The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 273: what you’re looking at

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

the rufflan who was your hired bravo, I¢ was the Lady Indora whose life was aimed at-——-” “For God’s sake, be quiet!” moane” the wretched Duke of Marchmont, rising from his seat and pacing the room with the most feverish agitation. * Nay—since we are upon the subject, and you yourself have compelled me thus to refer thereto, it were better that you should bear me out. The Duke of Marchmont must have very potent reasons for desiring to take th® of the Lady Indora; and perhaps her ledyship herself would be thankful were I to give her such ipformation as would prove thet it is none other than the said Duke of } a, “She knows is] she knows it!” exolgimed the wretched nobleman. . “Well, che may know it,” Mrs. Oxen- den, rising from a on in rn = menacingly ypon the cowering q: “but ¢ tribunal of justice does, not know it! She may have her ressops for aparing you: the law qos have none! Obsyou are so completely Ih my power, dare you play the. niggard? dare you grudge me cheese palsy wevecSs + = ATO B Fie ward so well earned for keepjng your secret P’” “Enough! I bessech you to say no more I” es claimed the Duke. ,“ We shall understand each other better for the future | Pray forget that I remonstrated at all!” “I am perfectly willing that we should be good friends again,” said Mrs.-Qxenden, with the pa- tronising air of an impérious mistress bestowing her forgiveness: “but reisember, I must bear no more of these remonstrances when I take it into my head to spend a few pounds.” si The Duke of Marchmont—finding himeelf utterly beaten, and thet Mrs.. Oxenden was re- solved to wield her power most despotically over him—thought that the bedt opurse he could adopt was to conciliate instead of irritating. He accord- ingly made all kinds of promises in accordance with the lady’s humour ; and he took his departuyp, inwardly anathematising having woven a tangled web of crime whioh day by day and hour by hour was enmeshing him more and more. The Duke of Marchmont had not long issued from Mrs. Oxpnden’s h when an bid gentle. man knocked at the front door. When the sum- mons was answered by a footman in us livery, this old gentleman said, “ Is Mrs, Oxenden at home?” _ She is, air,” was the answer. “ What name shall I announce ?” . * What name P” echoed the old gentleman, ner- vously. “No matter! Be good enough to intro- dace me to Mrs. Oxenden’s presence. I--I-—-knew ber at Brighton.” The footman had no orders to refuse admittance to any visitor: be of course consprehended that the mistress whom he served, was mistress in another sense to the Duke of Marchmont; and he thought this old gentleman, having known her previously, might possibly have very good reasons for declin- THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. everything which took place between yourself and | lectedly, as if it were @ visit of mere ordinary in- terest. “Pray sit down:”’—then, as the door closed behind the domestic, her manner all in an ingtant changed; and it was even with flerceness that she demanded, “ What bringe you hither P”’ “To assure myself with my own eyes,” re- sponded the old gentleman, “that the rumour which reached me 1s true—that you are living here in gilded infamy———~" Mrs. Oxenden burst out into ef ironical laugh. “Are you come to preach sermons to me?” she exclaimed. “If so, let me assure you at once that I am not prepared to listen to them. Between ‘you and me everything is ended, so far as the ties of husband and wife are concerned. But I did not leave you through any animosity: it was through self-interest. I am enriching myself; and if you like I can put you in a way of enriching yourself. Now do not be a fool, Mr. Oxenden! ‘You must know very well that gan old man such as you are——But no matter! I repeat, I have no animosity against you; and therefore I do not wish to say anything to .gonoy. You can resign me without a sigh; and as you are not overburdened with this world’s goo? you will not perhaps lose the opportunity of improving your position. This yon may do at the dame time that you will be,benefitting me——” “What mean you?” inquired Mr. Oxenden, whose first feelings of bitterness were yielding to others of selfish interest. . “ T.mean,” continued his wife, “ that as I have left, you, never to return,—you may as well be seperated from me legally as you are in fact. In plain terms, I recommend you to bring an action against the Dukef Marohmont for the seduction of your wife—ciaim heavy damages—I will take care that no defence shall be offered ta the process; eo that it will be neither a tedious nor a costly one ; and all the favour I ask in return is that when the suit. is finished you will render it the ground of another guit~I mean a suit for a divorce. ¢ Come now, Mr. Oxenden, is this to be an understanding between us P” “Let it be ao,” answered Mr. Oxenden after a few moments’ reflection. ‘“‘ But pray, tell me what object you have in view———” “No matter!” interrupted the lady: “it is suff- dient for you to perform the part which I enjoin: and you will find that it isa lucrative one. Go to a solicitor at once.” : “T will, I will!” exclaimed the old man. “ Yes, yes=-for more reasons than one |” “What do you mean?” asked his wife con- temptuously. “You surely do not pretend that you are really affected by my having left you P” * ‘We will not discuss that point,” rejoined Mr. Oxenden: “suffice it to say that I shall be too happy to carry out your suggestions to the very letter. But asI have no money wherewith to com- mence this suit—and as I cannot suppose that any solicitor will enter upon it without some guerantee ¢ loss on bis own side——"" “Enough!” interrupted Mrs, Oxenden: “ you shell have money :—then as she opened her writ- ing-desk and took forth a number of bank-notes, ; she laughed, exclaiming, “ Is it not singular to use the Duke’s own money in b ean action himself? Yet so it is! Mr. Oxen- den--take these notes. And now depart.” ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)