The Seamstress; or, The White Slave of England — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

THE SEAMSTRESS. 109 thirst with a draught of cold water—and sate} Suddenly the Marquis of Arden recollected down to review his thoughts and his recollections | the two men whom he had ere now seen in the with as much calmness as he could possibly sum- | waiting-room, and whose countenances had struck mon to his aid. him as not being altogether unfamiliar. Until 1” And what were the salient points of his medita- | this moment he had quite forgotten all about their ‘tions? That his father was a criminal of the | presence there; and the reader may judge whether blackest character—a criminal whose very life | he had found any leisure to bestow a minute’s was in the power of a forger in Newgate and! thought upon them. But now their forms sud- that forger’s mistress: that Collinson was to come | denly seemed to rise up before him and introduce in the evening for some purpose which the Duke themselves .as it were into the sonibre picture anticipated with horror and anguish:—and that which he was contemplating. Then, all in a the awful deed which weighed so heavily upon the | moment, it struck him that they properly belonged conscience of his Grace and left him so completely | to that gloomy scene and had fitly taken their at the mercy of Lovel and Julia, had been perpe- | places there; for he now recollected the features trated in order to prevent the marriage of his son | of Mr. Solomon’s two followers! _with Virginia tact: Ah! then ruin was menacing the ducal house, All these things were terrible enough—heaven | —ruin of every kind and every description,—ruin knows that they were terrible enough! But if' of fortune and ruin of good name—ruin of purse it were possible that their horror could be aug- | and ruin of honour! And the young Marquis mented and their excruciating effect be enhanced | could not prevent his imagination from obeying in the mind of the young Marquis, it was because | the impulse of all these dread forebodings and all that related to his Virginia was involved in| launching out into the wild realms of conjecture _ such a hideous uncertainty. That a deed of the with regard to the terrible future. He accordingly blackest dye had been perpetrated, was apparent,| saw the crash of destruction overwhelming the —and that its object was to sever the seamstress | family—his father dragged ignominiously to a from her youthful adorer, was likewise certain: felon’s gaol—his mother-in-law and his sisters _ but then came the appalling question—Was Vir- | | driven by bailiffs from their palatial home—and ginia herself the victim ? _hinself reduced to beggary, to desperation, and to Wild with suspense—enduring the tortures of | suicide! i crucifixion, as that query remained unanswered | He was writhing in the midst of such thoughts in his imagination—the young nobleman sprang ' as these,—thoughts which stung, goaded, rent, and from his seat and was about to rush from the lacerated him with the virulence and rage of room, seek his father’s presence,* *and demand a maddened serpents,—when he was startled by a full explanation of everything that was as yet knock at his chamber-door. It was a domestic dark and mysterious—when another idea flashed who had come to announce that dinner was served to his mind. There it flamed up with the effect up. Charles, instantaneously adopting the first of a lamp suddenly lighted in a cayern and illu- | excuse which presented itself to his mind, said minating all the objects that were dim and in- | that he was engaged elsewhere; and the servant distinct before. The murder of Clementine was | withdrew. the incident now brought out in bold relief to the | It was now seven o’clock; and the young noble- mental vision of the young nobleman ;—and fall- | man decided upon awaiting the visit of Collinson. ing back into the seat whence he had started a | He hoped that he should then be enabled to ascer- few moments before, he said in a low and subdued tain the precise position of the family affairs ;—at tone of consternation, “ Yes—the plot thickens— all events he should most likely discover the secret and yet it becomes every instant more and more link which appeared to place his father at the intelligible !” mercy of the attorney;—and that point being Then he fell into a profound reverie, which cleared up, he fancied that he would be in a better lasted for some time: and then he sprang up and condition to decide upon the adoption of some paced wildly to and fro in his chamber, like a prompt and resolute course of action. restless and maddened animal in its eage;—and| Nearly another hour was now passed in the then he sank down upon a seat again, with the companionship of his thoughts,—those thoughts air of one who abandons himself to utter de- | every one of which was a viper stinging him to spair. At one moment he resolved to hasten into the quick, or a vulture tearing at his very brain. his father’s presence and implore his fullest con- | At one moment he wept bitterly, calling upon his fidence in all things: then he thought of sallying Virginia: ateanother he gave vent to passionate forth and seeking an interview with Julia, so as upbraidings against his father ;—and then he im- to learn every detail from her lips ;—and then he | plored heaven’s mercy to save the family from decided upon waiting until eight o’clock in the ruin, dishonour, and destruction. Thus did three evening for the purpose of ascertaining the nature | quarters of an hour)pass away ;—and at the expi- of the dreaded business which the Duke had to ration of this period—it being now close upon transact with Mr. Collinson. Thus time wore eight o’clock—the Marquis stole down from his on —and the bewildered, tortured, distracted chamber and once more concealed himself in the Charles could fix his mind upon no particular conservatory. point nor resolve upon any special course. That! Lights were in the saloon adjoining: but a a fearful storm was brewing—or indeed was heavy velvet curtain now filled the door-way ready to burst over the ducal house of Belmont, between the hot-house and that apartment. For- he saw too plainly: but how could he avert it?— tunately for Charles’s purpose the door itself what power or influence was he enabled to wield in stood open—and thus he was in a position to opposition to its menacing approach ?—where were overhear everything that might take place in the he means by which the awful explosion was to be saloon, although he could see nothing. prevented and the imminent desolation stayed? | No voices were as yet speaking in the apart- ss —_—_——- | CONNIE HOOKS (SO)