The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

aera ec mania CTHMfma=a ga aes eas & THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. deeply, deeply on your account! Therefore pray listen to me, I am convinced that you enter- tain unfounded ideas in reepect to your own health. The mind is suffering; and in ite sufferings infu- ences the body: but if the mind were restored to jts natural tone, the physical sufferings would hemeselves conse. You have lately louked better than [ have seen you ever since you first came to the Chateau. There is aoolour upon your cheeks Now do not interrupt me!--not for worlds would Ff dvceive you~and I positively declare that it is nut a hectic glow, spot-like and undoatural— but it is a natural bloom shading gradually off ———~"? ad “Enough, Clarine!" interrupted Zve gently. “T comprehend the excellence of your motive—I appreciate all your kindness. But there is within mo u teeling, which I cannot explain, but which is nevertheless an unmistakable warnlo ” “Would ty beaven,’ exclaimed Clurine veho- mently, “that you would take proper professioual adviog upun this subject! If it bo really as you think, there can be no harimin your receiving tbe conviction that it is so: but if, on the oteer hand, you should find that you have deceived yourself— Ab, deareat Zue! will i¢ not bo your duty to cling to hte? Did you not a little while back assure mo that if you were walking on the odge of a pre- cipice, and that if thers were danger of your fall. ing into the abyss, you would rotreat rapidly, —be- vause you hold life to bo a vacred gift from heaven —a gift which you are to preserve with all pussible caro until it be taken away from you by Him who originally gave 1 !” “This is true, Clarine!’’ answered Zve, slowly und thoughtfully. ‘‘Therefure, toy beloved friend,” continued Mademoiselle Volney, “however bitter may be your cup of affliction, you are tuo good and have tuy protound a sense of your religious obligation, to put an end to your own existence. But, on the other hgnd, ought you to suffer yourself to fade and porish prematurely, if there be on earth the means of restorationP That Gud who breathed into our mortal clay the breath of life, has stored the world with herbs and minerals and various substances, expressly intended for the preservation of that lifo by warding off disease, or grappling with i¢ and conquering it; and within the scupe ot human intelligence be hae given a skill for com- prohending how all these curatives and preventives may be uscd. What is more beautiful than the medical art P—does it not, with’all its appliances and ite wondrous capabilities, prove itself to be an effluepce from heaven ?—and does not the mere existence of that art teach us the highest moral lessons? If we may not suddenly escape froim life Ly means of suicide, neither must we suffer our- selves to perish under the influence of illness or dis- eace Without invoking the aid of that sublime art ‘which heaven has associated with the destiny of lan.” Zve listened with mingled interest, admiration, and solemnity, to the eloquent language which was thue owing from her friend’s lips. She re- cognised all the truthfulaces of the reasoning: the whole matter assumed a new aspect to her view ; and ber-éuul received the conviction that if she felt it to be wrong to harbour even the slightest thought of self-destruction, it was scarcely lea re- » pugnant to the will of heaven to yield herself up to the ravages of disease without a single effort ta baffle them. “You have convinced ine, my doar Clarine t"* Zoe at length said, in a9 low deep voice: “ you have opened my eyes to a new and sublime truth! Yes—I will follow your counsel-———" Clarine, in the enthusiasm of her joyous frol- ings, caught Zoe's hands in her pwn, and pressed them fervidly. “This very day—this very hour, dearest, dearest friend,” cried Mademoiselie Voluey, “ myst you enter upon this new path. Do you not remem- ber Alfred tuld ys yesterday that Baron Lous, tho celebrated Purisian physician—he who has acquired such rendwo in the use of the stethoscope - lis arrived in the village to pass a few weeks for the benefit of his own hoalth? Ovome at once !—let us proceed to his residence! Nothing will now satisfy ine until you have received this eminent man's opinion {” , After all that had just taken place—with the now impression upon her mind—and considering tho assurances she had within the last fow minutes gives to her friend, Zoe could not posnbdiy refuse the proposition that was thus made. They were cluse upoa the vutekivt of the village, and in the neighbourhood was the picturesque little villa which Baron Lows had hired for the few weeks ho pur- posed to remain in that district. With a palpi- tuting heart Zoo suffered herself to be led along ; and with enthusiastic hopefuloess did Clarine con- duct her beloved friend towarde the villa.: It was now about five o'clock in the afternoon ; an} Baron Louis was just returning from an cxcursion on horseback. On learning the object of the two ladies—or rather we should say one of theia—he courteously invited them to enter,—though with a smile giving them to understand that when visit- ing this Pyrenean distJict he had no thought of pursuing bis professional avocations. Zoe would have retired: but the zealous Clarine led her on- ward; and they entered the neatly furnished par- lou& of the villa. Baron Louis awaited such explanations us Lady Octavian Moredith might have to give hia. She hesitated and spoke norvously: but Clarine came tu her aid. » The young lady said enough to make the physician @omprehend that Zoe had certain causes for sorrow and unhappiness, and that she had recently fancied she was labouring under a pulmunary complaint. The Baron proceeded to make the usual exatniuation by moans of the atethoscupe; gnd Clarine awaited the result with porbaps far more anxiety than that which Zov her- self experienced. At longth the opinion wus de- livered ; and it was tu tho effect that Lady Orta- vian Meredith needod naught but skilful and com- petent professional treatmont in order to be re- stored to perfect physical’ health, Zoe was well nigh overcome by her feelings on receiving this intelligence: but Clarine clapped her bands with an almost childish ebullition of joy, and folded her beloved friend in her arms. When the first gueh of feelings on the part of tho young ladies was over and when they grew somewhat more com , they both thanked the learaed physician for the trouble he had takep and the deljéate kindness he bad sauwn in the pro- ceeding; ‘and then Zue placed e *vvusiderable fee ¥ eecnpe abeqreeceren PETA ORAS. ge Sees, » an = REP ewnee SM ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)