The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 312: what you’re looking at

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

, ; { OF y OO A AO SCI ES TSE AT TESS “FAC COSTAE EEE SCE Ee A eens 298 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. moment I really did fancy her Grace beheld some- thing behind the draperies in the other room.” “ Nothing but imagination!” rejoined our hero- me. ‘ And now, Mr. Watson, permit me to thank you for the kind assistance you rendered ; and ex- cuse me for quitting you abruptly, but I feel better now, and will return to my mother-in- law.” The Coroner took his leave; and the young Duchess literally wrung her hands in despair the instant she found herself alone. But the next moment she gathered all the scattered remnants of her courage, and hastened to the drawing-room where the recent scenes had taken place. The windows were large and deeply set: the draperies were half closed over them—and instead of being looped up, they flowed with their heavy golden fringes upon the carpet. A pérson could there- fore easily remain concealed behind pne of those curtains, without being perceived by ofkers wha might enter the room. The moment our heroine crosged the threshold of that drawing-room, Mandeyille came forth from behind the draperies of the particular win- dow which the Dowager-Duchess had approached and whence she had recoiled with the sudden paroxysm of wild terror that had produced the accident. " Hippolyte,” said the Duchess, ip 9 low mourn- fy] voice, and with a singular bleyding of horror, aversion, and compassion yn her looks, “there is ng lopeer a doubt! Nay, de not interrupt me! It is impossible for you to deceive me for another instant! There was a moment when I was stag- gered—when I wavered when I thought it pos- sible that after all it might not be a8 circum- stances seemed to indicate!——but now—my God! now it is as impossible for me to doubt any longer , Mary!” —and Mangeyille stamped his foot with apparent rage. OF ‘“Nay, do not interrupt me!” she vehemently ejaculated. “But I will and must interrupt you!” he fiercely rejoined. ‘I am losing all patience! You are cither playing a part of the most con- summate hypocrisy — or else you are suffering yourself to be swayed by the nonsensical ravings of your insane mother-in-law !” “Stop, sir — stop!” exclaimed the young Duchess angrily: ‘you shall not insult her thus in my hearing! Weak—foolish—almost criminal as I have been in some instances—yet, believe me, I have certain good feelings left! God knows I am now under the impression of the terrible warn- ings which in various ways have been conveyed unto me; andif my reason survives all the tre- mendous shocks which it is now sustaining, rest assured that I shall be the gainer by all these bitter experiences. For heaven’s sake, Hippolyte, let the same be said of you! Go, go! remain not here any longer; for danger hangs over your head! If my mother-in-law regains her con- sciousness and reverts to the same themes as those ? which have already so startled us- “Took you, Mary,” interrupted Mandeville ; ‘we must come to an understanding together— _ though perhaps this is not the precise time “An understanding ?” she echoed. ‘Oh! you would not now venture to assert those claims which—which”—and she hesitated and blushed; nr a rr et added, ‘‘You know what I mean, Hippolyte ;— and you must comprehend how completcly every- thing is now finished between you and me!” A strange expression, which had something of sardonic mockery in it, appeared upon Mande- ville’s countenance: but quickly reassuming a grave Igok, he said, ‘J see that this is not the time to discuss whatsoever matters may concern you and me. As for argument or recrimination on a certain point, it is simply ridiculous. You know as well as I do—in fact who better than you can know that your mother-in-law has in the confusion of her ideas mixed yp the circum- stance of seeing me in your chamber with the murder of her keeper? She took me for a ghost —and with an hallucination quite intelligible on the part of one whose intellects are weak, ghe fancies that this same ghost took Mrs. Quinlan’s life. I know full well that it would prove some- what perilous for me, if she, on regaining her consciousness, were to persist in her story. Now, Mary, mark me! Knowing as I do that you did the dé¢ed——” * It was almost a scream which burst from the lips of the young Dychess; and she wrung her hands either with angry impatience or else in utter despair, jf wag difficult to say which. es," contin a Mandeville,—*' for I see the necessity of “ane out,—knowing as I do that you did the deed, where is your gratitude when you hear we promisg that on no accoynt will I say aught that may jmplicate you, no matter what peri} qin suddenly overtake myself?” rs 10, od Goll” exclaimed the young Duchess, “hat motive can you have in imputing this to me § Have I threatened that } would betray you? Are you afraid of me? No, no! you cannot be! “You know that I am grateful— deeply grateful on account of all that you have done for me! Heavens! how could I be other- wise? That you should have imbrued your hands with blood—stained your soul with such a crime for my sake-——” “Really,” said Mandeville, with a peculiar smile upon his lip, ‘I am almost inclined to let you have your own way. It must be a mere woman’s fantasy on your part! Or is it a proof of love which you demand of me, that I should}take upon myself the responsibility of this deed, in order that you may so far delude yourself as to prevent you from blushing or feeling strange when you look me in the face? Well, if this be your motive, I am perfectly agreeable. Let it be so, then.” ‘Atleast Tam glad that you have confessed it at last, Hippolyte,” said our heroine; “though I could wish you had not adopted such terms of flippant levity. And now go! for heayen’s sake go! Already have we been too long together! I know not what may be thought. At least this absence from my mother-in-law must seem most strange . IIere the speech of the young Duchess was suddenly interrupted by the entrance of Lavinia, who burst hastily into the room, evidently in a state of violent excitement, exclaiming, ‘Come, my lady, come! Her Grace asks for you!” “What!” ejaculated the young Duchess, fling: ing a look of affright upon Mandeville; “has the Dowager regained her consciousness ?” COMO YN Wn) Colin