The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 324: what you’re looking at

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

310 By forcing the gate it had marked two for her’ one halfpenny. Without losing her presence of mind, she felt in her pocket for another half- penny; and at the same moment the toll-keeper, stooping down, lifted the carpet-bag, and placed it on the iron plate, or table. This was the work of an instant. Mrs. Grills had not foreseen it, and could not prevent it. She was struck with a sensation of horrible dread : her hardihood and self-possession seemed 1o abandon her in the twinkling of an eye. ‘There, ma'am,” said the toll-keeper in a civil good-natured way; ‘‘now it’s all right. The bag’s heavy for you to carry, though.” Mrs. Grills felt as if she must sink down upon the earth ; for the toll-keeper still kept his hand upon the bag, and her consternation was too great to show her that it was merely in a listless, meaningless, unsuspecting way that his hand did still rest there. ‘‘But if so be, ma’am, you're going to catch the quarter-to-twelve down-train, you must look sharp.” All the woman’s courage revived in a moment. She saw that the man suspected nothing. The mention of the train furnished her with an excuse to be expeditious: she flung down the second half-penny, seized the carpet-bag, and passed through the toll-gate. She now once again breathed freely: but scarcely had she advanced thirty paces when she was destined to receive a shock more terrible than that which she had just experienced, For all in a moment her ear caught the name, whispered somewhere close by, of Ivan Zadouski ! She stopped short, as if suddenly smitten with a spell and transfixed to the spot. She dropped the carpet-bag; and the strong woman ‘was paralysed with the direst terror. Neither natural disposition nor the effect of brandy helped to sustain her at that moment ! ““Tvan Zadouski!”—Yes, as plain and as un- mistakable as words could be, though only whis- pered in the lowest accents, that name had reached her car! But whence did it come? She was alone in that part of the bridge—or at least her eyes could not discern any one through the gloom of the night. Was it a delusion? was her imagi- nation playing off its freaks upon her? or was Murer, raising its mysterious voice upon the breath, of the night-air? and were the horrible remnants of mortality enclosed within the carpet- bag becoming temporarily endowed with some strange qnd preternatural vitality, that they might proclaim the name which in their compact collected state of life they had borne? But all was now still save the sighing of the night-wind over the river; and the woman, rapidly taking courage, said to herself, “ It must have been fancy on my part.” She picked up the carpet-bag, and hurriedly continued her way, glancing back to see whether any one was following, and: then plunging her eyes forward to discern whether the light of the lamps would reveal any approaching form from the other extremity of the bridge. Yes—a tall man was advancing; and perhaps this might be he whom she was to meet. She had never seen Karl Petronoff; but Ponchard had described him to her—-and moreover he was to give her a pass- word so that there might be no mistake. THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OIF QUALITY. The form drew nearer; and though it was in the middle of summer, and the night was by no means cold despite the breeze which blew along the river, the individual was enveloped ina cloak. He was walking slowly, every now and then look- ing about him, and therefore seeming as if he were waiting for somebody. As he drew nearer still, Mrs. Grills heard that he was talking to himself, and as she now discerned that he wore a great deal of hair upon his face, she was almost con- pletely convinced that this must be Karl Petronoff. On he came; and just as they were within two or three yards of each other, the tall individual breathed a name—“ Ivan Zadouski !” The woman stopped short—looked very hard at the tall personage—and then was instantaneously seized with uncertainty and bewilderment; for “she saw that he had light hair, auburn whiskers, and moustaches that were lighter still—whereas Petronoff had been described to her as grey-haired and having his beard streaked with white. Besides, at the same instant it struck her that the person- age now in her presence must be several inches taller than the individual whom she was expect- ing to meet. ‘“‘Tvan Zadouski!”—yes, as plain and unmis- takable as words could be, had that name come from the lips of the tall cloaked personage whom she thus met upon the bridge! Shestopped short, we say—she looked hard at that individual. He stopped also, though at first evidently about to pass; and seeing how singularly she regarded him, he fixed an inquiring look upon her, but said no- thing. ‘““T beg your pardon, sir,” Mrs. Grills now has- tened to exclaim; ‘‘ you must have thought it very strange that I should have stopped—but it struck me you mentioned the name - ‘‘Ah, indeed ?” interjected the tall cloaked personage, who spoke with a foreign accent. “It may be so! Iwas deep in thought. But the name—why should it have struck you? Do you know it ?” It instantaneously occurred to Mrs. Grills that since there was now scarcely a doubt that the name was mentioned from this stranger’s lips, he might be somebody whom Petronoff had sent in his stead; and the idea was all the more natural from the fact that the personage was himself a foreigner. So under this impression she said without further hesitation, ‘‘ Yes, I -know the name.” “Ah, you know it ?” ejaculated the stranger: “you know the name of Ivan Zadouski?” ‘‘T know the name,” responded Mrs. Grills; ‘but I did not expect to hear it mentioned.” “What do you mean? I do not understand you!” exclaimed the stranger. ‘You have got something else to say to me,” replied Mrs. Grills, bending a significant look upon him. “ Something else ?” ‘“Yes—to be sure. Come, think now! I dare- say it is all right—but still one must be cautious ” ‘In the name of heaven, woman - ‘Come, come, sir,” she interrupted him, ‘* what is the use of being petulant? I tell you I've no doubt it’s all right ; but still you can just give “me the pass-word ?” The stranger stamped his foot with impatient YN Wn) COMO Colin