The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 388: what you’re looking at

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

374 you think of asking for the return of your money, or of molesting me on that account—no, nor of even so much as daring to breathe a single syllable against the integrity of my character.” ‘This is his consummate impudence! or he meditates some atrocious lie!” thought Ponsford to himself, partially regaining his self-possession and courage: then bending his looks sternly upon the stockbroker, he said, ‘‘ Enough of your treacheries and machinations! — they will no longer avail you! Iam not to be deluded by the base inuendoes which you seem so fully capable of throwing out. Ah! and for this conduct on your part I will prove all the more stern and im- placable in wreaking vengeance and invoking re- tribution on your head! Mr. Warren, unless that money be forthcoming by nine o'clock to-morrow morning,. I shall at once, and without farther notice, place the business in the hands of my solicitors, with instructions that they are to pro- ceed to any extremity in order to inflict upon you the fullest measure of chastisement which your turpitude deserves.” Warren laughed scornfully. “Hla, villain! do you dare defy me ?”—and Squire Ponsford foamed at the mouth with rage: but this was not altogether natural—he had in some sense lashed himself up to it, as a refuge, so to speak, wherein he might shroud himself from a certain vague terror which was again growing upon him. ‘Who dares call me a villain ?” demanded the stockbroker insolently. ‘‘ Villain back in your teeth! And now go and do your worst against me. Talk of vengeance! Dare to raise but so much as a finger, and the vengeance that I will wreak shall be terrible!” ‘‘Good heaven! what do you mean ?”—and Ponsford quivered and trembled despite all his endeavours to maintain a firm and collected de- meanour. “Fool!” ejaculated Warren contemptuously ; ‘“‘to whose interest can it have been to mislead you so in respect to your new-found daughter? and by what infatuation have you been yield- ing yourself up to the comfortable belief of her matchless purity and stainless chastity ?” ‘‘Calumniate her not, villain!’ thundered Ponsford: and then he stood gasping and panting for breath. ‘‘Calumniate her indeed!—that would be a difficult job, I can tell you!”—and there was a withering scorn in Warren's look, tone, and man- ner. ‘Your daughter so virtuous and good! your Hester such a paragon of excellence! Ha, ha! Why, there is not a street-walker more degraded! —not a prostitute more common!” Ponsford literally shrieked; and he was spring- ing forward tiger-like to seize upon Warren, when the latter caught him forcibly by the wrist; and making him sit down in a chair, said contemptu- ously, ‘There! be quiet! If you venture to lay a hand upon me, I will teach you a lesson that you shall remember for the rest of your life— which, by the bye, it might happen to shorten somewhat.” “T will be revenged!” muttered Ponsford hoarsely: ‘‘I will be revenged! You think that I believe your calumnies ? You--you—dare not offer to prove them! But come, Warren—if you want mercy at my hands, confess that you have THE YOUNG DUCIIESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. given a wild license to your tongue—I may not perhaps be unreasonable ” “T trust in naught to your mercy,” answered the stockbroker: ‘‘ but I know that in your fears and your pride I am safe! Look you, Mr. Pons- ford! I do not know who may have deceived you concerning Hester's character, or what the motive may have been unless it be that you have seen the young fellow Edward Walpole e ‘Yes, twas he!” ejaculated Ponsford. ‘ Surely, surely, he is a respectable young man?” ‘““ Very likely,” answered Warren. ‘' He came and got certain facts from my lips : but I did not then know all I have since learnt—or else I should not have looked quite so humble in his presence, I can assure you. Perhaps he still thinks I have not discovered all.” ‘“What do you mean? what do you mean ?” asked Ponsford, with feverish nervousness. “‘T mean,” continued Warren, ‘that a certain old lady named Morphew came and called upon me yesterday —— It was the second time she had been. On the first occasion she was guarded enough; but yesterday she spoke out pretty plainly, and she told me what sort of a life Hester had been leading. If you doubt it, go and inquire for yourself. The Morphews keep a house of a certain description in Granby Street, Water- loo Road ; and it was there that Edward Walpole fell in with your Hester, whom it seems he had known previously, but under what circumstances Iam not aware.” Ponsford was groaning heavily ; and he offered no comment upon this last speech which the stock- broker had addressed to him. ‘“‘ By the bye,’ resumed Warren, ‘ these Mor- phews were the very schoolmistresses in whose care your Hester was placed. The coincidence is singular and ludicrous enough. The pupil meets her old governesses after having for years lost sight of each other ; and in what pleasant posi- tions do they relatively appear! The girl, an unfortunate! the dames keeping a house of in- famy! Ha, ha! There’s a pretty story to tell to the world! Go and tell it if you dare !” Ponsford again groaned: this time he endea- voured to speak, but could not; and the stock- | broker, who seemed to be implacable, went on to say, ‘‘ We now understand on what terms we are placed towards each other. So long as you ab- stain from mentioning anything on tbe pecuniary topic, depend upon it that I shall know nothing about your new-found daughter. And tell that young Walpole, if you see him, that he likewise had better be careful, or else I shall deem it my duty to inform his uncle Mr. Seymour how he frequents such agreeable houses and forms such pleasant acquaintances. So now farewell.” . With these words the stockbroker bowed slightly, as well as with an off-hand jaunty air, and is- sued from the room. As he went forth from the house, humming an opera tune, he chuckled in- wardly at the result of an interview which had at one stage assumed a somewhat menacing aspect. Meanwhile Pamela was reflecting in her own apartment upon all that her father had told her ; and endeavouring to wean her attention as much as possible from the contemplation of her own special sources of sorrow, she sought for promising sources of bliss in an appoaching companionship oO Connicloookks Colin