The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 395: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG DUCHESS; CR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. ep py 381 father, had swollen fearfully by usurious pro- cesses ?” ‘* 'Yes—that is my meaning, Mr. Ashborne. And now you may understand how painful it is for me to speak thus of my father! But I may likewise observe that for this same reason I experienced all the less remorse and compunction in abstract- ing those deeds, when the best and dearest interests of a member of the Trentham family were at stake. I will now explain myself in a few words. My father sought to compel Launcelot Osborne to conduct me to the altar. Launcelot loved me not —he loved another”—and Selina’s voice faltered for a moment. “Oh, Mr. Ashborne! my soul recoiled from the bare idea of becoming a bride under such circumstances! I had not sufficient ambition to force myself thus into a patrician family : but on the other hand, I may say with- out incurring the imputation of vanity, that I entertained too deep a sense of justice to demand so great a sacrifice on the part of that young man! And then too, my soul recoiled also from the idea that my father was making use of those docu- ments—the fruit of usury—as the engine of coercion : and therefore I stole those papers; Mr. Ashborne! Yes, I abstracted them! I concealed them, in order to release Lord Trentham from the immediate pressure of my sire’s tyranny, and to save Launcelot from the necessity ot sacrificing himself to the dire necessities of a proud but Tuined patrician family! Now you know all, Mr. Ashborne. Perhaps you will blame me—despise me — notwithstanding the generous assurances you ere now gave ” ‘‘ Blame and despise you? No, admirable young lady that you are!” cried Stephen: then fixing his eyes upon her in a manner which was full of a mysterious significancy, he added, “If I had the honour of being your relation, I should indeed feel proud of you! But now those docu- ments have found their way into your brother's hands ” ‘‘ And the son,” interjected Selina, with bitter- ness, ‘is already preparing, to a certain extent, to follow in the footsteps of the father !” ‘““You do not mean me to understand that your brother Sylvester thinks of forcing you into this alliance with Launcelot Osborne ?” “‘ No—itis not this which is now afflicting me,” rejoined Selina. ‘‘On the contrary, so far as that subject is concerned, I have every reason to be contented and satisfied ; for scarcely an hour has elapsed since I had certain explanations with my brother—and he told me that he would not revive his departed sire’s project of compelling Launce- lot to conduct me to the altar. But Oh! while that same father still remains unburied, and affliction is in the house, and the thoughts of all who are connected with the dead should be riveted on solemn things,—Oh, that the selfishness and worldly-mindedness of my brother should thus display themselves!” ‘‘ In what manner, Miss Casey ?” asked Ashborne. “The weapons which were forged by usury,” resumed the young lady, ‘have passed from the hands of the father to the son; and though they will be differently used by the latter 7 ‘‘ Perhaps your brother is in haste to enforce payment of the sums owing by Lord Trentham ?” ‘That is not all,” interjected Selina. ‘ Lord Trentham has a beauteous daughter; and to her hand has Sylvester the boldness to aspire. Launce- lot loves his sister Azaline dearly ; and if fresh complications should now arise through this insane presumption on Sylvester's part, there will be fresh sources of misery for each and all!” ‘Good heavens! is it possible,” exclaimed Ash- borne indignantly, “that your brother can think of using his power over the Trentham family to such a purpose.” “Alas, it is too true! My brother left me ere now with that intent: he vowed that either Aza- line should become this very day his promised bride, or else that no mercy should be shown to the Trentham family.” “ Ah, this is too bad,” said Ashborne, gloomily. ‘‘The mantle of the father has descended only too suitably and appropriately upon the shoulders of the son. It amounts to a persecution! Jord Trentham may be a debtor—but he ought not to be treated as a criminal.” ‘‘ Ah, Mr. Ashborne, what noble sentiments !” cried Selina. ‘‘ Would to heaven that Sylvester possessed such a mind as your’s! Yet pardon me this warmth,” she continued, blushing deeply. “T do not feel as if I were speaking to a stranger —it seems. to me as if it were an old friend who had a right to all my confidential revealings ” ‘“‘Treat me as such!” rejoined Ashborne. “Ah, if you could treat meas a brother, I should indeed be proud of such a sister! Let meat once assure you, Selina,” he continued, now for the first time addressing her by her Christian name, “ that I am adopting no covert meaus of conveying any ulte- rior meaning, nor of expressing any feeling beyond that which my words embody. For I am already married !”—and as he thus spoke, an indescribable expression of mingled anguish and bitterness swept over his handsome countenance. Selina, however, saw it not: for she was blush- ing and casting down her eyes: she was thinking to herself at the time that these assurances of a mere fraternal feeling were indeed unnecessary from Ashborne’s lips, ifasmuch as her heart was already filled with the image of another—and she had registered a vow in heaven, to the effect that as the involuntary affections of her soul had been led to rivet themselves upon Launcelot Osborne, she would at least have the satisfaction of remain- ing faithful t) his memory—and for his sake therefore would she continue for ever unwedded ! ‘Would to God,” suddenly exclaimed Ash- borne, “ that the fraternal friendship which I offer you, Selina, had it in its power to prove itself in some signal manner!—would to God that I had the means of arresting the course of your brother, ere the career of tyrannous coercion, heartless selfishness, and arrogant presumption be fully en- tered upon !” ‘““Yes—if you possessed this power,” responded Selina, ‘I am sure that you would exercise it— I am confident that you would! Pardon my boldness—but I cannot help telling you that there is so much frankness in your speech—so much nanimity in your sentiments, that it is impos- sible to doubt the generosity of your heart! But, alas! we are both equally powerless to check my brother in this career on which he has entered. He is obstinate and self-willed; and, Oh! with the terrible weapons which he is now enabled to wield in menace against the unhappy family of Trentham——” COMO YN Wn) Colin