The Seamstress; or, The White Slave of England — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

82 THE SEAMSTRESS, secret sources of affliction ?—wherefore do you! what the world must be led to look upon as a place so little confidence in your parent——” preconcerted scheme between himself and you.” “My dear father,” exclaimed Charles, starting “JT understand, my lord,’ said Clementine. from his seat—seizing the Duke’s hand—and con- | “ Proceed.” veying it to his lips. “TI beseech you not to re- “At ten o’clock precisely my son will slip away proach me if I have kept one secret from you. | from the company,” continued the Duke. “ You But I know that the revelation thereof would | know, perhaps, that Lord Merton’s mansion is in only offend——” Park Lane, near Grosvenor Gate? At that spot “Then, if I may be permitted to hazard a con- | must you be within a few minutes after the hour jecture, Charles,” said the Duke, “ you have formed | which I have mentioned: and as the night may some attachment — perhaps some connexion—of| be dark—for the moon does not rise now until which you are ashained ?” late—he will mention the name of Charles to the “ An attachment—yes—but no connexion,” cried | fertale who accosts you. You will answer Clemen- the young nobleman: then, in a warmer wha more | tine; and then he will hurry you away to where enthusiastic tone, he added, “But I do not know | a post-chaise will be in readiness to whirl you both wherefore I should be ashamed of loving an amiable, | off to some cathedral town, at which a special excellent, and virtuous young lady—simply because | license can be obtained to-morrow morning. Are she is poor and moves not in the brilliant circles | you satisfied with these arrangements ?” of fashion——” “Perfectly, my lord,’ responded the French- “Who is she, my dear son 2” asked the Duke,| woman: then, after an instant’s pause, during of course & athe | the most complete ignorance | which her natural coquetry suggested an idea, she of that love-aff¥ir the progress of which he him-| observed, “And yet I should have been better self, or rather his RAs a arent, had so cruelly in- | pleased to have avoided so much mystery: for with terrupted. this arrangement I shall have no bridal-dress—no “Tt matters not, father, to give you any infor- | diamonds—whereas his Lordship, the Marquis will mation concerning her whont I love?” returned | be in the full costume which he must wear at Lord Charles, ii @ tone of profound melancholy. ‘She | Merton’s party.” is lost to me, I fear—vainly have I endeavoured to “Can you not help yourself to a. ball-dress be- obtain a trace to her residence—and for months | longing to one of my daughters ?” asked the Duke: past have I been in complete ignorance whether | “and as for diamonds—if you really must have such she be even still a denizen of this world :’”—and as | ornaments for the occasion, can you not borrow the young man thus spoke, the tears trickled down | those of her Grace? You have access to her his cheeks. wardrobe and casket, I should imagine “ “You must endeavour to conquer this passion “Yes, my lord,’ said Clementine, hesitatingly : which you have conceived for one whom you admit | “ but would not these proceedings on my part to be possessed of neither birth nor wealth,” said | appear very like petty thefts ?” the hawithty Duke of Belmont: and he proceeded “We should not think of prosecuting her whom to lecture his son upon the subject, in the approved | my son chooses to make his wife,” returried the fashion invariably adopted by fathers under such | Duke: “neither should we publish to the world circumstances. anything calculated to dishonour her, much as But Charles heard hi not. The young noble- | we may deplore the ill-assorted alliance. Besides, man was lost in painful thought ;—and after an | after all, Clementine —am I not still in your interview of about an hour, he was on the point | power ?” of retiring from his father’s présence, when the| ‘“ Yes—and you must screen me in every way,” latter caught him by the hand, exclaiming, “ My | rejoined the Frenchwoman. “ Well, my lord—I dear son, I cannot bear to witness this sombre | will adopt all your suggestions; and I swear by melancholy into which you are plunged.” heaven that, since your Grace is evidently dis- “Listen attentively for a few minutes,’ said | posed to act with sincerity towards me, your the Duke, in a cold and mournful tone, as if he | secret shall remain eternally locked up in my were speaking upon a topic which he endeavoured | bosom.” to treat with stern hauteur, but which neverthe- “You could have no possible interest in ever less touched him deeply. “ It must not be sup-| disgracing the father of him who will shortly be posed that I, the head of the great house of Bel- | your husband,” observed the Duke. “And now mont, in any way winked at—much less assented | we thoroughly understand each other—all our to—this connexion. The blame must be wholly | arrangements are settled—and you will be in the and solely attached to my son;—and therefore | vicinage of Grosvenor Gate within a few minutes must it be what is called a runaway match. Yor | after ten o'clock to-night.” some months I shall refuse to receive either you *T shall be there punctually, my lord, ” replied or him: but in the end I shall forgive you| Clementine:—and the Frenchwoman once more both.” quitted the Duke’s presence with a radiant coun- “This is politic and prudent on your side, as | tenance and a triumphant beating of the heart. the world goes,’ said Clementine, to whom the arrangement appeared perfectly natural on the score of expediency. rn a ieee “The Marquis of Arden and myself are invited CHAPTER XXVI. to dine this evening at Lord Merton’s,” continued the Duke. ‘My son would not have accepted HYDE PARK. the engagement—indeed, as you are aware, he has lately avoided all society——but he will go | Tn evening was very dark; and although it was to Lord Merton’s this evening, in order that he no later in the year than the beginning of Sep- may have a better opportunity of carrying out tember, yet the sky was as overcast with sombre TT TTT Eomichbook