The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

ing the happiness antl, deeply compromising the honour of divers noble families—Genevese, German, French, Italian, Euglish—ali which secrets are now locked up in my breast; and thé very one which I may consider most important, might not be that which has the same value in your eyes. Besides, you are not asking through mere curiosity: you have a motives-and consequently there is one par- ticular secret which you wish to know. Give mea clue.” ° : “Did not our conversation yeaterday afford you any insight with regard to my business at Geneva f” asked Jocelyn. “Caniidly speakigg,” replied Maravelli, * me- thousht that you were somewhat pressing in your queries in regard to her Royal Highuess the Prin cess of Wales.” “Yces—and methought that you were likewise somewhat mnyaterious—I may say even peculiar, in the answers that you gave me.” “In what manner?” asked Maravelli. “You surely can recollect what took place be- tween us,” rejoined Jocelyn. “ Yuu hayespoken, as you infurmed me, on One occasion to two af the young lalies bearing the name of Owen: you also lett upon my mind the impression that you had been within the walls of the villa; aud your look intimated as plaiuly as the most eloqnent looks are able, that you could state something if you chose which would svon put to flight all the ele- vated notions which I might have formed relative tv the hcnour of the Princess of Wales. Tell me, did ! read aright what was passiug in your mind?” “Yos-—-to a certain extent,” answered Maravelli, bat hesitatingly and guardedly. « Now, it is My hatyt,” resumed Jocelyn, “ when | having any particular cluc to follow up through paths enveloped in gluom and beset with dcabts aud mysteries, to observe the minutest circum. stances that nay assist my Lovestiyation: or in plainer terms, by putting two and two together, I ' seldom fail ut arriving at aa accurate conclusion. | Now, that yeu, Dr. Maravelli, are acquainted with ' some secret connected with the villa where the Prinece-s resides, Iam conyinced. Then, when I {find rumour declaring in bold and uumistakable ; terns that her Royal Highness has been guilty of | great profligacies, aud even privately given birte to a child, I ask myself who could confirm this tale if not Dr. Maravelli?” . Jocelyn louked steadily in the physician's face as he thus spoke; and again did he pgrceive that sinister twinkling in the eyes of the Genevese which d¢noted the heart’s last for yoid. This very look at once served as a hint, althourh it was in reality the natural peeping forth of the man’s cha- racter rather than an intentional development of it on his part. Jocelyn, however, at once profited thereby; and producing a pocket-bools, he counted down Piedmont bank-notes to the value of two hundred louis d’or. “You will not be offended with me, sir,” he re- marked, endeavourivug to do the business in as delicate a way as possible, “if I offer this earnest of my liberal intentions towards you.” * I cannot feel offended—no—TI cannot possitly be angry at such generosity,” mumbled the phy- sician, “But—LI ought fot—really I ought not — | that is, I don’t think—— Bat, however, 1 suppvse that we du understand each other now :”—ard ed Sums Gos Geeta een oe wD ee See Es ee, Se eee, eee eee Oe ce ee ae yl So —-— —_—< se es oe i | Ee ee le, ey Sa { ye oa, « io ° . THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. TT aa Te a ET A a I aA ONIN: TO CT a ToT TT Py ANN TO PIE CT Ae PTL A A IE EIS DT RG TT aE ag gm Pg enn PRN PS EPI A a a 159 thus speaking, the physician consigned the bank- notes to nis pocket, with the evident st of one who is satisfying the strong craving of an insatiate passion. *Thatig just double the fée that Freceived from Mrs. Ranger,” he thought witnio himself: then, fixing his eyes upon Jocelyn, he said, “lt is indeed too true that her Royal Highness the Eng.ish Princess became a mother a short time ago — barely three weeks — for I myself brought her child, which wa3 stall-borno, into the world.” ° Loftus was stagrered—and for a moment hu certainly lost all faith in the possibility of the Princesy’s virtae: for this intelligence on the doc- ter’s part was given with an assurance, a sincerity, and a solemnity that put his truthfulness almoat beyond a doubt. But still Jocelyn had resolved to sift the matters ta the very bottom: and veill- ing his emotions*ascordingly, he said, “ Will you now explain to me all the circumstances under which this startling occurrence touk place ?” M -raveilli accordingly narrated toourherothose | circums:ances which are already known to the reader—how his services had been sccured in ad- vance by a liberal payment—how, when the night came, he had been, conducted blind-folded to the place—how he was led up into a room where a Jamp burnt dimly and feebly, draperies were carcs fully drawn over the windew and around the bed, and his patient's head was completely enveloped in the folds of a thick black veil—how he had de- livercd this female of a still-born child—aud how two young ladies, whom he had since reco;nised as two of the M.ss Owens, had saluted the patient as “dearest and beloved Princess.” He likewise added how, on issuing forth again, he had been left in the garden by Mrs. Ranger; and how he Lad heard the trad of footsteps, the sounds of voices, and the galloping off of a post-chause, which, filling him with tt:ror, made him scale’the wall and speed back tu his own house. “Then J am to understand, Dr. Mardyelli," said Jocelyn, “that you raised the bandage and took & peen about the room to which yeu were su mysie- riously introduced ?” “it is as you say,” answered the physiciun. “Homan nature could not have remained proof ayiwnst such a temptation to cratify one’s curmsity aber such peculiar ercumstances,” “Bat you did not all aluug obtain the slightest glimp-e of tne councenauce of the lady occupying the bed—your patient, in a word ?” *No—I beheld not her countenance,” was the reply. “But you are sure that the two young ladies who entered and saluted her as the Princess, were two of the Misses Owen?’ “Yeg—I am certain of it. From beneath the bandage I observed them sufficiently to know ebem again: and since then Fhave seen them walking upon the banks of the lake in attendance upon the Princess. I bave even had the curiosity to ascertain their Christixn names, and fuund that - they were Miss Emma and Miss Jolia.” “Well, aud you also discovered that the female who managed all this mysterious business was a certain Mrs. Ranger ?” “Yes,” returned Maravelli. “Her also did I gbserve inthe rvom; and if you see her ounce it would be impossible not to know her again.” — ae _— De ee ign [a ete oe, ee ee eee ee ee eee a Ao a ene err a oe RE AP Pee —_—s ye ama on i A ee eS ee oe — _~ = ow ae aa — PCa? Ea? Batalges A ki SR OT ae emacs lame rete ce rT gree, is ceeds i ee wer: - ae - TE TE TEL ECOMNIE OG O)