The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 317: what you’re looking at

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‘law, whose eyes still remained closed. THE YOUNG DUCHESS 3 OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. au hour has elapsed since I left your Grace alone with her.” “She seems to be sinking off into slumber,” said our heroine, glancing towards her mother-in- “Ts there really any danger, Mr. Brooks ?” “Tt is my duty to inform your Grace that Siere is every danger. The system has received a shock which under suc peculiar circumstances can scarcely fail to prove fatal. All tremendous revulsions in the human system are to be dreaded. it was by a fall, a few years ago, that her Grace lost her intellects : it is now by a fall that she to a certain extent regains them—but regains them only as a dying lamp flames up for a moment ere it flickers into extinction !” “And thus—you think—there is no hope, Mr. Brooks 2?” asked our heroine tremulously. “T did not say that, your Grace: but I would have you prepare for the very worst. Everything that I can do for her ladyship shall be done. I have been home to Beaconsfield for certain medicines; and I will now administer a draught.” This was done accordingly; and the Dowager- Duchess, reviving somewhat from the torpor which appeared to have been gaining upon her, took her daughter-in-law’s hand, sayiig, ‘“You must pre- pare to lose me, dear Mary.’ I feel that I cannot survive the shock which I have sustained !” The door now again opened ; and Lavinia made her appearance to announce that the Coroner and “another gentleman” sought admittance. The young Duchess hastily asked who the other gen- tlenan was?—and Lavinia, drawing her young mistress aside, whispered in her ear a few ‘words of explanation. | ‘What is it?” asked the Dowager. “If you ‘have any unpleasant intelligence to. communicate, hesitate not to impart it,—no matter what it may be! Anything is preferable to suspense.” Our heroine glided towards the couch; and bending down to her mother-in-law’s ear, shé said, “The Coroner judged from the message whic you sent to hirh, that you wished to unburden your mind—and—and—imasmuch as he is some- what peculiarly situated, he thought it expedient to ask a justice of the peace: to accompany him.” This explanation was given hesitatingly and delicately: but the Dowager-Duchess seenied to be perfectly firm and collected; and she said, ‘“‘ Let the Coroner and the Magistrate enter.” Those functionaries were accordingly intro- duced : our heroine remained in the apartment, as did likewise the surgeon; and the latter whis- pered urgently in the Coroner’s ear to the effect that it would be expedient for the proceeding to be rendered as brief as possible. We need not linger upon it. Suffice it to say that in a calm and lucid manner, but with every evidence of the deepest regret for the tragedy, the Dowager- Duchess avowed herself to be the author of it. The Coroner and the Magistrate withdrew: but ere they left the house, a corroboration of the con- fession they had just heard was sought for and found in the bloodstained garment which had been put away in the wardrobe. The Coroner's Jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence that was placed before them; and a warrant was made out, according to the law’ s re- quirement, for the arrest of the Dowager-Duchess of Ardleigh. But this was a mere formal pro- rm ag SAS Fy et 803 ceeding ; ; for the unfortunate lady relapsed into a torpor, soon after the departure of the Coroner and the Magistrate—she sank rapidly—and by the evening of the following day she had ceased to exist. Mandeville had taken his departure from Thorn- bury immediately after that scene which we have described: but he remained in the neighbourhood until he had ascertained the result of the inquest ; and then he returned to London. He longed to see the young Duchess ere he thus left the neigh- bourhood; bit he dared not call again at the mansion: he saw that such a proceeding would not only be most indelicate under existing cir- cumstances, but would also tend to compromise our heroirie’s character most seriously in réference to himself. The Duke reached Thornbury in the evening, soon after the verdict of the Jury ‘iad been delivered: he had been absent a few miles from London at the time when the summons was sent to the town-mansion. It would be impossible to describe the mingled horror and anguish which he had experienced on receiving the startling news: nor is it a topic that we néed dwell upon. When he reached Thornbury, his unfortunate mother was plunged deep into that stupor from which there was no awakening, but which was destined to lead on rapidly, though almost imper- ceptibly, until it merged into the trance of death! aD CHAPTER LVIII. HESTEB AGAIN, We must remind onz readers that it was on the night of the 2nd of J une that the corpse of Ivan Zadouski was conveyed to the house of Mr. and Mrs. Grills, and that the girl Hester, stealing down stairs, from her‘own chamber, peeped into the scullery and beheld the appalling spectacle which has already been described. We must now sup- pose that a couple of days have elapsed; and it is the evening of the 4th’ of June of which we are going to write. It was between nine and ten o’clock that Henri Ponchard made his way to the house to which we have alluded, and where he was instantaneously admitted. In a few moments he was closeted with Mr. and Mrs. Grills in the parlour; and having tossed off a dram of brandy which was presented to him, he inquired, “ Any news? has anything occurred? is everything all right ?” He did not put these queries anxiously or ner- vously : indeed he did not seem in any hurry to set his mind at rest upon those points ; for though passionate and excitable when engaged i In argu- ment, especially on political subjects, he was cool- headed and self-possessed on all occasions when there was need for resolute action and caln intrepidity. ‘‘Everythink as right as a trivet,” said Mr. Grills, thus giving a general answer to the several questions that had been put. ‘So much the better,” observed Ponchard, but with a certain coolness, or even a callousness, just as if he would have been by no means sur- prised to receive intelligence somewhat less COMO oO Colin