The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

Nemo n R I A fe Tt cc A cP I 7 Se IE LE aC IT I 20 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. placed themselves on a sofa clase by, so that as Imogen sank upon the chair indicated she was immediately opposite to them. ‘“‘ Have the goodness to raise your veil,” said the lady, in a tone where an unconquerable re- straint seemed to be blended with an endeavour to appear patronising, condescending, and con- ciliatory. Imogen mechanically obeyed that half-mandate, half-request ; and she lifted the thick veil which had previously shaded her countenance from the view. The gentleman and the lady both gave a visible start of surprise: then they contemplated her earnestly; and she fancied that the rigidity of their features relaxed somewhat, as if through a feeling of interest with which she inspired them. Miss Hartland met their gaze steadily for a few moments: then she blushed and became con- fused ; and she felt that never before in her life was she so completely deficient in self-possession and fortitude. | The gentleman and lady slowly, and as if by a simultaneous impulse, withdrew their looks from her face, and regarded each other. ‘She is indeed very beautiful,” said the lady in an under-tone: but Imogen’s ear caught the words that she spoke. ‘““Yes — very beautiful,” responded her male companion,—" more beautiful even than Laun- celot represented her to us !” These words were likewise caught by Imogen’s ear; and a thrill shot through her heart. Laun- celot!—the name struck her like a revelation. She felt: convinced it was that of her hitherto un- known lover; and that brief low-whispered ex-~ change of sentences seemed to indicate that she was finding favour in the sight of these two per- sonages who appeared in her view as the arbiters of her destiny. _ “On the present occasion,” resumed the gentle- man, “we purpose to say but little, because the circumstances of this meeting are necessarily so peculiar ” ‘“‘ And likewise to a certain degree painful,” in- terjected the lady. ‘‘ At the same time it is my duty to confess—and I experience pleasure in making the admission—that your appearance and your manners are altogether so superior to what we could have conceived. ” ‘“‘Stop!” exclaimed the gentleman: “stop, ‘way dear!” he added, with a tone and look of mild rebuke. ‘‘ Since the matter has come to this point, we will not perform our own part un- graciously. Do you love our son? or at least do you feel as if you could love him, and that you are prepared to study to your utmost to ensure his happiness ?” Imogen literally trembled all over with an ecstatic joy—wild, rapturous, incredible : she was almost suffocated by her emotions—and it was with difficulty she could falter forth, ‘“‘ Yes,—I love him—and until death it shall be my study to ensure his happiness !” ‘Then without another word,” said the gentle- man, ‘we give our consent to this union.” Imogen’s brain reeled: it appeared to her as if she were being whirled round and round in the midst of a wild fantastic dream; and falling at the feet of him who had just addressed her, she took his hand and pressed it to her lips. Then the lady bent towards her and imprinted a kiss utterly ignorant of their name. for her that they had given their assent to her marriage with their son! his appearance. bound towards him, either to throw herself upon. his breast and sob forth the expression of her him of her grateful love. upon her forehead. It was assuredly no fervid caress: it was cold and distant as if it were the mere formal ratification of a compact; but Imogen cared not for this; and it was with grateful ardour that she pressed that lady’s hand in its turn to her lips. The lady made her rise from the suppliant posture she had assumed; and she said, “ Be seated—compose yourself! Everything is now arranged; and never from my lips shall you hear any allusion to antecedent circumstances. Be seated, I repeat—compose yourself—and Launce- lot shall join you presently.” The gentleman and lady now rose from the. sofa and slowly quitted the room. The instant the door closed behind them, Imogen’s feelings burst forth in a fit of weeping; for the extremes of joy and grief often display themselves in the same manner. By some mechanical movement or unstudied action she drew down the veil over her countenance; and it soon became moist with the tears that trickled through it. Was it possible that on the very day when she had been com-~ plaining to her friend Alice Denton of the unhap- piness which her love had brought, so much happiness should have been in store for her! She thought not to ask herself who Launcelot’s parents could be: she reflected not that she was even It was sufficient But this son she had never even exchanged a word with him ; and all had been managed as if it were a scene in a fairy-tale ! Presently the door opened, and Launcelot made Imogen’s first impulse was to thanks, or else to fall down at his feet and assure But there was some- thing in his look and manner which suddenly chilled her ardour and gave her a cruel shock. He was deadly pale: he stopped near the threshold of the door—then he seemed to stagger forward for an instant—he pressed his hand to his brow, as if with a sense of uncontrollable anguish — and finally, with the air of one who made a mighty ,effort to subdue powerfully agitating emotions, he said in a gentle voice, ‘‘ Forgive me—pardon me —it is over |—and from this moment forth will I be unto you everything that I ought !” He took her hand and lightly touched it with his lips. He then sat down, or rather threw him- self upon the sofa; and resting his elbow on the back thereof, he leant his head upon his hand, so that his eyes were half-averted from Imogen, and she beheld only the side face, with the profile of perfect masculine beauty. She was bewildered what to think: she was shocked—she was cruelly pained : she knew not whether to display all the pride of woman and put an end to everything in a moment—or whether she should abandon herself to the tenderness of her emotions, sink at his feet, and implore him not to make on her account any sacrifice which was repugnant to his feelings. Then it suddenly struck her that it were well if she at once entered upon certain explanations ; and fall- ing upon her knees, she endeavoured to give ut- terance to the thoughts that were now uppermost. But her bosom was convulsed with a variety of emotions ; and taking his disengaged hand, she raised it beneath her veil to her lips. He aban- COMO YN Wn) Colin