The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

Rn en am re ag Hee Ta nr a enc cea aa ee pt gS tees ete 58 —— “Ob, uncle! uncle!” murmured the weeping Eglantine, “pray be not so cruel unto me—QOh! be not cruel unto me!” ° “ Cruel, niece P” ejaculated Captain Cartwright : “i¢ is you that have been cruel to the memory of your parente—to mo—aye, and unto yourself! But I must tear you hence—from “this houso of infamy |—you must go with me—end on you, my lord, will I inflict such vengennce as tue seducer deserves. Not even your years—maueh less your rank ‘and wealth shall peotect you! You are bound to give me satisfaction for the seduction of my niece. A friend of mine will wait upon you presently; and if you refase, I swear that I will horsowhip you publicly ——net a horsewhipping for mere shuw—not a simple laying of the whip upou your shoulder !—but such a chastisement as shall bring you within a Bair’s-breadth of the grave !” A shriek thrilled from Hglanstine’s lips: again she flung herself at the Captain's fest—arain she implored his mercy. Bat fleredly seizing her by tho wrist, be sompelled her to rise; and thon, ss he tossed her from hic, she sank back, sobbing convulsively inte her chair. Meanwhile the old nobleman had been thrown imto such a nervous etate of excitement by the dregl of losing his beautiful mistress, and by the terrific threats of personal chastisement which the fierce Captain bad flung out, that be was almost suffocated and strangled by another fit of coughing. “If on my return to Hugiand,” repamed Cap- tain Cartwright, now addressing Eglmtine with mournfuiness rather than bitternces perceptible in his tone, “I had found you the honoured wedded wife of this nobloman, or of any other man of station or character, joy would have filled my heart. I should have blessed you—I should have thought with a holy comfort of the manner in which I had fulfilled my vow to your deceased parents: I should npt have felt as if I myself were a’ guilty and perjured beidy in the memory of your father. But instead of bailing] privacy as possible, eo that it may not be k you as m Wife, I Gnd you lving in gfided in- famy———Oh, it is terrible to think of! and there is no vongeance, my lord, teo deadly to be wrealted on you as this orphan girl’s seducer |” ‘ “ But—bat,” said the nobleman, quivéring with nervousness, and shaken by his hacking cough,— “but—but—ugh! ugh!—is there no means by which this matter can be settled P I—I will place a very large—ugh ! ugh !—sum of money in Eglan- tine’s name ——”’ “My lord,” interrupted Captain Cartwright sternly, “ this is adding insult to injury! What? s~think you that the loss of her honour is to be sompensated for by gold? Come, Egiantine— some directly—TI insist upon it!” “She shan’t gol” screeched forth the old noble- man, who looked as if he were goaded almost to frenzy: “she shan’t go!” “We shall see, my lord,” answered Cartwright coldly. “KEglantine is under agoe—I am her na- tural protector and her guardian: if she refuse to accompany me of her own free will, I mast put force into requisition. Come, girl, I say—ocome f’ “Bat my dear sir—ugh! ugh!—I love her!’ exclaimed Lord Wenham. “She is the only good girl I ever knewl—the only one that—ugh! ugh ! aye give herself airs: and therefore—ugh ! THH MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. - | “But think you, my lord,” demanded the Cap. tain, “that because you love her, I will leavo her here as your pensioned mistressP Heaven forbid ! Come, girl—core !” “'Woll, well,” muttered Lord Wenham, “I eup- pose it must be—ugh! ugh!—i must be! Cap- tain Cartwsight—ugh! ugh!—--But what will the world think? Hang the world!—ugh! ugh! I should not be the first nobloman’that—ugh! ugh ! ——— Besides, how many have married ectresses P And then too, no one need know—ugh! ugh!— that Kglantine lived with me first of all. It has only been a matter of a few days. Captain Cart- wright, ahem!i—ugh! ugh!—I think—ahem !— ugh !—hab !—abem!—ugh! ugh!” Thus, what with sometimes muttering to bim- self—sometimes sperking loud enough to be heard —and ing incessantly from first to last—the old dotard conveyed an idoa of what was passing im his mind. *You think what, my lord?” demanded Cart. wright, es Wonkam suddenly stopped short. “T think, Oaptain—agh! ugh!” answered the nobleman, “that this littl mattcr—akem !—hah ! —littie mattcr may be perhaps arranged—ugh ! ugh !—to the satisfaction of us all. Syiantine is a good girl—and—and—ugh! ugh!—will J am sure make a~ahem !—hah!—make a—you know —ugh !—ae very good wife.” A wild ery of joy thrilled from Fgientine’s lips as she few towards tho old nobleman; and again flinging ber arms about his nock, she lavished upon iim the tenderest and most endearing caresses. “My lord,” said Captain Cartwright, * you are pow performing the part of an honourable man. [ eateem and respect youn——and I feel convinced that my beloved niece will make you a most excel- lent wife. ‘You will havo the goodness to give mo ag a eA ey your solemn written undertaking that the ma- - riage shall be solenyniazed by special hi mmorrow—though under circumstances of as w to- ch wn to the world that Hglantine lived under your Pi tection a8 a mistress before she became a wife. Give me this undertaking, my lord—and I will for the present—I will not separate you— I will leave you to the discussion of such prelimi- naries as may be necessary for all that is to take place.” ; The old dotard—labouring under a mortal terror of tho fierce Captain Cartwright, and eqaally in- fluenfed, though in another sense, by the tender caresses whith Eglantine was levishing upon him —hesitated not to give the written undertaking which the fire-eater demanded. CHAPTER XOLV. THW INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. Yrs sbene once more changes to Shrubbery Ville =the residence of the Prinoess Indora in the neighbourhood of Nottmg Hill and Bayswater. The Princess was seated alone in that exquisitely - furnished apartment where we found her on the first cocasion that she was introduced to out - veaders. It'was at the back of the drawing-room on the first-floor; and the style of its appoint ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)