The Seamstress; or, The White Slave of England — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

LL SS SS sess SSS sees ee ee ee ree | ing with the attendance of her milliner to try on her - for inte the presence of her Grace? The truth was ‘of Belmont was reduced by circumstances to the ‘inasmuch as she did not choose to send down an \ j ‘ THE SEAMSTRESS. ( a \ | : walking, denoted a proportionately fine and flowing, “ I cannot say—I do not know, madam—that is, length of limb. your ladyship—I mean your Grace,” faultered the Such was the Duchess of Belmont, in whose pre- young seamstress, blushing in the confusion which sence Virginia Mordaunt now found herself;-—and, seized upon her. as we have already stated, her Grace was trying | “You do not know!” ejaculated the Duchess, on the velvet dress, with the assistance of her with mingled surprise and contempt. “If you can French lady’s-maid. The robe fitted to perfection: | write, you must be aware whether you affixed your there was not a fault to find with it;—and as the | own signature to this document;—and if you can Duchess surveyed herself in the full length mirror | only read, and not write, you can tell whether any before which she stood, a smile of satisfaction | one else has appended your name for you.” played for a few moments upon her lips. Even | With these words the Duchess passed the bill to the French abigail, who was very difficult to please, | the French lady’s-maid, who handed it to Virginia; expressed her full and complete approval,—speaking | and the young maiden, trembling all over (she knew in her own native tongue when addressing her | not why) as she took it, cast her eye mechanically Grace, and in broken English when vouchsafing | upon its contents. The very feature in the docu- her remarks aside to Virginia. ment which happened jirst to strike her, was the But since the Duchess was in the habit of dispens- | item for the “making up” of the dress; and she thus became aware that Madame Duplessy had charged the Duchess four guineas for what she (Vir- ginia) had been that morning paid three shillings and sixpence! The poor girl’s eyes remained rivetted upon that item for nearly a minute; until she was suddenly recalled to herself by an impatient ejaculation which fell from the lips of the Duchess. “Well, young woman—is it, or is it not, your name?’ was the demand made by the great lady. “J—I beg your Grace’s pardon—I had for- gotten,” returned the young seamstress, startled from the half reverie into which she had fallen. * No—this is not my name—it is that of the fore« woman, I believe——” “ You believe!” exclaimed the Duchess, affecting to regard the timid, blushing, trembling girl with a look of suspicion. “Surely you must be acquainted with the names of the people in the establishment to which you belong? Clementine,’ added her Grace, turning her eyes upon the Frenchwoman,— “do you not think there is something strange in all this ?” “T do, my lady,” was the fawning abigail’s prompt reply. * And—and you would advise me not to pay the amount to this young person?” continued her Grace. Of course it is all the same to me: but-——” “ But, as your ladyship observes, it would be better not,” the Frenchwoman hastened to respond. “T think I shall follow your advice, Clementine,” said the Duchess, apparently in a musing strain: then, once more turning her eyes upon Virginia, she added, “ You may go back to Madame Duplessy and tell her that 1 shall send the amount of her bil\ in the course of the morning. You can tear off the receipt, young woman, and leave the memorandum. It shall be duly attended to.” “But does your Grace think me capable of en- deavouring to impose upon you?” exclaimed Vir- ginia, her wounded pride and her indignation now supplying her with a courage which rose paramount above her natural timidity. “‘ Was I not entrusted with the dress, to bring it home to your Grace ?— and what is more probable than that I should also be authorised to receive the amount of this bill? Just now I was bewildered: but at present I recol- lect full well that the name aflixed to the memoran- dum is that of Madame Duplessy’s forewoman.” “JT would rather send the money by one of my own servants,’ said the Dachess, affecting the calm dresses,—and since she invariably took the opinion of the French lady’s-maid in the first instance,— for what earthly purpose had Virginia been sent that the proud, haughty, and self-sufficient Duchess necessity of adopting a little manceuvre in order to evade the immediate liquidation of the bill which had been sent up in company with the dress;—for excuse by either of the pages in attendance,—and as it was totally at variance with the custom of the household to despatch her own lady’s-maid with messages to the hall or waiting room,—the only plan which her Grace could adopt, was to send and summon Virginia to her own private chamber. Having taken off the velvet-dress, by the assist- ance of the French femme-de-chambre, the Duchess assumed an elegant morning-wrapper; and flinging herself into an easy-chair which stood near the fire, she said in a tone of affected langour. “‘ Clementine, give me Madame Duplessy’s account.” The French lady’s-maid, to whom this command was issued, handed to her ducal mistress the per- fumed note which Miss Dulcimer had sent along with the velvet dress, and which Virginia had been so careful in delivering. Teariag off the envelope, the Duchess ran her eyes over the bill, which was drawn up in the following manner :— Her Grace the Duchess of Belmont To Leonie Duplessy and Co. January 16th, 1844. To 18 yds, velvet, at 1/. 1s. per yd...+-......£18 18 To 18 yds. silk, at 4s. peryd. .-....«8...... 312 To lace for bertha and trimmings .......... 15 15 To making up Gress ...csesccccesesccsccss 4 4 £42 9 ee Received for Duplessy and Co., Jane Dulcimer. When the Duchess of Belmont observed that the bill was already receipted—as plain and unmistak- able an intimation as could possibly be conveyed relative to the necessity of a cash payment—a severe though transitory contraction of the brows betokened her displeasure, But instantly regaining her self- possession, she turned towards Virginia, saying, in n tone more than usually condescending, ‘ Are you the person whose name stands at the bottom of this bill ?” LL LL LL LL OL LL ttt tt t,t CORNICLO® CE (E@)