The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 277: 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. 263 “No, no, Count Mandeville!” interrupted the Grand Duke, with a smile: “nothing of the kind!” Then instantaneously becoming serious again, he said, “I take God to witness that I have no such intention. Ah! perhaps that man may fear to meet me. Tell him he is wrong to enter- tain any such apprehension. I seek to do him no harm: I merely wish to put a few questions to him——yes, a few questions, on a point of vital importance to myself. But need I say any more ?” ; “Not another word, your Imperial Highness. I will make the appointment which your Highness desires. I shall most probably see him to-morrow night.” “Good,” said the Prince; ‘“‘and you will send me a note next day, stating where and when I am to meet the individual. Ah! by the bye, if your writing be known to Count Olonetz, I beg you to disguise it; and as a gentleman and a man of honour you are appealed to by me not to betray the boon which I have besought at your hands.” ‘*T am incapable of doing so,” answered Man- deville. ‘““And I on the other hand,” rejoined the Prince, “am incapable of ingratitude towards those who render me a service.” This was said with an unmistakable signi- ficancy; and the Grand Duke hurried out of the little room where the colloquy had taken place. “‘ The friendship of a Russian Imperial Prince cannot possibly do any harm” said Mandeville, as he complacently caressed his moustache. He then lounged back into the grand saloon; but vainly did his eyes search for Ethel Trevor: she was not to be Seen. The fact is, she was with the Princess Roxana, who was not permitted, by the severe restrictions of etiqtette, to mingle in the gay scene, because it was under an incognito that she had come over to London on the present occasion. Mandeville found Count Olonetz in the midst of alistening group, in the card-room. His Excel- lency was telling some capital diplomatic anecdote, which was of course listened to with the most ad- miring attention, and which at the conclusion elicited a peal of laughter. Mandeville, who was now lounging with fashionable ease against the table, caressing his glossy whiskers, made some remark which was not merely appropriate in a complimentary sense to the anecdote itself, but which likewise contained a witticism which evoked fresh laughter. ~ “Count de Mandeville’s joke is even more pointed than my own,” said Olonetz, with a good- humoured smile. Mandeville was elate, though outwardly he be- trayed not any unusual excitement. Everything seemed to favour him. There he was, within the choice select circle of the Russian Plenipotentiary’s guests; and this same exalted functionary had addressed him as Count de Mandeville! He passed a most pleasant evening: he rendered him- self most agreeable at the supper-table; and on taking his leave at about two o’clock in the morn- ing, he returned in the highest possible spirits to the Clarendon Hotel. CHAPTER LI. TIE CONSPIRATORS, It was verging towards eight o’clock in the éven- ing of the following day—namely the 1st of June —when a cab turned from Piccadilly into Lower Regent Street, proceeding in the direction of Wa- terloo Place. Inside this vehicle a female, in somewhat mean apparel, and with a dark green veil folded over her countenance, was seated next toa gentleman. This gentleman was Count de Mandeville: but as for his companion, it would have been impossible for the eyes of even the most scrutinizing observer to penetrate through the folds of that veil and discern the features behind. “Now, Alice, my dear girl,” said Mandeville, ‘“are you sure you've got your cue properly and can go through with the business ?” “IT am sure of it, Count,” was the reply of Miss Denton: for she the young lady was. ‘* And you will wait, recollect! until you hear the Horse Guards’ clock strike eight.” ‘Oh, I know very well what I have to do,” she exclaimed, laughing; “and you shall see how well I will acquit myself. though I cannot for the life of me comprehend what object the pro- ceeding is to serve, whether farce or tragedy.” ‘A little bit of both, my dear girl. But do not be nervous. Ah, by the bye, you have got the packet of papers safe?” “Quite safe, Count. Here it is,” responded Alice. ‘Then here I shall leave you,” said Mande- ville; and pressing the girl’s hand, he added, ‘‘Remember to acquit yourself well, dear Alice, and J shall know how to be grateful.” He pulled the check-string—the cab stopped— and as he alighted, he said to the driver, “You will set down this lady near the Duke of York’s column. Draw up. by the side of the pavement, about twenty yards from the column, and put her down there. You must then wait for her.” “ All right, sir :” and the cab drove on. Tt stopped in a few minutes at the place indi- cated by Count Mandeville; and Alice Denton alighted, but taking very good care to keep the veil over her countenance as she slowly approached the column. Nevertheless, though her own fea- tures could not be seen through the folds of the green veil, its thickness was not so great as to pre- vent her eyes from embracing all the features of the scene. It was still quite light at that hour in the month of June; and, as usual, there were several persons lounging about the neighbourhood of the column. There was another cab at a little distance; and the driver thereof, while lounging against the side of his vehicle, was holding a familiar chat with a short thickset man in a soiled shooting jacket and drab small-clothes. Seated on one of the steps leading down into the Park, were two men, one of whom looked like a journeyman car- penter, and the other a mechanic whose avocation lay in a somewhat dirty line, such for instance as gasfitting, or plumbing, or bell-hanging ; and both seemed as if they had stopped there to rest them- selves for a few minutes and light their . pipes while returning home from work. A little lower down the steps was a foreign sailor, who appeared YN Wn) COMO a