The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 235: what you’re looking at

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

A A tte 239 TUT he said, kissing her beauteous head as it lay re- lining on his bosom; “and that alone ought to be happiness sufficient for me! But lam greedy—I am covetous; and I demand more! MJisten, adored Laura—grant ne your patience for a few minutes.” Sho raised her lead, and gazed tenderly up into his animated countenance as he spoke. “T am not a rich man,” he continucd; “but I possess a compctency—nay, a handsome compo- tency; and I care not how soon I abandon tho ser- vico of oven so good and excellent a prince as his Sovereign Ilighness—in order to devote mysolf wholly and solely to you. I know not who you are —I only know that you are tlife loveliest creature on tho face of God’s earth, and that your name is Laura Mortimer, Neither do I seck to know more. But I am ready and anxious to join my fortunes with yours—to marry you, if you will accept mo as your husband,—or to become your slave—your menial! Tell me not, then, that wo must part to- morrow: oh! let me remain with you, my charm- ing Laura, until death shall separate us!” “Tt cannot be, my handsome Barthelma!” mur. mured Laura. “ But let me call you by your Chris- tian name——” * Gorenzo,” said the Castelcicalan. “You are, then, my handsomo Loronzo for this night—and for this night only,” continued Laura, throwing her warm, plump, exquisitely modolled arms about his neck, and pressing her lips to his glowing clhicek, “Cruel—cruel Laura!” ho oxclaimed, returning the ardont caress. “Oh! would that circumstances permitted——” “No circumstances can Separato us, if you should decido that we aro to remain together,” interrupted the Castolcicalan, in an impassioned tone, “Alas! you know not——” “Tf you are already a wife, I will kill your Jins- band,” cried Lorenzo, again speaking with vehement abruptness: “if you aro engaged to wed ono whom you dislike, I will dare him to wrest you from my arms ;—and if you have relations—fatheror brothors —whom youimagine yourself bound to consult, you may rest well assured that in preferring my love to that of kith and kin you will be receiving the purest gold in exchange for comparative dress.” “Dear Lorenzo, I must seal your eloquent lips with kisses,” said Laura, with an arch playfulness that was also full of wantonness: ‘ yes—I must seal those red, moist lips,” sho murmured, after having pressed her mouth to his; ‘or you will per- suade me to pive an affirmative answer to your en- dearing solicitations—and that would only be to record a promiso to-night which J must break to- morrow.” “Aro you, then, my angel, tle mistress of some man on whoso wealth you aro depondent, or in whoso power circumstances have placed you ?” de- manded the impassioned Italian, with more fervid frankness than considcrato delicacy. “Tam not-I never was—and I never shall be a pensioned mistress, Lorenzo!” answered Laura, her manner becoming suddenly haughty. “Pardon me—Oh! I implore you to pardon mo, ny angel!” exclaimed tho young officer, straining her to his chest. ‘ Not for worlds would I offend you—not even to sare my soul from perdition would I wrong you by word or deed! Tell mo, Laura— tell me—am I forgiven ~” Sad rr a ra ee ee MYSTERIES OF LONDON, She raised her countenance towards his owa, and when their lips met she sealed his pardon with a long, burning kiss. ° “ And now,” sho said, “do not ask mo again to do that which is impossible, I cannot marry you, al- though Tam not marricd—I cannot bo your mis- tress, although I am not tho mistress of another—I cannot hold out any hope to you, although I am pledged to none other.” “You are as cnigmatical as you are charming— you are as mysterious as you are beautiful!” ex- claimed Lorenzo, contemplating his fair companion with the most enthusiastic rapture. “And it is not now for you to mar tho pleasuro — which we enjoy in oach other’s society, by secking to render mo less enigmatical or less mysterious,” observed the syron. “At the same time I cannot be otherwise than flattered by tho proposals you have made to me, and the gencrous manner in which you have expressed yourself in my bohalf. Como —letus drink a glass of champagne to enhanca tho happiness of the momont, and drown careful reficc- tions.” “Bo it so, my charmer,” said Lorenzo: “andif I no more torment you with my ontreaties—if I re- Solve to content myself with tho amount of bliss which you have promised me,—novortholoss, my dearest—over dearest Laura, I sball tako leavo of vou to-morrow morning with the fervent hopo that we shall shortly mect again. You told mo this afternoon that you proposed to visit Montoni in tho course of tho ensuing autumn——”’ ““Yes—I have no doubt that I shall be enabled to fulfil that promise,” interrupted aura, by way of changing the topic of discourse. “And now that you have given me to understand that you will not reviro tho useless but flattering, and, in Some sonse, arreeablo proposals you mado mo just now, lot us think only of the enjoyment of tho present.” “Tr shall bo as you say, my angel,” returned Lo- renzo; and ho forthwith filled a glass with spark- ling champagne, which he handed to his fair com- panion, Sho quaffed it at a draught, anda flood of light scemed to suffuse her entire countenance, and ren- der her oyes brilliant as diamonds: her lips, too, moist with the gencrous juice, acquired a deeper red —and her bosom panted with amorous longings. Lorenzo beheld tho effects of tho rich fluid, and hastencd to fill the glass again: thon, ere he drained it of its contents, hu studiously placed to his lips the sido which Laura’s mouth had touclied. “You had two friends with you this afternoon in the Champs Elysées?” said the syren, interro- gatively, when they wero once more seated, half- embraced in each other’s arms, upon the sofa. “Yes: one was a fellow-countryman of mino— the other a native of your land, my beloved,” an- swered Lorenzo. “But I must tell you the sine gular adventure that occurred to us: and, indeed,” he added, with a smile, “I am deeply indebted to a certain anonymous correspondent—for had it not been through him, I should not havo this day visited: the scence where I was fortunate enough to cun- counter you.” «A singular adventure !” exclaimed Laura, with an admirable affectation of the most ingenuous curiosity. “Judgo for yourself, my angel,” replied Lorenzo: then, taking Rosalie’s letter from his pocket, he e ° oe TS ae rr re een GIOOKS (SO) (SO)