The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 310: what you’re looking at

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ee r a a 296 —— and she resumed her seat with a resolute air. “Sit down, Mr. Watson. I wish to speak to you:’—and now the look and manner of the Dowager-Duchess were so completely those of a rational person that if a stranger had entered the room at the motuent he could not possibly have surmised that her brain was affected. The Coroner bent a glance upon our heroine, as much as to imply that he would humour her mother-in-law; and he accordingly took a seat near her. The young Duchess was a prey the while to the most poignant terror and suspense; but she knew not how to interfere in the present proceeding without the risk of appearing strange in her conduct. “You know, sir,” resumed the Dowager, put- ting on a very grave and solemn air, and which still appeared to be completely rational,—‘'a very dreadful deed has been committed in this house i ‘‘Alas! your Grace, I have heard of it,” said the Coroner: and then, as a thought struck him, he started somewhat abruptly, from his seat, turned towards the young Duchess, and hastily whispered, ‘“‘I must not listen to your mother-in- law any farther! I am as it were the judge who is presently to investigate the matter; and I fear lest I may have to perform the very painful duty of—o ” F “T understand you, Mr. Watson,” interrupted our heroine, eagerly catching at what appeared to be a means of putting an end to the present scene. “ Your conduct is alike delicate and gene- rous r - ‘* Sir,” the Dowager-Duchess here broke in, ‘I beg you to resume your seat. You need not whisper aside to my daughter-in-law :—it 1s for me to tell you who did the horrid deed. Stop, sir! I saw him , . ‘Pardon me, my dear madam,” said the Coro- ner, in a soothing tone; ‘‘ but I am in a great hurry—I must leave your Grace a ‘““And I command you to stop!” cried the Dowager, with an authoritative air; ‘‘for you must hear what I have to say. I tell you that I saw him glide across the room—yes, almost as plain as I see you at this moment—for there were tapers upon the toilet-table——” ‘‘ Bless me!” said the Coroner, flinging a glance of inquiry upon the young Duchess; “is there anything in this? It really looks serious!” “‘ Nothing !—absolutely nothing!” our heroine hastily interjected. “What is that you say, Mary?” demanded the Dowager, turning sharply round upon her daughter-in-law: ‘“ what did you say ?” “Nothing of any consequence, my dear madam,” answered the Coroner, with a soothing blandness of tone. ‘Her Grace was simply expressing the hope that you would not worry nor perplex yourself ” “The matter must be cleared up !” exclaimed the Dowager, now getting excited ; and there was_ the gleam of a sinister lizht flashing in her cyes. ‘You must not pursue the inquiry without me, Mr. Watson. I can explain it all! I saw the dark shape !—it was that of a man—though no doubt a fiend in the disguise of that form i “Mother, dear mother !” cried our heroine en- treatingly ; “‘do compose yourself !” “But the truth must be told, Mary!” : = ae eed 2 sat THE YOUNG DUCIIESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY, ‘‘No doubt, dear mother !—and it shall be told! You shall have an opportunity.” “T think, my dear madam,” interrupted the Coroner, with a mild deprecating air, ‘‘ you had better not talk or think any more of these dread- ful subjects.” ‘‘ Dreadful indeed !” cried the Dowager ; “ be- cause the fiend in human shape might have mur- dered me—or he might have laid in wait to kill my dear Mary here—and then what would Her- bert have said? Why, Mr. Watson, I saw the shape as plain as possible !” ‘* No doubt, my dear madam,” interjected the Coroner: “ but do let me entreat your Grace to talk on some other subject ” “You are afraid of it?” said the Dowager quickly. ‘Well, and no wonder! But you would have been still more afraid if you had seen the shape, as I did. It was gliding across the room, and it disappeared behind one of the win- dow-curtains.” : ‘Indeed, there must be something in this,” whispered the Coroner aside to the young Duchess. ‘Something in it?” exclaimed the Dowager, whose ears, being, excessively sharp, had caught the words that were just spoken. ‘Something in it? Do you think I am telling stories ? Sir, the Duchess of Ardleigh”—and here she drew herself up with as haughty a dignity, as ever in her lucid days she had put on—‘ the Duchess of Ardleigh never utters an untruth! But I will show you how it was. There!” and she flew towards one corner of the apartment. ‘‘ Suppose this to be the room—it was here, in this corner, that the shape seemed to emerge from the darkness—then it glided along by the wall in this manner —~-” ‘Oh, she is quite mad!” whispered the young Duchess aside to the Coroner, terror and anguish being mingled in her looks. ‘Mother, pray be calm !”—and she bounded forward to seize the arm of the Dowager whose movements filled her with the direst apprehension. ‘‘ Let me show Mr. Watson!” cried the Dowager, getting more and more excited ‘This was just how it was. The shape stole forth from the corner—glided along in this way—and then sud- denly disappeared behind the window-draperies, just as if it was here!” The Dowager had reached a window as she thus spoke: she glanced behind the draperies—and then as a loud shriek pealed from her lips, she stepped hastily back, stumbled over a footstool, and fell with violence, her head coming in contact with some piece of furniture. ‘‘Good heaven! what has she seen ?” exclaimed the Coroner, who was now rushing towards the window. ‘Help! help! for God’s sake help!” cried the young Duchess, literally flinging herself in Wat- son’s way to bar his progress towards the case- ment. ‘ Look! she is dying! she may be dead !” Our heroine’s affliction and terror seemed natu- rally enough to be concentrated upon the state of her mother-in-law; for the blood was flowing from a wound received on the temple, and the un- fortunate lady lay motionless on the carpet. Wat- son hastened to lift her: and the young Duchess, rendering her assistance, made for the door, ex- claiming, “Alas, my poor mother-in-law! it was all imagination on her part!” o a Pe ae * », oe ae ee ee ene ren es ee te OO } a tener if & COMO a Colin