The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 326: what you’re looking at

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312 Mrs. Grills obeyed him mechanically ; and almost immediately afterwards two young females, whose loud light talk and flaunting apparel de- noted what they were, passed by. Meanwhile Mrs. Grills was endeavouring to gather up her almost prostrated courage: but she found it difficult; for the face haunted her—and whichever way she glanced, she thought she still beheld it gazing steadfastly upon her. ‘“‘Now let’s finish the business,” she suddenly ejaculated ; for she thought that she should feel more tranquil if the horrible bag were disposed of. ‘** Do not be in a hurry,” interposed Karl Petro- noff. ‘‘ Look! those girls have stopped yonder. They seem to be surveying’ the scene—perhaps they are contemplating the silent flowing river, with a presentiment that it may some day be their own doom.” “How horrible you talk!” said Mrs. Grills, with a shudder. “Ah! you are really frightened? Come, tell me,” continued Petronoff, as he gazed searchingly . upon the repulsive bloated countenance of his companion, “‘ why did you bid me look just now over the parapet ?” “Because twice since I first set foot on this bridge ten minutes back, I heard some voice whisper the name of Ivan Zadouski—but I saw no one; and if it was a human voice at all, it must have been that of some one who was con- cealed nigh at hand.” “ Pure imagination !” ejaculated Petronoff. “* Well, perhaps, it was—and so we'll grant it to have been, if you like. And I'll tell you what, sir,” continued Mrs. Grills, in a low voice; “my imagination never before played me such a trick as it just now did—if imagination it really was— when it showed me a face staring right at me be- twixt the stone railings,—a bearded face too!— and if it wasn’t the face of you know who I mean—him who is in this bag—then my name isn't Betty Grills, and P’'m not a living woman, and this isn’t a bridge!” ‘‘ All nonsense! fancy! imagination!” ejacu- lated Petronoff, starting up. ‘Come, the girls are gone—the coast is clear—let us proceed to business !” ‘* Here’s the rope,” said Mrs. Grills. fasten it, and be quick !” But Petronoff did not require any such ‘injunc- tion: he was expeditious in his proceedings: he mounted upon the seat, and quickly lowered the carpet-bag over the parapet. “ Here comes some one!” Mrs. Grills suddenly ejaculated: and as the woman’s nerves had been painfully acted upon, it is no wonder if she threw an accent of terror into her speech. ‘‘T here!” cried Petronoff: ‘ you have made me drop the rope, you startled me so!” ‘‘ Well, never mind! How can that possibly matter?” demanded Mrs. Grills. ‘The bag’s gone, and that’s sufficient. You weren’t foolish enough to think you could draw the rope up again without having the bag at the end of it?” ‘‘No—but Il meant to make sure by the feel, that the bag went fairly down into the river. I should have known when it touched the water—-.”” ‘‘And where, in the name of common sense, could it have gone except into the river 7” ‘“‘ There ! TIL YOUNG DUCHESS, OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. ‘“‘T should like to have made sure that it cleared all the masonry,” rejoined Petronoff. “There's no fear on that score,” said Mrs. Gr ills, impatiently. ‘Depend upon it, it's all right enough. You go that way—and Vl go this. Good night.” “’ Good night,” answered Petronoff: and he and the woman separated; fora glance flung along the bridge, showed him that people were approach- ing from both directions. He pursued his way. towards the Strand; while Mrs. Grills passed through the toll-gate on the Surrey side; and she was soon plunging into the maze of narrow streets which led towards her own habitation. But as she pursued her way, she could not banish from her memory the face which had looked at her between the stonework of the parapet of the bridge. Before we conclude this chapter, we must direct the reader’s attention for a few minutes to Gros- venor Square. There, in the palatial mansion of the Russian Embassy, Count Olonetz was seated in his private cabinet, looking over some official documents, but every now and then glancing towards the timepiece and the door as if he were expecting some one. At length that door opened ; and a middle-aged man, with a bearded counte- nance, made his appearance. He looked like a superior sort of domestic; and indeed we may as well observe that he was one of the Count’s valets ~—~a man of trustworthiness, a willing tool in whom his master could place the fullest confi- dence. We need hardly ‘add that he was a Rus- sian; but it may perhaps be as well to observe that he spoke the English language with the utmost facility, and was therefore particularly useful in assisting to carry out any of the Am- bassador’s dark mysterious plans on the British soil. “Ah, Nicholas—come at last ?” said the Count, waiting till the man had carefully closed the door. ‘““ What tidings? , Is it done? No! before you answer me I can tell by your countenance that there has been wa failure of some kind or an- other ?” “A failure for to- -night, my lord,” was the re- sponse, accompanied by a low bow; “but there is every reason to hope that the arrangements will stand good for to-morrow night.” “Then I suppose the appointment was not kept?” said the Ambassador inquiringly. “Tt was not, my lord. I had my six men in readiness, all ambushed as nicely as possible— three with me, crouching on the ledge of the para- pet on one side—three concealed in a similar man- ner on the other——” “T have no doubt, Nicholas, your dispositions were most admirably made. And the Grand Duke ‘‘ His Imperial Highness was upon the bridge at about twenty minutes past eleyen.” ‘‘ A good ten minutes before the appointed time !” interjected Count Olonetz. “Tt was so, my lord :—and his Imperial High- neas walked to and fro with a visible anxiety.” “TIow came he to learn that the appointment would not be kept?” asked the Ambassador: and then in an undertone he muttered to himself, ‘I hope that fellow Mandeville has not been playing any fast and loose game!” ‘It was from an elderly female, my lord, with COMO YN Wn) COMA -