noble terrace to the walks and avenues of the garden, where splendid statues constituted no mean features of attraction. LEverything was magnificent in re- ference to the old mansion of Thornbury—the gardens, the park, and the other pleasure-grounds attached to it; and as the mistress of such, a charming country-seat— possessing a habitation of, corresponding splendour in London — and married to a man only a little older than herself, and as handsome as she was beautiful,—one would. have fancied that there was every reason why the young Duchess should have enjoyed as much happiness as this world could possibly give. But whether it were so, will appear from the develop- ing incidents of our story. “You seem offended with me?” said the Ba- ronet, at length breaking: silence. ‘‘ How is it that I have been unfortunate enough to give you offence ?” There was a:certain deprecation as well as a remonstrance, in his tone which showed that it was not as a mere guest he was speaking to his noble .hostess—nor as.a friend to a friend—no, nor as a relation ,to:.a relation, because there was not the slightest kinship, between them. Then, in what capacity was it, that he thus spoke? The beautiful blue eyes of the young Duchess glanced half in tenderness and half in affright at him; and her, bosom heaved like tumultuous billows as a long deep ‘sigh came up from her very. heart, forcing for itself.a vent by the portals of ivory and coral which formed the mouth. ‘“Do you deem me too bold,” asked the Baronet,—‘‘ do you think that I have been too audacious in whispering to you ere now as I have done? Oh! if you would but give me credit for the immensity of the love which I have dared harbour for you! MDared? It is not the word! To dare méans something that one does spon- taneously and deliberately with a heroism of one’s own accord. But I—my God! I am as power- less in the vortex of this love of mine as the frailest vessel that ever was tossed amidst the foaming billows of the Maelstrom! Do not there- fore blame me for loving you :—but pity me!” The Duchess trembled violently ; and ‘as the moonbeams played slantingly upon her ’ entire form, they revealed the agitation of her counte- nance—the flush that went and came rapidly upon her cheeks—and the swelling and heaving of the bosom which the low corsage of ‘the evening toilet left half revealed. Sir Abel Kingston looked at her :—never to his eyes did she appear so wondrously beautiful ; and he devoured her with his regards. She glanced at him—he quickly averted his looks, with the consciousness that they were so full of impassioned ardour they might cause her to doubt the pure sincerity of hig COMO YN Wn) Colin