The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 337: what you’re looking at

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

$24 whow I fret became acquainted at Oxford. We plighted our faith to each other: we were sepa- rated—and I went sbroad. During my absence it was reported that I had perished; and she was prevailed upon to accompany my uncle the Duke of Marchmont to the altar. Subsequently she learnt that I was alive: but into all these dotails of a sad, ead history it is not my purpose to enter. Suffice it to say that I deemed her faithless; and on arriving in England, I repaired to Oaklands that I might have an opportuaity of upbraiding her for the supposed perfidy. That opportunity presented iteelf: but, alas! I found that she was to be pitied and not blamed. Our mental agony was immense—excruciating—ineffable. But she wasawife! Hed she been the wife of a stranger, her position would have rendered her not the less sacred in my eyes: but as the wife of my own uncle-——QOh ! I was incapable of a deed of in- famy! It was arranged that I was to depart speedily from Oaklands and set out for the ‘Court of Florence, to which I had been appoirited Envoy Plenipotentiary. The moment for bidding farewell drew nigh: my edieux were said to the Duchess Elisa; and yielding to the anguish of my feelings, I clasped her in my arms., The Duke beheld the acene—as you have already been informed by the confession ere now read,—titat confession of my guilty brother! [I fled to the village tavern; and some while afterwards my brother joined me, with the intelligence that the Duchess Eliza had disap- peared from Oaklands. She had gone forth as a wanderer on the face of the carth,—she who was innocent! Maddened by the tidings, I sped in searoh of the unbappy lady. For hours I wan- dered ; and at length I overtook her. It was then | midnight ;~—and in a lonely spot by the side of a atream was she seated, weeping bitterly. This spot wes tiles away from Oaklands, She reproached me not as the author of the frightful calamities which had fallen upon her head; and though she gave way to the most passionate lamentations, she mentioned tot my name with upbraiding. She vowed that she would retire into some complete seclusion where she would linger “out the rest of her unhappy days; and this seclusion she was de- termined should be far remote from the scenes where she bad suffered so much miserg..,, My con- duct was full of respect and sympathy apd griof ; aud I did not even so much as take he} hand : ‘I felt that any demonstration of tenderness on my part would be an insult in such ciroumstinces. I persuaded her to proceed to an adjacent village where she might repose herself for a few hours. She scoompanied me: qp walked side by side— she did not even take my arm, though she was sinking with fatigue—and I dared not offer it. As we entered the village, in the middle of that mo. mentous night, s return post-chaise was passing through. The unheppy Buches abruptly pro- claimed her imtention of taking it. She entered the vehicie: Tent upon the box ;—I was resolved that whatecever might subsequently transpire, there ghvuld be nothing in my conduct to justify or #. enhance the suspicions already pressing so y eyeinss her. On reaching the town to b.the chaise belonged, the Duchess bade me @iadee her the means of rapid conveyance to one of the remotest counties of Enoglaod, it mattered 8 bd » ‘ THE MYSTERIES OF THE OOURT. cordingly obtained; and I resolved to see the un- fortunate lady fo some place of safety before I bade her farewell for ever: for I was afraid lest in her despair she should commit suicide! [n- deed,” added Lord Clandon, with a voice full of emotion, “I believe she meditated self-destruction at the moment when I found her weeping so bit- terly by the side of that stream.” He again paused for a few thinates; and then continued hie narrative in the ensuing manner :— “The Duchess travelled inside the chaise: I con- tinued to ride outside, acting as her guardian and her friend. We travelled on and on for many jong, long hours without ceasing; and drequently did I ask the Duchess whether she would now stop and find a home in some neighbouring seclusion ? But when she asked where we were, and the answer was first ‘In Warwickshire’—then ‘lo Derbyshire’—then ‘In Yorkshire’she still re- plied with passionate vehemence that she would go further still. And thus, without stopping ex- gept for a few minutes at a time, we reached Oum- berland. Then the Duchess said that ehe would halt theref and indeed, thoroughly exhausted mentally and physically as she wae, i¢ would have been impossible for her to proceed farther. At a village near the Scottish Border did we thus stop at last; and the Duchess besought that I would continue to conceal her name and rank, as both had been onncealed throughout that long, long journey. With the least possible delay the un- happy Duchess procured for herself a lodging in a cottage situated about a mile from the village, and the mistress of which was a widow between thirty and forty years of age. I then bade adieu to the Duchess. There was one clasp of the hand—there was one kiss imprinted upon her brow—aad I rushed away, not daring to remain another mi- nute {” Again did Lord Olandon pause; and so full of pathos had been his voice as he told this affecting tale, that there ‘was scarcely an unmoistened eye in the Court. “Yes, I fled precipitately,” he at length re- sumed, “anguish and remorse in my heart—for‘ I felt that I had been the cause of this wrecked happiness and ruined reputation which had over. taken one eo innocent, eo young, so beautiful! I sped to the nearest seaport on the castern cosat: I gnbarked on board the first ship which I found ready to bear me away from a country that I re+ solved never to'revisit. I pictured to myself a terrific exposure at Oaklande—the direst acocusa- tions fulminating against my character—my repu- tation gone—my prospects blighted—and the name of Bertram Vivian handed over to universal exe- cration de that of the seducer of his own uncle’s wife! I¢ was a Dutth ebip in which I embarked ; and I arrived at Rotterdam. At the very moment of entering the port, a large ship was clearing out for the Indian Seas. Unhesitatingly I took my passage on board of her; and favoured by pro:- perous winds, the voyage was made in an exceed- ingly short space of time to Java. Thence I re- paired to Calcutta, with the determination of offering my services to the Anglo-Indian Govern- ment; for the funde which I had in my possession when leaving England, were now nearly exhausted. I had assumed the name of Olement Redcliffe; and ‘eet whiok, An eguipage with four horses was ace ; I should add that my errival at Caloutta bad out- é 0D canny ptr cence en Ee ae ree ern eee page sg tegepasenanmernemn eerie eeteeneteenntonn eerie tense ANICLOOO (C©) SS (CO)