The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 321: 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. 807 “Well then, Hester, itis agreed! To-morrow or next day—according as my engagements stand when I shall presently reflect on them — I will take you for an excursion into the country. To which place shall we go? It is for you to de- cide.” ‘Since you are kind enough to leave it to me,” answered the girl, with every appearance of smiling gratitude, “I think I should prefer-—— But no, no! I must not!” she ejaculated, thus suddenly checking herself: ‘‘I could not revisit that spot !” “Where do you mean, Hester ?” asked Pon- chard. ‘‘T mean near Lewisham,” she responded,— “the place where my earliest years were passed with those maiden sisters—the poor Miss Mor- phews, who afterwards i “What !” exclaimed Ponchard, with a sudden start. “ What name was that which you men- tioned ?” ‘“‘Morphew. But why do you ask? Yousur- prise me!” said the girl. “And the name of the two maiden sisters— with whom you lived, I think you said, until you were seven years old ” ‘“Yes—so I'told you. How well you recollect my history! But why do you ask? Do you know that name of Morphew ?” “IT know it! But tell me, Hester—have you any recollection of those ladies? What think you would be their ages now if they were alive?” The girl reflected for a few moments; and then she said, ‘‘ As nearly as I can surmise from such ré- collections as the casual observation of childhood leaves behind it, I should think they would be some few years past sixty.” ‘““Do you happen to know the Christian name of the younger?” demanded Ponchard, as some recollection seemed to strike him. . * Oh, I remember perfectly well, it was Caro- line! We used to call the elder -Miss Morphew, and the other Miss Caroline.” ‘They are the same!” said Ponchard. ‘‘ What a singular coincidence! “And you told me that their school was broken up—and that they were ruined—and that they went away no one knew whither 2” “Yes—I told you all this,” cried Hester, be- coming much excited. « And, Oh! if you know anything of these people, tell me I beseech yous —for if there be any lips on the face of this earth which can make a revelation in respect to my parentage, their’s must be those lips!” | ‘“‘ Hester,” said the Frenchman, “I do know where these women are to be found. They are sadly fallen in the world—you will perhaps be alike shocked and surprised. x ‘How can I be shocked at anything ?” ejacu- lated the girl. ‘* Perhaps they would be shocked, if you present me to them, to learn what I have become! But no matter! I must see them— Oh! I must see them!—for if they could tell me anything in reference to my parents, it might clear up a mystery which if you had asked me about it only ten minutes or a quarter of an hour ago, I should have said could never by any pos- sibility be elucidated !” ‘You shall see these women, Hester,” answered Ponchard, ~ — weer “You promise it?”’—and the girl’s hand was laid for a moment in familiar trustfulness upon the Frenchman’s shoulder :—but all in a moment her countenance underwent a change—sbe flung one quick searching look upon Ponchard—and then said in a somewhat cold tone, ‘ After all, I daresay it was a mistake, and the women you allude to are not the Miss Morphews of Hillside House near Lewisham.” Ponchard bit his lip for a moment, as he thought within himself, ‘‘ There can be no doubt this girl suspects or else knows something of what has happened! She is afraid of me} She thinks I shall lead her into a snare!”—but stifling the various feelings which this idea excited within him, he said, with his accustomed air of affable kindness, ‘‘ You seem to think, Hester, that be- cause I am interested in you I am too sanguine in attaching importance to matters which may turn out to be mere coincidences, and will there- fore be fraught with disappointment. But I look upon the ¢ircumstance as more serious——” “Let us talk of something else,” interjected the girl. ‘Come, give me more‘ wine !” ‘* To be sure!”—and he refilled her glass. “But do answer me one question. Should you know the handwriting of Caroline Morphew? It may be changed with the addition of years since you were at Lewisham——” ‘T am sure I should know it!” ejaculated Hester: ‘it would be impossible to mistake it ! Through some malformation of the forefinger she held her pen in such a way that her writing, in- stead of sloping forward as usual, was completely upright.” “Then look!” said Ponchard; and drawing forth a paper, which seemed to be a receipt for rent, he displayed it before the eyes of Hester Sergeant. “Tt is her's! claimed. Then, into her brain there was such a gush of the memories of other days—days of childhovd’s innocence and happiness, all alike gone never to be recalled !—that she was overwhelmed by this flood of emotions; and sinking down upon the seat whence she had sprung up, she burst into tears. Ponchard suffered her to give way to her feelings for some minutes before he spoke anotker word ; and then at length he said, in a gentle voice, ‘“‘ Now, Hester, do you believe me ?” ‘Yes, yes—I can no longer doubt it! But is it possible,” she asked, suddenly dashing away her tears, ‘‘that those poor ladies have come down in the world to such a degree—that— that “Yes, itis so. You shall see them to-morrow. I will come and fetch you, if you will: or if you would rather visit them alone in the first in- stance . . “Oh, all things considered,” cried Hester, “ I do not think that I shall visit them at all:”—and once more did there come over the girl one of those sudden changes which appeared to charac- terize her as completely as alternations of shower and sunshine belong to the fickle April. ‘What do, you mean, Hester ?” ‘asked Pon- chard, gazing’ at her with the most unfeigned asto- nisbment. ‘T will tell you,” she answered. ‘If I go to them it will be to make inquiries concerning my it is her's!” she at once ex- COMO oO ge conn