The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 93: what you’re looking at

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THE YOUNG DUCHESS: O#, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. Mrs. Grills nodded significantly to young Casey; and at this moment Sir Abel Kingston entered thé passage. The pale-faced girl shut the front door; and Mrs. Grills begged the two gen- tlemen to step into the front parlour,—observing that “ she was all alone there, for that Mr. Grills and his brother Jasper were just taking their qrict glass and pipe together in the kitchen down 3 ” _ “She's here, old chap!” said Sylvester to the Baronet, the moment they entered that parlour. — Sir Abel was on the poitit of thundering forth the words, “You lie! It is impossible !"—but he restrained himself, and saitl with assuiiied com- posure, “ Well, if so, I congratulate you. But now for the proof - e . “You post yourself in the passage,” said Syl- véstér, nt oe a biief excharige of whispered obser- vations aside with Mrs. Grills, “ in such a way that you can see into the room; ard the old woman here will just step in to ask the sweet creature if she wants anything. Mind now! it will only be the work of a moment—and you must keep yourself as much in the shade as pos- sible. Ifshe does happen to catch a glimpse of you, I shall tell her presently that it was me she saw in the passage.” “‘ Good,” said the Baronet. be done at once.”, Mrs. Grills led the way into the passage ; and she posted the Baronet in an anglé formed by a turn- ing contrived for the arrangements of the staircase. He was there compietely in the.shade, even when the light should stream forth from the room which the woman was about to enter. Sylvester Caséy remained on the threshold of the front parlour, watching with some little aixiety, but yet with more confidence, thé proceeding which he hoped would establish him ini thé Baronet’s estimation as the most successful young roud about town. As for Sir Abel himself, he was utterly bewildered what to think : for on the one hand it séemed to be most stupendously preposterous to suppose that the brilliant Duchess of Ardleigh could have come to such a dén of iniquity as this—while on the other hand it was difficult to comprehend how or why Sylvester should be carrying on 4 delusion and a farce to such an ex- All uncertainty on Sir Abels part was however Soon destined to be put an end to, for Mrs. Grills now opened the door of the back parlour; and theré, Suré enough! rising up from 4 chair near thé table, nm a plain dress, and with her veil ators back, was the brilliant Duchess of Ard- ‘And now let it ; Grills immediately closed the door: but the Baronet had seen éndugh. Rage—fary— madness took possession of his brain. Springing forward like a bounding tiger, or an unleashed hound, along the passage, he tore open the front door, seized upon Sylvester Casey, and with one tremendous Kick sent him flying across the threshold into the street. He then banged the door violently, and rushed towards the room wherein he had caught that momentary glimpse of the brilliant Duchess. Mrs. Grills was at the instant coming out; and she exclaimed in an angry voice, “ Hey day! what does all this row mean ?—Grills! Jasper!” she shouted, evidently summoning her husband and brother-in-law from ar ee, conniclooolk 79 the lower region; ‘are you asleep down there ?” “ Hold your ‘tongue, beldame! and let me pass!” eried the Barotiet,; who was labouring under a fearful state of excitemienit: “ Oh, if all you want is to go into this room,” said Mrs. Giills, suddenly pretending to soften down, “Fm sure I've no objection. As well you, sir, as any other !” She accordingly stood aside: Sir Abel King- ston burst into the back parlour—but he stopped suddenly short, literally transfixed with amazé- ment : he found no one there! ‘t Where is the lady whom I saw here scarcely three minutes back ?” hé dematded, suddenly re- eovering his self-passession. “* What do I know about ladies ?” said Mrs. Grills, putting her hands upon her hips and look- ing at the Baronet with an insolent air of defiance. “ It’s for the gentlemen to take care of the ladies, and not for me!” The Baronet strode up to a cupboard—tore open the door—but beheld no one. He looked under a sofa and under the table; and then hastening to the window, he flung up the sash, and was just leaping upon the sil], when the woman célied out, ‘Take care, you lunatic ! there’s a fall of a dozen feet beneath the winder !” A glance flun® downward showed Sir Abel that the woman had spoken truly ; and he stepped baek into the reom, exclaiming, “‘ Twenty guineas if you'll tell me what has become of her!” Meanwhile there was a violent and continued knocking at the front door; and Mrs: Grills gave a hasty instruction to her husband and his brother Jasper, who had just emerged from the premisés Below. They seized upon the Baronet ; and Mrs. Grills also lent ber assistance. Despité his struggles, his threats and imprecations, théy carried tim to the front-door, which the pale- faced girl at once opened. Sylvester Casey, who had been thundering with the knocker for the last two minutes, was about to rush furiously in when the form of the Baronet was literally thrown at him, and the two rolled together in the street. The front door was banged—a chain might have been heard to be fastening inside—then in the twinkling of an éye every light was extin- guished in the habitation—and an up-stairs win- dow being thrown open, the head of Mrs. Grills, decoratéd with 4 great white nightcap, was thrust out, her hoarse voice exclaiming, “Get along with you, you drunken blackguards! What do you mean by kicking up this row at the door of a respectable honse? Police! police!” “Come quick, you fool!” cried the Baronet to Sylvester Casey, who was whimpering and crying out that he had been infamously treated: but he now thought fit to follow Sir Abel Kingston in the retreat which he rapidly beat from the neigh- bourhood of the house where such singular ad- ventures had taken place. CHAPTER XVIII. THE BARONET AND SYLVESTER. WE left Imogen locked in the arms of Launcelot Osborne, when, after the departure of the Duchess, Colin