The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 161: what you’re looking at

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

io rr a as | THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 148 Yes—to be sure!” exclaimed the Genevese, as if enddenly recalling something to miud: “ I remem- ber that I once spoke to two of them.” “Ah! then yuu are acquainted with the persons attached to her Royal Highness?” said Jocelyn interrogatively. “No—not to say acquainted,” answered the pro- fessional gentleman, “J have had the honour of speaking to two or three of them, as I] just now stated.” .“ Have you ever been inside the villa which her Royal Highness inhabits?” asked Jocelyn, not thinking that there was anything at all iudiscreet in the question. “ Yes-—no,” returned the Genevese, sudden! correcting his first reply. “ That 1s to say, I was once there: but-——” And stopping suddenly short, he had recourse to his wine- glass, as if to get rid of the necessity of saying any more upon the subject. “| beg you: pardon,” said Jocelyn, “if I have been puting rude or impertinent queries to you——" “Oh! not at all, not at all, I can assure you!” exclaimed the professional gentiemau, again be- coming all ui banicy and politeness. “We will talk upon another subject,” said Jocelyn, perceiyvmg that the furmer tupic was sumbhow or auutner disagreeable or ewbarrass- ing: aud he accurdingly began to ¢xpatiate upon the beauties of the adjacent sceucPy and the pie- turcsque view which was obtaimeu of the muun- tains uf Jura yn the distance. He tound hs compauion perfectly ready to d's- course upon the charmung features of his own native cline: ani thus the remainder of the di- ner-hour was passed away agreeably enough. On the Continent it is not the custum to Inger over the wine; and accordingly, soon alter the ue-sert was plac ed upon the table, cuffee was served up, and the Jandlord taen came to announce that the professional yentieman's chal-e was in readiness, That mdiv dual thereupon took his leave of Juce- lyn, without any p Quosal that they should renew their acquaintance at Geneva: but this was by no meaus extraordinary, iuasmuch as though pzople may get on very (riendly terms together at foreign iubles d'hote, it does not at all follow that the ip- timacy should continue when once they rise from table. «Who is that gentleman?” inquired Loftus of the Javdlord when his dinner-companion had taken his departure in the hired chaise, or Ay, which had bought him thither in the afvernoon., “1 do not kuow, sir—I never saw him before,” was the answer. “He came to iuquire about a house and garden which are to sell in the neigh- bourhvod: but either they did not suit bis pur- poses or the price was too high, and so nothing has come of it. When will you have your pest- chaise got ready, sir?” “Not until sunset,” answered Jocelyn. “The euvirons of your village are so beautiful that I abali take another ramble ere I pruceed to the city.” Oar hero accordingly set off again to visit the adjacent scenery ; for as we have already stated, he did not wish to enter Geneva until it was dusk, the more surely to escape the notice of the Misses Owen, should they bapp; n to be rambling or riding in the suburbs which he would have to traverse. But, seduced as it were bythe beauty of the scenes amongst which ,he was now roving, aod also giving way to the luxury of those thoughts which were inspired by his recoveretl freedom and the hope of shortly returning to England to make Louisa hie bride, Jocelyn did‘ not notice that he was still bending his steps farthér aud farther away from the village, although the sun was now setting. At the moment he awoke from a delicious reverie to the consciousness of the fact, he found himeelf almost ciose upon the margin of one of those sinuosities of the Jake’s configuration which indent ite south-western shore’ The hour was delicious. The last beams of the setting sun were glinmering above the heights in the horizon ;—a gentle breeze prevailed, just suffi- cient to give a welcome freshuesa after the heat of the day, but not to ruffle the surface of the lake ; and the shepherd's pipe in the distance, the lowing of cattle, aud the Uleating of sheep, indicated that the herds and flocks were being driven hume from the pastures. Although now recollectiug that he must be a good three miles from the village, and that the bour was already come when he bad or- dered the post-chaise, Jocelyn could noc help lin- gering on the margin of the lake to contemplate the effects of the departing sunlight playing flick- eringly on that biue ina-s uf sieeping water, while the white sails of a vessel also caught those beams ere they disappeared altogtther. And at a dis. tance of abuut half-a-mile wight be seen the stee- ples and tuwers of Geneva, around which however the obscurity of eventug was now graduaily draw- ing its veil, Altoyether the scene was must bean- tiful—the hour mostdelicigus ; ~nd Jécelyn’s heart appeared to leap within his breast as he contrasted the enjoyment of freedom and the power to range and rove amidst nature's sweetest spote at will, with the monotony aud the suffocating sensation experienced in the tomb-like walls of a prison ! While be was thus stauding upon the bank of Lake Leman, with the shades of evening closing inaround | him, he suddenly beard the tones of a female voice at a little distance. Listering more attentively, he could perceive that they were the accents of anguieh the wail of bitter repinings and of despair. Sud- ‘den. y they ceased: and Jocelyn, straining his eyes in the direction whence they came, thought he could distinguish a female figure higher up the bank to- wards Geneva. Hesttating whether he should ad- vance and ascertain if it were any distress that ad- mitted of hia power to alleviate—or whether such a ‘| proceeding might not Be an intrusion upon the sanctity of a sorrow that had perhaps sought the solitude of the place and hour to give itaelr vent and indulge io the luxury of unseen tears,—he re- mained standing where he was. But in a few mo- ments he heard a heavy plunge, as of a human being falling into the water, followed by a gurgling sound. Not another instant did be hesitate,—but speeding towards the spot, he at the moment beheld a female, clad in a dark dress, rise to the surface of tht lake. Plunging in, Jocelyn grasped her garments, and with sume difficulty drew her to land. She was not altogether senseless, but panted and gasped fearfully—so that he thought life must pass away in the midst of those strong spasms, He scarcely knew how to assist her: for delicacy pre- vented him from tearing «wn her garments so as to ( O) LDOC cS) CO