The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 143: what you’re looking at

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

Ged sl Gite toe So Eee Ee EP Bie Tb eS Men, EE Geig “oS a, 180 1H MYSTERIES OF THR COURT. ‘ ; deep sigh, amounting almost to a convulsive eob, | gave you the money ybu required,” exclaimed his made the rich volume of her bosom upheave as if it | wife, wondering why he should recur to that sub. were about to burst from the prisonage of the corset, | ject. * Yes—-but you must forgive mo if 1’ now spe- cially allude to it again,” continned Horace; “ be- oause the dilemma in which I am involved-———_” “Come—confeas the truth withont circumlo- cution,” interrupted Venetia, with fn arch look, and at the same time tapping him on the cheek with her fair hand. “You have got into some she turned aside for a moment and with a great effort subdued an outburst of grief: Jersica said nothing—did not even appear to notice thia sudden change in her mistress’s mood; but bustled about the boudoir as if to arrange three or four thiags that required putting in order. ‘ “Now, my excellent and faithful Jessica,” said Venetia, after a pause of a few minutes, “you must at ouce take this money to Culonel Malpas and tell him that gecording to the compact entered into betweet us ere we partet, he will find another sum of a few thousand pounds at thé banker's at Geneva when he arrives there. Hero is the address of the hotel in St. James's Streat where you will fatt him.” , The abigail tock the slip of paper which her mistress ‘hauded hey, together with the Bank- notes for fiye thovsqud pounds, and sallied forth to exccute tha commission just confided to her. Auother svmal¢ servant uow made her appear- ance with a tray contai Venetia’s breakfast ; and scarcely bad she retired, when Lord Sackville entered the boudelr. Eee CHAPTER CXLVI, THY AVOWAL AND THE DEBATE. pains with kis morning’s toilette, in order to divebt himself of dy agitated appearance, his looks never- theless at ouce ahawgd that something unpleasait had occurred. Yeuetia instantaneously suspected that he had-diseorered the circumstance of Mal- ene = » 7 -aentiel aera sateen retirees eT Aa, | | { | | difficulty with a lady—is it no s0?” “Yes. Bat have you heard ¢iveady-—” “No: I merely judge trom yete manner. You remind me of the compact—wijeh fs that you may have as many mistresses ag you fancy, and I may have as many lovors ag § fikg,” continued Venctia, the carnation deepenitig pa her cogntenance. “Well, you have gt band. “But the sed rightly," said her hus- mwa is a very serious one. There will b¢ expostte--scandal—law- proc, ed- ings,—and perhaps-——dadeed, most I'kely——'’ “Ah! a due,” ejdeuigted Venetia, how turning very pale. “My dear Horace——Bat who is the lady ?* she sudden!y demanded. “Pne Countess of Curzon," responded her husband. “The Couutess of Carzon !’ echoed Venetia, with a slightly perceptible atart: fur ahe could not help being struck, at} the moment, by the coinci- dene that she had been criminal with Editta’s huewgsnd, and her Ausband had now been cfiminal with Editha. “You are astonished?” observed Sackville Tuovan Horace had taken more than usual |“ Doubtless you considered Lady Curzon .to ve : the very pattern of virtue dad propriety ?” “Let as not dwell hurriedly, “ Giye me pas having passed the vight with her, and that he | listened with the deepest attention. had come te reproach her. Not that he had any | right, after the convenient compset made between him and bis wife, to interfere with her little pec- cadilloes: but still it would have been natural | you | * And the Eari,” she said, at the conclusion of his narrative, “has declared that he will have on details,” said Venetia, ah ogiline af the adventure which pas resulted in deteotion and exposure ?” Horace did as he wea déelred, und his wife satisfaction? But he has aot sent to you yet? enough for him to ¢eel annoyed and disgueted | ing?” at any seeming favour which she might have shown to such a wretch as Malpas. Retaining however her self-possession, which ‘indeed she seldom fost in the presence of others, she at once «aid, “Horace, something has a>- curred! What is the matter with you?” “My dearest Venetia,” he answered, placing himself by her side upon the sofa, “I have some- thing importagt to tell you—something that you will doubtleag hear from other lips presently. and which therefore you had better inthe firstinstance hear from mine.” “But what is it?” she exclaimed: “something terrible, that it requires ao s0!-Ton @ preface ?” “1 donot know whether you will scold me for ‘the facta,” -. getting into this scrape,” said Horace, affecting a laugh: but It was only a sickly attempt at mirth. “Ah! then it is some dilemma which you have got, yourself into?” she said, now suddenly and completely relieved from any fears on ber own account. “But what have you been doing, you naughty Horace?” “Pardon me, dear Venetia,” he replied, “if I first remind you of our compact-—” “But you told me of that yesterdsy, when I “No. Captaiu Tash is With me,” se‘d Horace. He will be my second if Curzon should indeed sevd me a challenge—as, of course, he is sure to db.” have heard nothing from bim this morn- “ But this challenge,” said Venetia, hesitatingly, —“are you bohnd to accept it?” * Good God! oan you ask me sucha question ?” ejaculated Horses. “Even if I knew beforehand that Curzon’s shot would stretch me dew upon the field, I must accept.the challenge. Honeur demands it; and if I have now come to break all this to youc ears, it is simply because. 1 did not wish you to receive the tidings suddenly, or | through some channel which might misrepresent of Mi 3 them!” exclaimed Venetis, now much agitated. “They cannot possibly be made worse—i mse mengces ¥OU.. im respect to the danger which ow, my dear Horaee,” afte con- tinued, in a tone that was tremulous with the strange and conflicting emotions agitating in her breast, “you kaow that, notwithstanding the des- tiay on whom waters I em i twith- standing, indeed, the strange mode of life we lead —syou know, I say, that I am fond of you. It war (CO gn Sr SS ET ES ieee, 2 AOC) cS) CO