The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 362: what you’re looking at

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

Cs ES EE a a ee 348 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. ft tg Morphews, be it understood, were strictly en- joined to afford no information on the point to your mother if by any chance she should take it into her head to call upon them for the purpose. Well, it was not very long after your removal to Brompton that your mother married General Amesbury and went out to India. On her return about three years ago, she at once applied to Mr. Warren for information concerning you, and was assured by that gentleman that you were dead. She believed him to be a respectable man—as re- apectable as his father was before him; and never for a single instant did it occur to her that for any reason she was being grossly deceived.” ‘‘ And why should this stockbroker have thus deceived her ?’. asked Hester : have acted so cruelly and so villanously ?” ‘‘T have been to him this morning,” responded: ‘As I have already told you, it was last night that accfdent rendered me a listener to- Walpole. the conversation of your mother with Miss Os- borne ; and, Oh! the scene which ensued when I burst through the window, declaring that her daughter was not dead and that she should be restored unto her! But of that I have already spoken. Well, then, it was agreed that I should see Warren this morning, to ascertain the real: truth from his lips, and discover upon what ground he had declared you to be dead—to find out also why the remittances had been stopped if he did not really believe you to be nomore. I will not trouble you with details, Hester. Suffice it to say that when I announced my mission to Warren, the confusion which seized upon him heralded a confession of guilt. He threw himself on my mercy—he avowed all the stupendous wickedness whereof he had been guilty. It ap- pears that at his father’s death he became fright- fully embarrassed, and he laid hands upon every available sum in order to maintain his credit and prop up a failing business. The capital which had been lodged in the Bank of England, to furnish an income for your maintenance, was drawn out by virtue of the power of attorney held by Mr. Warren. He thought to himself that as your mother was married and gone to India, she would be little likely to ask any questions thence- forth in reference to her child ; and he did not an- ticipate any trouble on the part of your father. Thus, poor Hester! he thought he might deal with thee in the manner best suited to his own selfish interests : he plundered thee of thy fortune, little thinking that the day would ever come when there might arise a questioning on the sub- ject! And that day has at length come. Thoroughly humiliated was that man as he stood before me just now, confessing the truth, and be- seeching that time might be given him for making restitution.” “And what did you do, Edward?” asked Hester. ‘It was not the time to be vindictive, when heaven was working out its own good pur- poses despite the machinations of the wicked!” “Thus I also reasoned, Hester—and I left the miserable man with the assurance that his guilt should be overlooked. But now that these explanations are complete, let me ask whether you think that you are sufficiently strong ‘To meet my mother? to fly into her arms? to receive her kisses? Oh, Edward! if I were upon the bed of death,” cried the young girl, with a ‘‘ why should he wild enthusiasm, “I should be enabled to spring from it to be welcomed by a mother !” Walpole looked at his watch; and then he said, ‘‘I am afraid, Hester, that the worthy doctor will blame me very much for all this ex- citement “ “No, no! it is inspiring me with new life!” exclaimed Hester. ‘I feel—Oh! I feel that if any medicament could resuscitate the vital powers, so as yet to give me a chance of a few more years of life, it is all this happiness which I am now ex- periencing !” “And therefore your felicity may as well be crowned with the least possible delay, Hester,” re- joined Walpole. “Iti is OW two o'clock :—at four your mother shall be here.” “Two hours ?—only two hours? And yet they seem an age! May I not go to her ?” ‘‘ No :—that is a step which I cannot possibly permit without the sanction of the doctor: for if anything serious were to occur Besides, Hester,” continued Walpole, interrupting himself; “if you pass through this coming ordeal of hap- piness without suffering too much from its ex- citement, there can be no doubt that your mother will take you away to-morrow, and you will go to that home which I feel convinced she is now pre- paring for your reception !” “T will submit to all you suggest or advise,” answered Hester; and then, with the vivid scarlet mantling on her countenance, and with downcast looks, she murmured, ‘ You have been compelled to tell my mother how low I have fallen Are you sure that when the first gush of feels is over, she will not despise and loathe me?” .. be x “Good heavens—no, Hester!” exclaimed Wal- pole vehemently. ‘‘ Perhaps, if it were possible for her to yearn all the more eagerly to embrace her child, it is because she knows that this child of her’s has been unfortunate—that she has fallen —and that she has suffered! But think not, Hester, that I have told your mother the very worst! No, no! she knows not how low you have been !—she knows not everything !—and she need never know it! It is a topic on which she will be little likely to speak to you of her own accord. Need I add, Hester,” faltered the young man, now blushing in his turn, “that I have said but little relative to my antecedents and naught in respect to the crime which separated me from you and rendered me the inmate of a gaol.” ‘‘ Edward,” responded the young woman, seri- ously and impressively, ‘“ whenever by word or deed I shall injure you, then may you declare that no such feeling as gratitude exists upon the earth, but that the human heart is indeed the grave instead of the well-spring of all virtues!” Walpole pressed her hand; and rising from his seat, he said, ‘I shall leave you now, Hester ; and at four o'clock may you rely upon welcoming your mother. Meanwhile compose yourself to the best of your ability—sleep if you can—~yield to no despondency—mistrust not the happiness which is now yours in all its most substantial reality !” The young man departed ; and the recommen- dation which he gave in a short time found its accomplishment. Hester slept. There are feel- ings which overwhelm even with their soothing influence ; and excitement must necessarily be followed by reaction. Thus slumber stole upon the SF tt COMO YN Wn) Colin