The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 353: what you’re looking at

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

340 taneously assuming a smiling countenance, she weleomed him with her wonted affection. “ My dear sister,” said the young Duke, “I am come to speak to you on a seridus subject————” “TI can anticipate it,” she answered :*“and I should have taken the first opportunity to inform you' of what occurred this morning, in addition to the with which you are already ac- quainted. Captain Stanley honoured me with the offer of his hand——~zend I refused it.” “You refused it, my dear Ohristina,” said the young Duke, placing himself by her side on the eofa where she was seated-— g her hand—and regarding her with the tenderesat fratesnal love: “You refused——but tell me why, Christina? Give me your confidence, as you have ever given it to me.” " “T have no secret, unknown to you,” she . “I Oaptain Stanley as a friend but I do not love him as I feel that one ought to love him who is accepted as a husband. _ Yoda know everything, my dear Ohristian !—you khow why I do not love Robert Stanley, and why I cannot love him |” Thus speaking, the young maiden threw her arms about her brother's neck; and she reposed her blushing countenance upon his shoulder. Tell me, my eweet sister-+-tell me,”’ he softly asked, “does your mind still cherish an image which, in spite of all your virtue and purity, made its imp there f° “No, Christian —-ane!” responded his sister, raising her head and meeting his gaze with the ateadiness of one conscious that she was speaking the trath, and proudly satisfied with herself that she was enabled to proclaim euch a truth. “I have succeeded in triumphing over that weakness -—that criminal folly on my part. J was resolved to exercise all my mental energies; and heaven assisted me. I prayed fergently—Oh! how fer- vently—for that assistance; and it was vouch- safed! To me Lord Octavian Meredith is now nothing mofe than one whom I can look upon as a friend.” e “Oh! God be thanked for this hssurance !”” ex- claimed Christian, rapturously embracing his sister. “ But are you sure, my sweet Christina, that you are not miscalculating the strength &f your own mind—that because in the purity of your thoughts you wish it to be strong, you deem that it really so P” ° ‘ Believe me, Christian,” che answered “I am mot deceiving myself any more then I am de- ceiving you. There was a duty to be performed; end it has been accomplished. Ob, my beloved brother | do you not think that the knowledge of our mother’s sad, sad history must have been fraught with moral teachings for me? How fatal to ber happiness was that love of her's—a love which endured after she bécams the wife of an- other! Could I, then, be otherwise than appalled, frightened, and dismayed by the contemplation of that eenpiment which 1 was experiencing for one who-is the husband of anotuer? I grappled with ih de Hf 10 wore a-cerpent which had coiled itself } my heart: I seized it by the throat—I Qiaingled it—I tossed it away from me. Ah! it wile a straggle, Christian !—and yet it has beef ecoumplished ! > I feel~I know—in the strength . 0f wy own soul can I declare, that were I to meet THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Lord Octavian Meredith this mument, no change would take place within me:—my self-possession a not be outwardly assumed, but inwardly ¢ ‘“Ohriatina,” oried her brother, in a tdne of exultation, “ more welcome to me than a thousand dukedoms is the intelligence which your words have just conveyed! I know that you are inca: pable of speaking otherwise thap with sincerity ; and I now know,also you sincerely feel all that you have expressed. For weeks and months past I have been enxious to speak to you on this sub- ject : but I have not dared to approach it. I was fearful that by a single word I might ravive feel- ings and memories which in my heart I hoped were becoming subdued and were melting away. Oh ! I repeat, my beloved sister, the joy which I now experience is. greater than language can ex- press!” °e \ ‘And I, my dear brother,” answered the affeo- tionate girl “am proud as well as bappy that I can look you in the face and in the sincerity of my aoul give you these ‘assurancen Qh! all the events which came upon us a few months back with the rapidity of a succession of hurricanes, produced a marvellous effect upon me. I have learnt that the soul cannot be strong unless the resolve be previously taken that it ehall become strengthened: I have learn$d to comprehend the mazim that ‘heaven only helps those who help themselves.” Zuve’s letters enable me to compre- hend that Lord Octavian himeelf has entered fully into the path of duty: he appreciates all the ex- cellent qualities of bis amiable and loving wife ; and their happiness is now complete. Could I, even with the slightest remnant of a selfish senti- ment, again threaten their felicity P Heaven for- bid! If I did not feel how strong in moral pur- poses I have become, I should be the most un- happy of creatures !” ° “Then why not, Christina, accept the addresses of the Hon. Oaptain Stanley ?” asked the young uke. The maiden sho#k her head—and replied, “ The effort which it bas cost me to crush one sentiment: in my heart, seems to have closed the avenue for the entrance of another. I repeat thet I can re- gard Oaptain Stanley as a very dear friend—but nothing more. Besides, Christian,” added Obris- tinay remorsefully, “‘ even if it were different—even if I felt that I could love Captain “Stanley—£ would not accept his suit without previously making him acquainted with all that has passed. I would keep no secret from him whom I con- sented to accompany to the altar.” “ There again spoke my pure and noble-minded sister |’ “exclaimed Obriatian. “You cannot do otherwise than adaofire the many noble qualities of Rubert Stanley. He is intelligent—he is gene- rous-hearted—his character is unimpeachable—hia life is immaculate. He possesses rank, and wealth, and personal beauty—though these lest conside- rations, I kyow, must weigh little with you, my dear meter, in comparison with the former. Al- though you have so greudly triumphed over one sentiment in your heart, you may not be enabled to comprehend that heart of yours so* thoroughly as to arrive at the conclusion that it may never love again. At least you will confess to me that if, in some supposed case, ib were your destiny’s 6 q ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)