The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

5 ein ng pe I 2 I A 7 IE I ee LI, SF rN 2S a TI a DT IES, in nar mr ans ——_ oP re Oe, et oes Dalen, > . : ; . THE MYSTERI£S OF THE COURT. , 185 now enchained in thé prt which this extraordinary woman—as extraordinary as she was beautiful— was taking in these delicate and difficult matters. “Well, ucither of you seem to be able to answer my question,” she continued, fter a pause of neatly & minute. “1 will tell you, then, what ia to be done, There must be a sham duel! Yes--na duel in which thege shall be every appearance of hostile Intent-—in which the pistols shall be loaded with powder and ball—duly discharged —point-blank, as I believe the phrase is—and even fired a second time, if you will,—but leaving you both unscathed and unhurt after all {” | “If such a prgqceeding can really take place,” anid the Earl of Curzon, atill under the lofluence of astonishment, “it will assuredly be the best mauuer to settle the present difficulty, A dug homage will thereby be paid to the opinion of the world —the laws of honour will be openly satisfied —and privately no unfairness will have been con mitted between your lordshipand me.” “I am perfeotly agreeable,” said Horace: “for of course, under present circamstancgs, I cannot wish to let you have the chance of taklog my kfe— and I asauredly am equally repugnant to take yours,” “But respecting the action for crim. con.,” said the Karl of Cursun, “which must precede the suit for u divorce in the House of L&ds?—TI have already consulted my solicitor upon the sub- jeot-——” . ° “ Ah?! your lordship bas not snffered the grass to grow under your feet since your return to Lon- don,”-exclaimed Venetia. But since you appeal to me relative to this u6w question, is there not such : thiyg as seeking only numinal damages P— in which case Hoface will of course offer no oppo- sition t6 the action,” ° “Yes—the legal portion of the affair can be thns managed,” said the Earl of Curzon, ¥ But your ladyship has yet to tell us how this sham due! as yuu call it, is to be managed.” : “I chanced a few days ago,” suid Venetia, “to take up a buok in which were recorded many cu- rious experiments of legerdemain, sleight-of-hand, aud conjuring tricks; and one of the feats described was mont ingenious and interesting. It was that ot a counjuror suffering a person to fire a lgaded pisto) at him—a pistol eharged with ball——" =» “But what was the ball made of?” asked Cur- zon, w.th an incredulous curi of the lip. “Tt wasa ball ot hollow glass filled with quick ailver,” answered Venetia; “afd when such @ bullet is held in the hand it feels of the samq weight ag a geuuine one, the ‘appearance of which it also has to the eye.” Excellent f exclaimed both Horace and Car- zon, now in the same breath: for they both per- ceived in an instant.how Venetia’s idea of a sham duel could be carried ont, : a “Now, Horsee, youcan’ withdraw,” said his wife; “and I will samen Sessica to condack the Ear! gt Curson as privately as possible out-of the palace, | | “In the course of the day, then,” sald Horace, with a gold salutation, "your lordship will send some friend with a challynge, acsording to the wonted formalities?” ¢ “¥ shall do so, my Jord,” responded Carson, | fikewise with a haughty reserve. Venetia now rang the bell; and her huéband at onge iseped from the boudoir. “Now, my dear Curzon,” said Vonetia, ‘the moment they were onee mare alone together, “you must nok be angry.aé what J have done: fur I was resolved to pus ati end to this duel—or rather to disarm it of its dangeroads charactor. Come, tell me you are not augry; fur assuredly I do not wish to quarrel with you:”—and as she spoke she lavished upon him such intoxicating caresses that he rapidly experienced .a thaw in the itl-humour which be had eongejved against her. “I forgive you for the harsh and biting words you psed just now towarils me,” she added ; “and therefore——” | ‘* Well, dearest Venetia,” said Curzon, “you must admit that the stratagem of which you made me the dupe was enough to irritate me.” “Hush! nd? more of all this,” she said, gaily and archly placing her hand opon bis mouth. “Now sit down once more, and, tell me all thant occurred at Geneva.” At this moment a.knock was heard at the door, and Venetia ordered Jessica, from whom the sum- mons came, to return in half-an-hour—for she had only rung the bell in the presence of her husband to make him believe that Carson was at once te take his departure and that she had no private business with him. The Earl apcordingly proceeded ta.give Venctia an account of just as mach as it suited him to relate conceraing his proceedings at Geneva. He did not meution the name of Malpas; and she did got choose to mention it either. In fact ber only object was now to aagcertuin the precise position iv which affairs seemed to be in the hoaseuold of the Princess of Wales; and if she showed her- self thus affable, condescending, aud kiud towards the Karl of Carzon, it was inerely bevausa she deemed it. prudent to couciliate a man who was acquainted with so many of her seorets. At the expiration of the half-hour Jessica re- turned to the boudoir; and Curgon was then . stealthily conducted from the palace. Veuetia now remained alone—alone to ponder upen all that had taken place, and to plunge into those meditations which the develophhent of her career, with all its varied incidents, was 80 weil caleulated to engender, Was not all sense of vir- tfle now lost within her soul?—-had she not become shameless in her dopravities and brazen in her profligacies? Yes: nor did she attempt to conceal this fact from herself! On the contrary, she was resolved that so far as the power of her beauty and the witchery of her fascinations conld serve her purposes of ambition or of intrigne—vf amo- rous gallantry or ot subtle design--she would never hesitate to rendor those reaps ‘available e 1 CHAPTER OXLVIt. THE GATHERIFG STORM. another of a very’ diffsrent ‘character, but of equal interest in the development ef our tale, was occur ringia the City. CONNIE OOO cS) CO