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Book, page 401 / 433 the silent party, with a half terrified, half astonished countenance. _Je vous demande mille pardons--Qu'est ce que c'est?_ I have only been to take a walk dis morning into de village to de milliner's. She has disappointed me of my tings, dat kept me waiting; but I am come back in time for breakfast, I hope?" "But where is my daughter?" cried Lady S----, roused at last from her natural indolence--"where is Lady Augusta?" "_Bon Dieu!_ Miladi, I don't know. _Bon Dieu!_ in her bed, I suppose. _Bon Dieu!_" exclaimed she a third time, and turned as pale as ashes. "But where den is Mr. Dashwood?" At this instant a note, directed to mademoiselle, was brought into the room: the servant said that Lady Augusta's maid had just found it upon her lady's toilette--mademoiselle tore open the note. "Excuse me to my mother--_you_ can best plead my excuse. "You will not see me again till I am 'Augusta Dashwood.'" "_Ah scelerat! Ah scelerat! Il m'a trahi!_" screamed mademoiselle: she threw down the note, and sunk upon the sofa in real hysterics; whilst Lady S----, seeing in one and the same moment her own folly and her daughter's ruin, fixed her eyes upon the words "Augusta Dashwood," and fainted. Mr. Mountague led Lord George out of the room with him, whilst Mrs. Temple, Helen, and her sister, ran to the assistance of the unhappy mother and the detected governess. As soon as mademoiselle had recovered tolerable _composure_, she recollected that she had betrayed too violent emotion on this occasion. "_Il m'a trahi_," were words, however, that she could not recall; it was in vain she attempted to fabricate some apology for herself. No apology could avail: and whilst Lady S----, in silent anguish, wept for her own and her daughter's folly, the governess, in loud and gross terms, abused Dashwood, and reproached her pupil with having shown duplicity, ingratitude, and a _bad heart_. "A bad education!" exclaimed Lady S----, with a voice of mingled anger
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