The Seamstress; or, The White Slave of England — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

Te ee ee ee ee THE SEAMSTRESS. — Ee ee See 132 In this mood, so ominously calm and so fearfully sombre, the young Duke of Belmont (for such he had now become by the death of his father) de- scended to the library, which he entered slowly, shutting the door carefully behind him. Mr. Col- linson, who was seated near the fire, instantane- ously rose; —and advancing towards Charles, he said in a voice which his habitual hypocrisy prompted him to render as mournful as possible, * My lord, I deeply sympathize with you on the dreadful loss yourself and family have sustained.” _ © And who lent his accursed aid towards driving my father to desperation?’ demanded the young Duke, his eyes settling with a sinister expression upon the lawyer’s features. “J hope your Grace does not mean anything personal,” said Collinson, experiencing a vague trouble at the look which he thus encountered. “T mean, Mr. Collinson,” replied Charles, in a voice that was implacable and with a demeanour that bespoke a remorseless hate,—“I mean that you are a villain,—and I will prove you so !” “Beware, my lord, how you provoke me,” ex- | claimed the attorney, flushing with indignation. ' “Sorry should I be at such a moment to use menaces: but in my own defence I must observe _ that the fortunes of the ducal house of Belmont are entirely in my power 4 CT ET I AOS a tar el, A lS A Reet Oe + mere: eee em eer Re Se Re ee ee ee ee ee | “] know it,” interrupted Charles, making an imperious sign for the lawyer to hold his peace. “There is not a single detail of your extensively ramified villany that is a secret to me: and I pre- sume that you called to-day at noon to inform my sister Mary that you had selected her as your victim P” “T certainly made her ladyship acquainted with the fact that she was to receive me as a suitor,” | veplied the attorney, now recovering his wonted | self-possession, as his mental vision swept over all | the circumstances of the case and showed him how completely indeed the Belmont family and fortunes were at his mercy. ‘“ But as a matter of course | I shall not be indelicate enough to press my suit | until after the due interval allowed a daughter to | mourn her father’s death 4 | “ Enough on this subject!” ejaculated Charles, | with wrathful impatience: then, instantly resum- ing his cold implacability of voice and manner, he | “Two deaths, Mr. Collinson, may this day said, be attributed to your black iniquity—two murders | which you have perpetrated !” “What mean you?’ demanded the lawyer, his countenance now flushing with a deeper crimson than before. “Tn the first instance, sir,” continued Charles, still stern and pitiless, “there is my father’s sui- cide, caused by a black despair to the aggregate horrors of which your iniquity has been no secon- dary contribution. And in the next place, sir, a young girl—a lovely, innocent, kind-hearted crea- ture,’—and the nobleman’s voice faltered; but | compressing his lips violently for an instant to keep down the emotions that suddenly arose within | him and threatened to burst forth, he said, “ Yes— a young, artless, inoffensive girl has perished this day, a victim to the privations, the wretchedness, and the dire penury into which her fate impelled her, but from which she would have been saved had not a villain robbed her of all she possessed ! Ah! now you start, Mr. Collinseon—and guilt is depicted in your frightened looks: 33 for you are that villain —and your victim is poor Virginia Mordaunt !” “Ah! that document!” ejaculated Collinson, who had missed the paper from his pocket-book, which had been restored to him when he called in the morning: and, as his countenance became livid and ghastly with terror, he said, “Then your Grace has found and perused.a certain private communication 7 “Which unmasks you completely, dastard 3 | | robber, and plunderer that you are!” exclaimed | Charles : then, as his eyes shot fire and a deep hectic spot appeared upon each cheek, 3 said in | a thick tone of concentrated bitterness, “But the | moment of vengeance is at hand !” | “ Vengeance !” echoed Collinson, his temporary | alarm having See teaee once more to his wonted | self-possession : “‘remember, my lord, two can play | at that game i “IT mean it to be so!” cried the young Duke | of Belmont, as he produced his pistols and laid them upon the table. Collinson sprang towards the bell: but Charles darted upon him with the sudden fling of a hoa- constrictor, and dashed him back with the power of a giant. Then returning the pistols to his pockets, he hastened to cut the bell-ropes and to lock the door, securing the key about his person. ** Now, sir, choose one of these,’ he said, once more depositing the pistols upon the table. “What !—a duel, my lord?” cried Collinson, plucking up his spirit—for he was not altogether a coward. “ Yes—a duel to the death !” responded Charles} *“ Remonstrances, threats, or entreaties will all prove alike unavailing a? *T scorn to use entreaties!’ interrupted the attorney, perceiving that the case was desperate. “But if we fight, my lord, and if only one should fall, the survivor will be accused of murder a “True!” ejaculated the young nobleman: then | seating himself at the table, he penned a declara- tion to the effect that the duel about to be fought was by mutual consent and so arranged as to be on fair and equal terms, although without the presence of witnesses. “There, sir: you can place your signature beneath mine,” observed Charles, as he rose from the chair and tossed down the pen. Mr. Collinson cast his eyes over the declaration, and immediately signed it: then, taking up one of the pistols, he said, “ At what distance ? and how shall we arrange a signal ?” “The length of the room,’ returned Charles, in answer to the first question: then, glancing at the time-piece, he said, “It is close upon ten— and that clock chimes the hours. At the first note of the shrill bell, we fire !” “Be it so,” said Collinson, stepping back against the wall at one end of the library, while the young Duke of Belmont took his post at the opposite extremity, there being thus an interval of about a dozen paces between them. They now both fixed their eyes upon the dial which was to give the fatal signal. Collinson’s look was full of an eager, nervous intentness, as if he resolved to be the first to fire: but the gaze of Charles was as steady and deliberate as his mood was unruffled in its stern inflexibility. The hand moyed—moments appeared hours! ee eR EE ES ES LS