The Seamstress; or, The White Slave of England — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

34 upon the Duchess,” returned Collinson. “ Ah! she is a splendid woman—a splendid woman! I like her amazingly. But who would have thought that Lavenham could be guilty of such a deed?—and what on earth could have been his motive? A sudden access of madness, I suppose: or else some insulting conduct which her Grace must have very properly resented, and which goaded him to the fury of a savage vindictiveness. But as for that other affair—Solomon’s yisit, I mean—your Grace cannot be angry with me if I took the only step——” “Pray allow me to speak, Mr. Collinson,” inter- rupted the Duke, who had been evidently wrestling against poignant emotions while the lawyer was giving deliberate utterance to his remarks on the tragic incident of the conservatory. “J shali not say another word until your Grace has spoken fully,” observed the lawyer , now taking a pinch of snuff from a magnificent gold box set with brilliants.. “You are aware,” resumed the Duke, “that several of my creditors” intend to adopt extreme measures to-morrow. “My. Solomon the officer told me thismuch. Some months ago you hinted at cer- tain terms upon which you would be disposed to assist me out of my embarrassments: but I declined —perhaps foolishly —to accede to your proposal. I admit that I even rejected | it with rudeness and with hauteur;—and I now apologise for my con- duct. You haye however been sufficiently avenged by the méasures you adopted a few hours ago to recover the amount due to you.” Ef 2s was not through vengeance that I acted, my lord,” said Collinson, seeing that the Duke paused as if for areply. “I never obey any other impulse than that of my own interest. Vengeance is either above or beneath me, I Enow not which. At all events, I neyer practise it. The step which I took was simply and ‘solely instigated by a desire to recoyer iny money;—and I-confess that I acted precipitately, because the alarming nature of the embarrassments closing in around your Grace, was no secret to me. Pee “Well, Iam plad to hear that you entertain no vindictive fecling towards me, Mr. Collinson,” re- guined the Duke of Belmont. “You remember what J told you when you submitted certain terms to iat consideration a few months ago?” Your Grace expressed astonishment at what you were pleased to call my unbounded presump- tion and startling impertinence,” responded the lawyer, in his characteristic coldness of voice. “T did not mean that, Mr. Collinson~I did not mean that!” exclaimed the Duke, “overwhelmed with confusion. “I wished to recall to your mind forth——” “T remember well everything that your lordship advanced upon the occasion referred to,” said the attorney, playing with his watch-guard. “ Your Grace stated that in a few months your son would be of age; and that on attaining his majority he would join your Grace in cutting off the entail of the estates and giving such securities as would satisfy all your creditors. Whereupon I represented, in answer thereto, that inasmuch as your Grace had already effected a similar transaction with the late Duke, in reference to a considerable portion of the estates, the release of the remaining portion by the dred thousand pounds in your lordship’s hand, with- | dition———’ the reasons which I alleged—the hopes I held | THE SEAMSTRESS. meet all your Grace’s liabilities. Your lordship can now inform me whether any subsequent ex- amination into the matter has elicited facts calcu- lated to refute my assertion.” “Qn the contrary, Mr. Collinson,’ replied the nobleman, “TI find, alas! that you took the really correct and proper view of the matter.” “And therefore if yonr Grace’s son, now that he is of age, should do for you what you did for your father,’ said the attorney, “the whole of the estates must inevitably be brought to the hammer, and the ducal house of Belmont will be ruined?” ° * Such indeed is the case,”” murmured the noble- man, with difficulty stifling a profound sob. ~©Then your lordship’s only chance is to obtain a sum of money, by hook or by crook, to settle pressing matters, and devote all your attention to the improvement of the estates, so as to raise their revenues and thus make them produce an income for yourself after paying the interest to the mort- gagees P”—and as Mr. Collinson thus laid bare the naked truth, with the merciless chill of a business- like candour, he took a huge pinch of snuff. “You have stated the case exactly,” rejoined the Duke. “If I could obtain a hundred thousand pounds for a couple of years, I should be saved.” “Humph! ’tis a large sum,” observed Collinson. “But how can L assist your Grace?—the estates offer no farther security at present; and it is worse than useless to get the Marquis of Arden to sacrifice the portion entailed upon himself.” “You would not then—I suppose—that is to say,” faultered the Duke, “you have doubtless thought better of the proposal you made me some months ago 32 “No, my lord: I have not thought better of it, i said Mr. Collinson. “ But what on earth can that proposal haye to do with your Grace’s desire to borrow money fcr two years? My offer was direct and simple. I proposed on my part to place a hun- consent of your son would not produce sufficient to out receipt, security, or acknowledgment: in plain terms, to give your lordship a hundred thousand 33 pounds—on condition Yes, yes—I know the condition full well,’ ex- claimed the Duke, with the hasty accents of a man who anticipates a disagreeable subject. ‘ But what T wished to propose was a modification of the terms in this manner: that you shall lend me a hundred thousand pounds upon my own’ security, for two years—and that if at the expiration of the two years I fail to repay the loan, you shall be en- titled to insist upon the fulfilment of the other con- “Two years—two years,” repeated Mr. Collinson, in a musing tone: ‘the period is full long! Iam now fifty—it is high time———” * But you are a man who may still call himself in the prime of life,” interrupted the Duke; “and, indeed, you do not look near so old as you tell me that you are.” “T thank your Grace for the compliment,” said the lawyer, with a scareely perceptible accent of ‘irony in his tone. “A hundred thousand pounds is -alarge sum to lay out in such a manner, unless it procure the immediate gratification of some cher- ished object. Will your Grace be candid with me, and explain what chance you may have of repaying 16 )(0)(0) () : (E(0)