The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 366: what you’re looking at

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

352 SS THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. night? Faint heart never won fair lady! °Tis an old adage which she quoted: but may I not regard it as a species of prophetic encouragement offered to myself! Why should I renounce a love-siege which has only just commenced? why should I abandon all hope and yield myself to despair ? Even the defences which the most finished coquette throws up around her heart, may not be impregnable. What if I were to persevere? Was a grand success ever achieved without some trouble? was a mighty result ever accomplished without previous toils and labours, perplexities and difficulties? But, Oh! that half-mocking smile which appeared upon those beauteous lips as she turned to quit the room! it has shed its baleful influence upon me in a way but too well calculated to discourage all hope!”—and then again the young man found himself giving vent to such mental ejaculations as, ‘‘ Miserable co- quette! heartless creature! malignant trifler! and yet how lovely!—good heavens, how fasci- nating! how beautiful! how,bewitching! Syren —Circe! Yet how like an angel and a god- dess !” Upwards of half an hour elapsed while the young man was passing through all these strong and rending transitions of feeling, witil at length the door opened and Miss Osborne reappeared. There was a heightened colour upon her cheeks: a tear glistened in each eye; and Edward’s heart seemed to bound within him as the thought flashed to his brain, “‘ After all, she is not unfeel- ing!” . She sat down upon the sofa; but it was again with that peculiar smile which Edward could not understand, and which in one sense seemed so sweet upon those beautiful lips, yet in another sense did him harm to behold it. She said, “Well, I’ve seen your Hester, ‘Mr. Walpole.” ‘‘My Hester, Miss Osborne?” he ejaculated. “Oh, you need not catch me up so- quickly as all that, Mr. Walpole!” replied Azaline: “ you knew very well what I meant. I will call her your friend Hester, if you will.” The young man thought there was something flippant and light in Azaline’s manner; and his opinion again turned dead against the possibility of her possessing any real good feeling; so that it was with a mingled bitterness and cold reserve that he said, ‘‘I should have thought, Miss Os- borne, you would have had something more grave and serious to remark upon after having wit- nessed the scene up-stairs. For though I myself chose not to intrude upon it, yet can I fancy what it must be.” ‘‘] am enabled to assure you, Mr. Walpole,” exclaimed Azaline, smiling, ‘‘ that it is a scene of complete happiness—yet a happiness which in itself is touching and affecting.” “It is fortunate, Miss Osborne,” interjected Edward, as if with the bitterness of a retort, “that you have at length found something to touch your heart.” _ “Qh, yes,” cried the young lady; “it was in- describably affecting to hear how Hester spoke.” ‘‘ And may I be permitted to inquire what was the chief topic ?” ‘‘She spoke ‘of many things, Mr. Walpole. But, Oh! she is not ungrateful—and I am bound to confess that it was of you principally she spoke.” “Of me?” said the young man. “But yes: I know that Hester would speak well of me.” ‘‘Asin duty bound, Mr. Walpole,” suggested Azaline. “ And therefore you have only taken what she has said of me as a mere matter of course—— But of what consequence is it? I think, Miss Osborne, I shall now take my leave :”—and there was something restless, agitated, and perturbed in Walpole’s manner, tone, and looks. “Perhaps, a8 you have constituted me the arbitress of your destinies,” resumed Azaline, ‘ and therefore invested me with more or less of a judi- cial character towards you, I ought in justice to .declare that never did one human being speak more highly of another than that grateful girl has just spoken of you. And it was with no false enthusiasm—with no strained effect—that she spoke, but with the most genuine sincerity. Indeed, the veriest sceptic in the world, Mr. Wal- pole, could not doubt the value of a character when proclaimed in such terms. And then too, when all this panegyric comes to be associated with whatsoever other little circumstances had transpired in your favour—other proofs I mean of your generosity and honourable feeling, your magnanimity, the goodness of your disposition,— when, I say, I take all these things into consi- deration, I must confess that I am by no means sorry to have formed your acquaintance; and —and—I will even admit that I have perhaps reason to be proud of your friendship.” <- Azaline had first begun this long speech with a smiling mien, which still appeared to the dis- torted vision of the young man to be full of banter and mockery; then, as she progressed, her manner became more grave, until her voice ceased speak- ing amidst an affability, 2 kindness—almost a tenderness—which were now no longer to be mis- taken. ‘Oh, Miss Osborne!” exclaimed Walpole, his heart again leaping within him; “ is it possible you can thus think well of me?” ° ‘* How can I think otherwise, after all I have seen and heard of you?” ‘‘ But you have only known me for so short a time!” ‘Ah! now you yourself are raising objec- tions !” said the young lady, with an arch smile indescribably sweet. ‘ “ Good heavens! what do you mean?” ex- claimed Edward, full of rapture and suspense: ‘what am I to understand? what may I hope?” “You may understand, Mr. Walpole,” rejoined Azaline, bending upon him a look full of tender- ness, “that I believe you to be a worthy and ex- cellent young man; and if any words of hope falling from my lips can constitute your happi- ness, they shall be spoken you may consider them already as good as said !” It was a cry of joy with which Edward wel- comed this assurance : and throwing himself upon his knees at Azaline’s feet, he took her hand and pressed it to his lips. He gazed up into her lovely countenance: there was a long silence— and by the looks which she bent upon him, she showed that he was indeed very far from being an object of indifference to her. ' But all of a sudden Walpole started up as if a serpent had stung him; and springing up to his COMO YN Wn) Colin