The Seamstress; or, The White Slave of England — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

ee SS eee eee ee ee 16 the house in Tavistock Strect and its landlady, we may resume the thread of our narrative. Upon returning home, after her adventures at the West End, Virginia Mordaunt hastened up to her cheerless chamber and laid aside her bonnet and shawl. She then descended to Mrs. Jackson’s bed- chamber: but as the doctor was there at the moment, she was told to return in a quarter of an hour. In- stead of retracing her steps to her own room, she continued her way down stairs to the kitchen, where Mrs. Drake was superintending the preparation of some mutton-broth which grimy-faced Jane was cooking for Mrs. Jackson’s dinner. ‘“T have brought you the week’s rent, Mrs. Drake,” said Virginia, in her soft and somewhat melancholy voice: and she handed eighteen-pence to the landlady. “Thank you, my dear,”, observed the widow, whom the odour of the broth—or rather the pro- spect of partaking of it—had put into a tolerably good humour. “The rent was due yesterday, mind: but it is all the same to me to have it to-day. In- deed, I shouldn’t mention it at all, only it’s just as well to keep regular.” ‘‘ Depend upon it, ma’am, I shall always prove as punctual as my means will permit,” observed Virginia, with difficulty stifling a profound sigh: then, after hesitating for a few moments, she said with a timid air of embarrassment, ‘“ Do you happen to know, Mrs. Drake, where I should be hkely to apply with any degree of success for some work?” “ No—that I’m sure I don’t!” ejaculated the land- lady, her whole manner undergoing a sudden change as the prospect of the maiden’s inability to pay the next week’s eighteen-pence sprang-up before her. “But do you mean to tell me, Miss Mordaunt, that you are already out of work P” “For the moment—just for the moment,” faul- tered Virginia, dismayed at the significant manner in which the old woman spoke, and which carried to the orphan’s mind the unmistakable certainty that on failing to pay the rent she must expect to be turned forth from her lodging. “Can’t Mrs, Jackson give you anything to do?” demanded the landlady. “T am afraid that Mrs. Jackson’s illness—and another circumstance,” replied Virginia, with in- creasing embarrassment, “ will prevent her-——” “What other circumstances?’ inquired Mrs. Drake, sharply. “T mean that the lady from whom Mrs. Jackson appears to receive work, is going out of town for a few weeks,” added the young seamstress. “Ah! that is a bad business!’ murmured the landlady, her looks now becoming troubled as well as stern and suspicious. “ But you had better go up and speak to Mrs. Jackson upon the subject : —and, by the bye, there is Miss Barnet, who can get as much work as she pleases, but who is too idle to do any—she might put some of it in your Way.” “Do you not think, ma’am,” hastily interposed the slattern domestic, who had hitherto remained a silent listener, but who now broke in upon the dis- course with some degree of excitement,—“do you not think, ma’am, that Miss Mordaunt could apply to other people better than to Miss Barnet ?” * Hold your tongue, Jane—and don’t interfere,” said Mrs. Drake, in a tone of harsh rebuke: then, —< ae wee ae te ee eee THE SEAMSTRESS. ~_—_— - --— turning towards Virginia, she observed, “ Miss Bar- net is a good-natured young woman, though some- what too thoughtless and gay; but there can’t be any harm in your applying to her for some of the work which she may have for the asking.” “T thank you for the suggestion,” exclaimed the young seamstress: and away she sped from the kitchen, without observing the deprecatory shake of the head and warning look whereby the well- meaning Jane sought to convey her disapproval of the course recommended by her mistress. On reaching the door of Mrs. Jackson’s bed chamber, Virginia knocked gently and was invited to enter. The medical man had taken his depar- ture; and the invalid was now prepared to listen to the young seamstress, as she explained the result of her mission. “Twent to Mrs. Pembroke,” said Virginia; “and that lady is going out of town for several weeks.” “Going out of town!” echoed Mrs. Jackson, an expression of dismay suddenly appearing upon her countenance. “ But did she not send me any pri- vate communication P—a note—a message ———” “Nothing, save the money which she said was due to you, madam,” repliea Virginia. ‘I was told to make out a bill and receipt on your behalf—for seven shillings—and here is the amount,” added the maiden, witha sigh, as she placed the coin upon the table near the bed. “And Mrs. Pembroke is going out of town?— and she treats me with this cold and wanton indif- ference?” murmured Mrs. Jackson to herself, her - features, already made ghastly by illness, now be- coming perfectly hideous with the look of blackest hatred that swept over them. “She even betrays the terms upon which I get her work done: she has let this young girl know the real value of her labour! Even this I could have put up with:—for it might have been an oversight on her part. But not to have given me the chance of procuring work from the same sources whence she has obtained it,—not to have put me into the proper channel to become her successor in the enjoyment of the patronage which has made fer rich,—AhP? it is this that cuts me to the soul. I suppose she means to retire altogether—and she has probably sold the good-will of her connexion for a handsome sum of money! And now what is to become of me?—what is to become of me?” Thus mused the invalid woman in a low murmur- ing tone, so that the young seamstress only caught a small portion of the complaints to which she was giving utterance. But Virginia had that morning acquired a sufficient insight into the system of which she herself was the victim, to enab:e her to com- prehend that the departure of Mrs. Pembroke from town would prove seriously injurious to Mrs, Jack. son: and this fear she had indeed expressed when in conversation with the landlady down stairs. The evil which she had thus foreseen, and the conse- quences of which redounded upon herself, now there- fore received a mournful confirmation in the effect which the circumstance produced upon Mrs. Jack- son: and as the ejaculatory question wherewith that female concluded her murmuring lament, was uttered loud enough to strike with all the fulness of its ominous meaning upon the maiden’s ears, it touched a kindred chord in the young creature’s heart and found an echo on her lips as with a deep a. va —————— EOMIGIOO <S) (E(0) m