The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

Re rcs Re I ec AR Ee TS ET EP eas Ra TE eS te aS ay ets —_me ee 2 eo ew oe eee ee oe Ee ee ee LS a a eer —=—=— = PR ee ee ee ee CE oad — =e Te ws ww - a aye wees CF - “SA Giver Ww =a oe =r oF Yd | compassion that Jady who thus plaintively addressed him. ft “ And yet mine is but a commot history after all,” she exclaimed, starting from her seat in a state of considerable.excitement. “It is the ysual history of woman—that is to say, of the woman who is weak enough amd foolish enough to forget her duty and place confidence in the protestations of deceitful man! Oh! Mr. Loftus, such has, been my case, 1 have already told you that the name‘which I bear beneath this roof is a false one: J shall not now tell you what my real one is. Ona fature occasion perhaps I,may do so—or accident may reveal itto you. Butno matter! You see that I ama lady by education, and I truet in mauners. Such indeed is my social rank—such also is my title in our own native land. J have been mar- ried, but am awidow. In an evil hour I listened to the tale of Jove which a nobleman—handsome, elegant, and fascinating—breaghed in my ears. Iie was married—and I therefore knew that he could not love me honourably, But, O Mr. Loftus! I listened to the dictates of my heart id preference to those of reason: in the tide of passion all prudence and propriety were swallowed up. Several strange and romantic circumstances combined to precipitate my fall. But on these I tieed not dwell. Suffice it to say that I did fall —and that no sooner had [ surrendered myself to him who vowed that lee Joved me, than he ab- ruptly an: precipitately quitted England. It is true that he sent me a note protesting hia sorrow and anguish at this departure, which, as be al- leged, an imperious necessity enforced: but he thercin declared that he knew not how long his abyence might lest—certainly for some weeks— perhaps for many months. Altogether, the style was 80 laconic—so strange aud so unsatisfactory, if not positively chilling~—that I was filled with despair. I saw that I had been cheated—deluded —deceived, by a base profligate—that I had been treated as one of those unfortunate creatures whom men take as the companions of a transitury enjoymeut and fleeting pleasure !” As she thus spoke in accents fall of concen- trated bitterness, the unfortunate lady covered her face with her hands; and the next momgnt Jocelyn could perceive the tears trickling between her fingers. He sympathised deeply with her: but what could he say—what could he (lo to con- sole her? Her’s was a grief which admitted of no solace frum human lips: but if consolation could be offered to her at alli, it raust be from one of her own sex, between whom and herself the circum- stances of etiquette and propriety interposed no formal barrier. . “On receiving that note,” the lady at length resumed, having hastily wiped away her tears, “ I was overwhelmed with despair. But reflection showed me that if I had thus been made the dupe of a heartless debauchee, I should at least strive to concea! my dishonour from the world. Togive way to utter despondency or frantic gricf, would only be to excite suspicion, which might lead on to exposure. ,l accordingly resolved to cherish my wrong in secret. But here I must suddenly digress for the purpose of infowming you that it was at this very time I had an opportunity of hearing her Royal Highness, the Princess Charlotte of Wales; speax of you to her aunt the Princess Sophia. No = ‘an om fgg: 155 a cm “eee 22 - =. we wy = matter under what circumstances J thus becaine an ear-witness to the discourse of those royal ladies, Suffice it to say that as they spolee somewhat un- guardedly in my presence, enouzh fell trom their lips, ere they recollected them-elvcs, to make me see rss ee gene pee nee et oe THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. iy eS a acquainted with many particulars concerning your- | self. If you wish me to tell you the exact truth, | must ob-erve that the Princesses spoke of you in the must enthusiastic terms—praising your chiva - rous character, dwelling with grateful admiration on the enterprise in which you had embarked, and deploring the previous misfortuncs and calamities in which you had been involved when imprisoned in Paris. Thus was it that the discourse of the two Princesses not only revealed to my ears who you really were, but also impressed me with the highest opinion of your merits. Can you there- fore wonder if I-ere now spoke so confidently con- cerning your honour as 4n Euvlish gentleman, when recommending Dr. Maravelli, to receive you as alodver beneath his roof?” “ } thank you, madam,” said Jocelyn, “ for the flattering terms in which youspeak of me, As for the object of my present visit to Geneva, it is dic- tated by the illimitable compassion I experience for @ much injured Princess.” “Yes, I am no stranger,” continued the lady, “to the mission which you have undertaken in respeot to the unfortunate wife of the Prince Regeut. Iam likewise acquainted with the fact that you are the bearer of a letter from the Princess Sophia to her Royal Highness——But I am at a loss to ander- stan,” she suddenly exclaimed, “how it is that having quitted England in December on this mis. sion, you are only now about to accomplish it—and yet 1s the month of May.” “T have suffered fresh imprisonment and persecu- tion in France,” returned Loftus. “But on these heads I will give you full detajls anon. Meantime, madam, may I request you to proceed with your own history 2?” ’ “T now then take up the thread of the sorrowful narrative which regards myself,” said Mrs. Roberts, “ The abrupt departure of my aoble lover—his dis- grace{il aban‘lonment of me within a few hours after I had given him the last and fondest proof of affection which it is in woman’s power to bestow—wag « not the only calamity that my weakuess and folly hadeentailed upon me. While I was endeavouring by the assumption of a calm demeanour tv veil the sense of dishonour and of wrong that guawed at my heart’s core, the tongue of scandal was busy with my nameé Iusidious whisperings were circu. lated relative to me; and certain paruculars, wherein the ludicrous was strangely blended witb the roman- tic, were rumoured relative to my amour. It now became necessary for me to withdraw from the sphere wherein I had been accustomed to move: for, alas! my reputation was underusined, even if 1t were not altogether destroyed. When a frail and erring woman, Mr. Loftus, is placed under the ban of aociety, it is wot her guilt that is punished, tut her want of cunning and tact in concealing it. The Spartan children iu ancient times were not chastised for stealing, but for their clumsinesa in not being able to conceal their thefts; and thus is it with re- gard to the-frailty of ladies in fashionable life. But I will not pause to moralise upon the poit—uor do I seck in what { have said a justification or an ex- cuse for my own errors. No: I have fellen, and I oo 32 eee eee eee ee ey Gees OD 6 Glee Ayia Oe EE EP eee eee ee re caren ee ea ER a NE a a a NS SS ES a ee SS ete oe eel See ee s ( O) LDOC cS) CO