The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 170: what you’re looking at

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

A RTGS aS |e aa a a “Cen GP ean Re ST a Se SR NEES wn SE Wes GI ——i THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 157 a minute she preserved a deep silence, broken only ;in order to prevent me from obtaining access to by the sighs which convuleed her bosom. “With -egard to that incident—that dreadful in- cident,” she resamed, “ which mdde us acquainted this evening, and has rendered the indebted to you for my life—that most wretched life which you #0 nobly rescued——Oh! it was in a sudden paroxyam of despair tha’ I sought death in the deep waters of Lake Leman. I had rambled forth to escape from the fearful dulness and awful mahotony of this houses and while roving on the shores of Geneva's inland sea, I fell into a train of meditation more harrowing, more goading, more poignant than apy to which I had lately yielded. I thought of what I once was and what I now am—how but a few months back I occupied an honourable, almost a brilliant position—and how I eam now a lonely, friendless sojourner in a foreign clime! I thought of my wrongs—how much [ had loved that man, how cruelly I had been deceived! But worst of all, I reflected that in a few months more I should give birth to a child on whom [ could beatow no mother’s fostering care—but whom, if it lived, I ehpuld have to abandon to the care of strangers; and that amonget those strangers must it be reared, never to know a parent’s fondness nor endearing love! Oh! Mr. Loftus, naturally do I possess a good heart— a kind, loving, and affectionate disposition; and it was not therefore without emotion that I could con- template the necessity of tearing myself away from the child who in a shor? time will see the light. It was this reflection that drove me to despair! Mad- ness was in my brain—lI felt as if I myself were an outcast, and that a curse would beentailed upon the head of my child if 1 suffered it to come into the world. Frartic—frenzied—banished as it were by the horror of my thoughts from the realme of hope, I resolved to put an end to my own wretched, exist- ence and terminate that of my yet unborn babe at the same time. But mime hour was not yet come; Providence interposed to save me—and you, my generous deliverer, wera made the instrument of heaven’s merciful and inscrutable purpose !” The lady ceased: and covering her face with her hands, again she wept—and again was there a long interval of silence. “You are now acquainted with as much as it is needful for you to know of my sad history,” she said, at length breaking silence after a much longer pause than aoy previous one. “I would off-r to assist you in the generous enterprise which you have in view: but I know not whether there be any way in which I can forward your aims,” ’ tWocelyn, after thanking Mrs. Roberts for the proffer. of assistance which she had just given, proceeded to describe in a brief manuer the cir- cumstances of his late imprisonment—thus sc- eounting for the long delay which had occurred since he set out from England on his present mission; and without mentioning any names, he observed that the Princess was so surrounded by secret enemies and spies that he knew not how to obtain access to her. “Can you not boldly present yourself at the villa to-morrow,” asked Mrs. Roberts, “and de- mand an interview with her Royal Highness ?” “There are certain ladies in her’ household,” returned Jocelyn, “who would hesitate at yo means, however desperate, base, or unprinoi ole, if he chose.” her Royal Highness.” * Who are those ladies ?” inquired Mrs. Roberts hastily, and as if prompted by a. particular mo. tive. " “Their name is Owen, and there are three sis- ters,” was the response. “Detested name!” ejaculated Mrs. Roberts: then, in a different tone, dhe added, “I have every reason to believe that one of those young ladies of whom you have spoken, is no very estimable yattern of morality and virtue-—though heaven knows it is not fur me to cast the first stone at herf But I should inform you—un'ess indeed you know it already—that the strangest, the most startling, indeed the most astounding rumours are prevalent in Geneva relative to her Royal Highe ness—" ** Indeed !” ejaculated Loftus: then as a sudden recollection struck him, he said, “I remember how peculiar and how mysterious was Maravelli’s m ‘noer when I spoke tv him on this same point at the village-inu where we dined together this af- ternoon.” “Dr. Maravelli is acquainted with something re- lative to the villa, of a dark and mysterious cha- racter,” observed Mra. Roberts. “He has once or twice inadvertently let fall a hint to this effect ; and although naturally a very cautions man, yet has he so far committed himself on one or two occasions, as to suffer me to perceive that he could reveal some startling secret if he close,” «But concerning whom, aud of what nature is that secret ?” asked Loftus eagerly. * Ah! that I cannot say. Dr. Maravelli has never entered into particulars—has never even manifested the slightest approach towards making me his confidant. Besides,” added the lady, with dignity, “I should not think of encouraging a confidence calculated to plage us on so familiar and iutimate a footing. Nv—-he has merely let slip a word or two in an anguarded moment—but enough, I repeat, to make me aware that he is ac- quainted with some seoret which he could reveal a 2 * But she reports relative to the Princess,” said Jocelyn inquiringly, “ what is their nature ?” ‘ All kinds of incredible things,” replied Mrs., Roberts. “Indeed, I would not repeat them were it wot absolutely necessary that you should know all that is said concerning her, and were it not also that you would be enabled to glean these things from other sources; for they are on the tip of very tongue, aud scandal is busy enough with the Princess's name. In a word, ‘tis said that she not only intrigues openly aud unblushingly with her equerry Bergami, but that she scruples aot to re- veive other lovers inside the walls of the villa—aye, and "tis added, too, that she has even given birth to a child———” 7 “ Heavens! is this possible?” exclaimed Jocelyn, starting with mingled amazement and indignation. “What am Itothink? Havel indeed embarked in the cause of a shameless wanton, and thus laid myself open to become the laughing stook of the whole world ?—or is slander doing its detestable work ~” al “Firmly and sincerely do I belieditn the latter hypothesis,” returned Mrs. Roberts. “ Neverthe- leas, the whole affair is full gf mystery. That one \ COUN AP a DP DSS I CI Ce re ea eet ae EER! tin P| ElOOO cS) CO