The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

190 TITE WYSTERIBS OF LONDON, No: the wim of this vile intriguing woman was merely the re-establishment of her former ascend- ancy over her daughter,—by fair means or by foul— by conciliation or intimidation—by ministering to her vanity and her pride, or by working on her fears —by rendering herself necessary to her, or by re- ducing her to subjection through a course of studied despotism and tyranny. Iler imagination pictured the voluptuous and impassioned Perdita clinging to her young husband as to something which had become necessary to her very existence, and from which it wero death to part; and she chuckled within herself, as she muttered botween her lips,— “The girl would have this marriage ; and it shall be made in my hands a means to subdue her! For in her tenderest moments—when reading love in his eyes, and lookiag love with ker owwn,—when wrapt in Elysian dreams and visions of ineffable bliss—then will I steal near her, and whisperin her ear, ‘ Per- dita, you must yield to me in all things; or with a word—a single word—will I betray you to that fond, confiding fool; I will blast ail your happiness, and he shall cast thee away from him as a leath- some and polluted thing !’” With such agreeable musings as these did Mrs. Fitzhardinge while away the half-hour which the hackney-coach occupied in driving her from the hotel to the British Embassy. It was now five o’clock in the evening, and she fortunately found tho chap- lain’s clerk in an office to which the gate-porter tlirected her to proceed. From the official to whom she was thus referred, she learnt that Charles Hat- field and Perdita Fitzhardinge were united in ma- trimonial bonds on the previous day; and an in- spection of the register, for which she paid a small fee, enabled her to ascertain the address they had given as their place of abodein the French capital. Satisfied with these results, Mrs, Fitzhardingo returned to the vehicle, and ordered the coaclman to drive her to an hotel which she named, and which was the one mentioned in the register. We should observe that the old woman spoke French with fluency ; and thus she had no difficulty in making herself understood in the gay city of Paris. Cr CHAPTER OLY. THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER, ON arriving at the hotel indicated, Mrs, Fitz- nardinge alighted, and inquired of the porter whether Mr. and Mrs. Hatfield were residing there, The man referred to a long list of names on a paper posted against the wall; and, after running his eye down the column, turned to the old woman With the laconic, but respectfully uttered obsarya- tion,— Removed to No. 9, Rue Monthabor.” To this new address did Mrs, Fitzhardinge re- pair, without pausing to ask any further question ; and, on her arrival at tho eritrance toa house of handsome appearance in the street named, she in- quired for Mr. and Mrs. Hatfield. “Oh! itis all right,” said the porter. “TJ was told that if any persons called to ask for Mrs. Hat- field, I was to direct them to the lady who has taken the second floor.” Mrs, Fitzhardinge was d»mewhat surprised by this ambiguous answer: buf it instautly struck her that Charles might have {ssumed his title of Vise Count Marston, and thatt namo of Hatfeld would, therefore, bo unknown to tho porter, had no part! cular instructions been left withhim. Atallcvents, she was in too great a hurry to remain bandying words with the man; and she accordingly hastened to ascend to the second floor, which, we should observe by the way, is the most fashionable in Parisian houses. But as she mounted the staircase, it struck her that the porter, when replying to her query, had made no mention of any gentleman at all, but had plainly and clearly spoken of “ the lady who has taken the second floor.” The old woman was puzzled—indeed, bewildered by tho mystery which suddenly appeared to envelope her; and a certain misgiving seized upon her mind, the naturo of which She could not precisely define, On gaining the marble landing of the second floor, she rang the bell at the door of the suite of apartments on that flat, and was immediately ad- mitted by Rosalie intoa handsomely furnished draw- ing-room. ‘4 “Whom shall I mention to mademoiselle?” # quired the French Jady’s-maid. “Her mother,” was the response. Rosalie withdrew; and Mrs, Fitzhardingo, seating herself upon an elegant ottoman, cast her eyes around the splondid reom. “ Perdita is well lodged, at all events,” she mused inwardly. “ But somehow or another, there is a mystery which I cannot comprehend. The porter spoke of no gentleman—the maid was equally silent on that head, and alluded to hor mistress as mademotselle* and not as madame, What can it mean ~” At this moment the door opened, and Perdita made her appearance in a charming deshabillée; for sho bad been agsisting to arrange her effects in ler newly-hired ready-furnished apartments. The meeting between the mother and daughter was charaterised by nothing cordial—much Jess affectionate: thore was no embracing—nct oven a shaking of the hand, but only a mutual desire, hastily evinced on either side, to recoive explani- tions, “Whore is Charles?’ demanded Mrs, Fitu hardinge. ‘“‘ Gono,” was the laconic reply, “ Gono!” ejaculated the old woman, now mani fosting the most profound astonishment. “ Yes; gone—departed—never to return,” said Perdita, with some degree of bitterness: then, in an altered tone, and with recovered calmness, she asked, “ But how have you managed respecting the accusation ——~” “Ah! then you have heard of that?” interrupted Mrs, Fitzhardinge, with a subdued feeling of spite; for she thought that her daughter took the mnattor very quietly. “I was taken back to London— examined at the Marylebone Police-court—and dis- charged without much difficulty. Now, in your turn, answer my next question—wherofore hag Charles left you ?” f “In the first place,” said Perdita, “ tell me how you discovered my abode ?”—and she fixed hor largo grey eyes in ao searching manner upon the old woman, as if to ascertain by that lock the precise extent of her mother’s knowledge rolative to her- self and Charles. ee nee Corwtrry.re * Equivalent to “ Miss” in Enclish. EConnicloooks (CO)