The Seamstress; or, The White Slave of England — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

| THE SEAMSTRESS. mother-in-law : your narrative possesses a wild and terrible interest !” “Tf I proceed with the details of my history in consecutive order,” said the Duchess, “I must now narrate them as they were subsequently ex- plained to me: because, as you are well aware, I shrieked and fainted on receiving the dreadful wound.” “Give me all the details, no matter how you learnt them,” said Charles, eagerly. “Tt appears then,” resumed the Duchess, “that while I was engaged with Mr. Lavenham in the conservatory, your father had been summoned to the library to find the bailiffs in possession. Fearful that the rumour might reach my ears indirectly and in an exaggerated form, he re- solved to break the afflicting intelligence to me at once. Having left me a “short time previously in the saloon opening on the conservatory, he supposed that he should still find me there in company with Mr. Lavenham, to whom he also intended to communicate the disagreeable occur- rence. To avoid traversing the other saloons— especially as the dancing was in full progress— your father passed round by the garden, propos- ing to enter by way of the conservatory. But the instant that he reached the top of the stone steps leading from the garden, through the glass door did he behold Mr. Lavenham supporting me in his arms and covering me with his caresses! In a paroxysm of rage, he rushed in—seized the knife—and plunged it into my bosom! Then, all in a moment recovering his presence of mind, Lavenham clutched the Duke by the arm, saying in a low, hasty, but impressive voice, ‘ Your wife is innocent, I pledge my soul to God! Depart —and save her even from suspicion! I will take the deed upon myself !’—and he pushed the Duke out of the conservatory with one hand as he drew the knife from my breast with the other. All this was the work of a moment: the words were uttered quickly as thought itself can fly—and as the Duke precipitated himself down the stone steps into the garden, the guests burst from the saloon into the conservatory.” “Oh! now I understand all that was great, and _ noble, and generous in Mr. Lavenham’s conduct,” exclaimed Charles. fered to appear, my father must have declared in * Had the truth been suf- justification of the murderous deed, that he had ‘beheld his wife in the arms of Julius Lavenham '—and your good name would have been sullied ‘beyond redemption. But by adopting the course _which he took, Mr. Lavenham effectually screened you altogether.” “Every detail connected with that memorable occurrence is known to me,’ continued the Duchess; “because the fullest explanations were subsequently given to me by the Duke—and I will now make you acquainted with them all. It seems that he had fully comprehended and ap- preciated the meaning of the hurried but impres- sive words which Mr. Lavenham had breathed in his ear when urging him from the hot-house ; and on hurrying back to the library, he had just lei- sure to collect himself somewhat ere the guests burst into his presence to proclaim the occurrence with which he was already too well acquainted. Then he saw by the accounts which were given him that Mr. Lavenham had not repudiated the charge of attempted assassination ;—and many 119 reasons combined to prompt your father to lend himself to the cheat which the generous Julius was thus willing to practise in order to colour the event and save my honour. For your father loved me devotedly and well—he was proud of me—and he likewise shrank from the thought of being talked of as an old man who was jealous of his young wife. Therefore, believing the assur- ance so solemnly given by Lavenham that I was innocent, he was well pleased to accept the self- martyrdom of that individual as the means of preventing an exposure of the real details as they actually occurred. So soon as all the guests had departed, your father despatched you to fetch Mr. Collinson: but no sooner had you quitted the house, when the Duke muffled himself up in his cloak and sallied forth likewise. To the station- house he repaired: and the mention of his name procured him a prompt and private interview with Mr. Lavenham, of whom he demanded an explanation of the scene which he had witnessed in the conservatory. Julius at once took all the blame upon himself,—declaring that he had ven- tured to persecute me with his addresses—that I had repulsed him indignantly—that he had seized me in his arms—and that it was at the moment when I was overpowered by the stupor of amaze- ment resulting from the suddenness of his darmg conduct that the Duke had burst into the con- servatory.” “And my father was ignorant of the fact that Mr. Lavenham was once the object of your youthful affections ?”’ said Charles, inquiringly. “Your father remains ignorant of that fact until now — and must continue so till the end,” responded the Duchess. “ Between you and me, Charles, there shall exist no secrets: for circum- stances have suddenly appeared to inspire us with mutual confidence 4 *“ And even to render that confidence neces- sary,’ added the young Marquis, “in the present deplorable state of the affairs of the house of Belmont. But pray proceed. I presume that my father was satisfied with the. representa- tions made by Mr. Lavenham at the police- station P” *“ Not altogether,” answered the Duchess. “Your father had seen me in the arms of Julius Layenham—had seen me surrendering myself to the fervid caresses which he was lavishing upon me :—and he therefore could not close his eyes to the fact that I must have behaved with im- prudence, even if I were not culpable. Despite of the colouring which Layenham’s chivalrous self-devotion gave to the incident,—a colouring: which was intended to clear my reputation not only in the opinion of the world but likewise in that of my husband—despite, I say, of that generosity which prompted Julius to proclaim himself a cowardly aggressor against a lady who had given him no encouragement,—despite of all this, your father could not surmount the suspi- cion that I must at least have acted with a tem- porary weakness and a passing imprudence in the matter. He however believed that I was not guilty — but simply because he supposed Laven- ham’s avowal of love to have been made then and there for the first time.” “And how terminated their interview at the police-station ? ” inquired Charles, Your father said to Mr. Lavenham, ‘ You | | ee ee ee a an (SO) EoOmMmicboo