I had my duty to do as a respectable woman.

My duty was to steal a little nearer, and see if any familiarities were passing between these two merry young people.

One half of the open window was sheltered, on the outer side, by a Venetian blind.
I stood behind the blind, and peeped in.

(Duty! oh, dear me, painful, but necessary duty!) Dubourg was sitting with his back to the window.

Lucilla faced me opposite to him.