The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

Vy THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 9 eee according to the fashion of the time. She also wore a white rose at the side of her head; and of her it mht be observed as of her elder sister, ' that itwa. an emblem of the purity which had Sa a ee ee -— ee ey ee eee oe 9 ee ee ee ee, ees et ee eee eee — FE SIS EP ee CS SS A a a TR a aS ae ——_ -_ ES Se oS le a me ee ee ee ee oe oe eee oe -_= pa-sed away from her! Very beautiful appeared the three sisters, as they thus inhaled the fresh breeze of morning in that baleony worked over with embroidery of real flowers: and, alas! sorrowful indeed is the re- fiction that the external aspect of those lovely cre tures was very far from serving as an index of ticir'mimds within. Fair and stainless were the cuskets as they seemed to the eye: but no gems ct matchless price were enclosed i: those angelic mearnations, No—in proportion as the exterior embellishments were beautiful and captivating, 80 were the internal thuughts corrupt and impure. Ah! of what avail is the snowy bosom if the heart that beats within is a, volcano of furious passions ? But to continue the thread of our narrative. Between seven and eight on this delightful morn- ing was it, that Agatha, Emma, and Julia Owen were togother in the balcony of the eldest sister's chamber. “Who could ever wish to return to cold and checrless England from such a clime as this ?” suid Julia, as she slowly carried her fine hazel eyes over the garden belonving to the villa—the fields beyond—aud the mountains which rose in the dist mee. * Would you really like to settle down at Geneva with some good-tempered, confiding husband—a native of the country?” asked Emma, raising her own dark eyes towa'ds her younger sister. “*“No—I do not think I should like to marry a fureigner,” replied Julia. “Woll then,” resumed Emma, “ what should you say to setiling down here, in a villa of your owa, as an independent Jady—but of course with a lover vu the sly to be a: cousulation and a companion in hours that would otherwise be monotonous in- deed?” ' “T am sure,” said Agatha, the eldest sister, “that you cau nejther be such silly girls as to think of settling here ina foreigncountry. In the first pl.ce to marry on the Coutinent is really no joke: for if the husband should happen to catch “you going a little astray, he can have you locked up in prison fur a couple of yearsorso. Then, as to the other alternative, of always solaciug’ one- sclé with lovers, let me assure you that nothing would be more dreadful thau to be exposed to the jealuury of these foreign admirers, It frequently happens that they murder their mistresses through excessive love, aud then make away with them- selyes.” “Ah! this a litt:e exaggeration and romancing on your part, Agatha,” observed Emma, laughing. “flowever, 1 cau safely promise you that i have no thought of settling myself here: and 1 can auswer tor Julia, that she is nut so foolish either.” “So far,” resumed Agatha, “from our even Greawing of such a thing, 1 sincerely hope that we shall soon be enabled to give up our present mission and receive its reward.” “Hush! do not speak too loud,” said Emma: “we may be overheard from the neighbouring windows. But speaking of a reward, what recow- pense will be conferred on us, think you? The Prince Regi ot could scarccly create us Peeresses in our own right, with handsome pensions. The scandal would be too great,” she continued, in a low and cautious tone, “after we shal! have been called upon to give evidence against the Princess——” * Hush! hush!{f"tis for you now to be cautious, you silly girl,” said Julia, placing her hand play- fully upon her sister’s mouth, ‘What should you say then,” asked Agatha, bending down and speaking in a whisper, “if the Prince were to find each of us an old wealthy Peer just so far advanced in his dotage as to be amor- ously inclined, without being over nice as to the reputat‘on his bride may have borne before her marriage ?” ' *Sumething of this sort must the Prince do fur us,” s\id Emma. ‘* Mamina hinted as much in the last letter she wrote to Mrs. Ranger,” eaid Agatha. “ But come— you must asrist me to finish my toilette, The hour advances for us to descend to the breakfast-table.” Thus speaking, the eldest sister stepped back from the balcony into her chamber; and putting off the elegant French wrapper, she proceeded to array her- self in the garb prescribed by the fashion of the time as the morning-toilette for ladies in attendance upon Royalty. This costume partook more of that which constitutes the evenmng-diess of the present day: for tlhe corsage was cut low, the sleeves were short, and a profusion of jewellery was worn. “ T wonder,” ssid Emma, as she assisted Agatha to put on her dress, “ whether the change of aflairs in France will turn to the advantage of aur former friend Mr. Jocelyn Loftus, an he chose to call bim- self:""—-and she laughed gaily at the reminiscences which the mention of his name conjyred up. “ Doubtless he ia still a prisoner at Grenoble,” said Agatha. “ At al} events he was still a cap- =| ae Ee ER asin i A NE RS OE TT Ty en TE AE AR NS em a pe, em my RN A mec, PRA tive there at the time the last accounts werereceived | in England from the French authorities, respecting ‘ him.” ‘“ Ah!” observed Julia: “ but that was before the sudden and unexpected return of Napoleon into France. We know not what may have happened since———” “ Depend upon it,” inturrupted Agatha, “ if Joce- lyn——I suppose we shall never call him by any other name than Jocelyn,” she added, laughing. “¢Jut 1 was going to observe that if he were free, | you may rely upou it we should have heard or seen something of him at Geneva ere this. Come, Julia, ‘confesa—would you not like to have to play Laura Linden all over again 2?” “ If you could ensure me a successful result,” re- joined the youngest of the three churming demireps: “but that was something more than you could even achieve for yourselves,” she added, with a merry laugh that rang musically through the chamber. * Never did a young man withstand such tempta- tions before,” said Emma. “ May we not without vanity declare that it waa the three Graces tem pling Apollo?” “ Three goddesses tempting a youth of god-like beauty,” observed Agatha. “ You know that at Richmond we were called the Four Goddessee——~-” “Including poor Mary,” aaid Julia, with a sigh. “J wish she was wth ws, imetead of being buried at that cottage in Cunterbury, where eke still was when mamma last wrote—” » “Ob! never mind Mary,” interrapted Agatha, somewhat vetulantly. “She' is somesking more aa Sz > Gee Gs ee = ——aa ao =m -—_— -—e=— = = Oo SP (eee eee, ee eee CONNIE OOO () cS) CO