The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 195: what you’re looking at

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

a 182 Bergami nodded an affirmative to the question, hé proceeded to state exactly what he had written in the envelope. “Now, Mr. Loftus,” said Bergami, “you will pardon me for telling you at the very outset of our interview, that your character has been much black- ened in the opinion of the Princess of Wales; and this evil impression which she has conceived, was not improved ere now by the appearance of Lady Presvott as your messepger—inasmuch as she isin a condition———" “f have indeed learnt from her ladyship’s lips how cruelly she was exposed,” said Jocelyn. “It may appear indiscreet, improper, and even indecent for me to have entrusted my mission to’ her ladyship under the circumstances: but I felt assured that I myself could not obtain access to her Royal High- ness—L knew not how to forward the Priacess Sophia’s letter to her with the certainty that it would reach her own hends—and when you have heard all I am about to narrate, you will admit, Baron Bergam., that the affair is of an importance too grave and too vital to have alluwed me to hesi- tate at any puvctilio or formality in my endeavour to convey that document direct to the Princess. As for the aspersions on my own character, you shal] presently judge of what value they are and what faith is to be put in them.” . Jécelyn Lottus then proceeded, circumstantially and munutely, to relate all that he had discovered —all that he had done~sall that he had endured— and al! that he now proposcd to do, in respect to the affairs of the Princess of Wales, He began by statasg who he really was—wherefore he had adopted a fictitious name—and why he had abjured his rex] one. He went on to explain how he had first fallen in with Mary Owen, from whose lips he learnt all the particulars of the conspiracy existing against the Princess of Wales—how he had accom- pamed Agatha, Emma, and Julia Owen from Calais to Paris—how he had béen the object of their licen- tious advances—how he had been imprisuned is the Pretecture, where Julia bad practised her arts under the name of Laura Linden—how he had been res- cued from his captivity—how he had returned to Kiueland and procured the letter of introduction from the Princess Sophia—how ho had set off on a second expedition to the Continent, but had been arrested and imprisoned at Grenoble until within the last few daya—how, on obtaining his release, be had sped towards Geneva—and how he had fallen in with Lady Prescott, which circumstance had led to his taking up his abode at Dr. Maravelli’s house. QO. course he delicately auppressed the fact that Ludy Prescott had attemnpted selt-destruction; and without committing himselt to an untruth he glanced over the event in such a manner which left Bergami to surlniee that it was an accidental fall into the water. Continuing his narrative, he related the startling things which he had learnt and which had happened since ins arrival beneath the physician's root—deseribing all that he had elicited from Mara- velli, the fishing up otf the dead child, and the teil- tale initials on the flannel-wrapper and the cambric handkerchief. Yo say that Bergami was amazed, were to aay nothing: but to describe him as passing through a strange series of exciting phases ot feeling, as Jocelyn evccessively developed the mcidents of his narrative, were to convey a better idea of the eff-ct which it Re ara THE MYSTERIES OF THE SOURT. . ee | produced on the equerry. Bnt some parts of the disclosure struck him as if a’thunderbolt had fallen at his feet, filling him with stupor and amazement—— while others made his blood boil with indifnation— and othera, again, filled him with horror and dismay. The veil of « tremeadous :aystery had been drawn aside; and thé things that it revealed were startling, surprising, hideous, exciting, revolting, and mon- atrous to a degree. That the meshes of a dark, deep, damnable conspiracy had been insidiously woven about the Princess of Wales, was clear enough : that the three Misses Owen, beneath the air of sprightliness, aflability, and good-humour, concealed the blackest hearts, the worst passions, and the moat dissolute lives, was also evident and that they had with a truly fiend-like cunning and with the most exquisite combination of a demoniac duplicity, managed to throw upon the Princess ali the scandal of their own actions, was notthe less apparent. But while passing through the various stages of successive emotions produced by the fearful narrative which had just been developed, Baron Bergami had ex- perienced an under-current of feeling made up of admiration for the excellent young man who had so heroically, so generously, and so nobly devoted himself to the cause of the injured Princess of Wales. “In the name of Her Royal Highness, Mr. Loftus—sincé by that name you choose to be called,” said the Baron, “do I thank you—most sincerely, most profuundly—for this ghivalrous conduct on your part! {iad it not been for you, the fatal web = SS SE EN Sm TCS, PE 1a 7 Sr EI PS I a EP PE ATT TT -—— = ee eee oe eee —_— =- of the most infernal conspiracy the world ever saw, - would have beea so woven about thia injured Prin- cess that the aims of her enemies must have been triumphantly accomplished in insuring der disgrace, ruin, and downfall. To you, then, she now owes everything—her honour, which is dearer to her than her life ! Pardon me—pardon me, if | speak in terms of excitement: but it is because I am inspired with ap enthusiastic admiration of your conduct that [ thus give utterance to my feelings!’ “T have told you candidly, Baron Bergami,” said Loftus, alter a few euitable words in acknow- ledgmeut of the thunks tendered him by the royal equerry, “that scandal, fot content with attri- buting to her Royal Highness all the profi gacies whereof the thrce sisters have been guil:y, has Goupted your name with the Princess's.” “ Heavens !” exclaimed the royal equcrry, stirt- ing from his seat with indignation and exc.tements “no calumvy can be more foul—no slauder more detestable! Ah! Mr. Loftus, that I have loved cher,” he coutinued, “is but tvo true! Wien a inere youth, | was appointed secretary to the Prussian Envoy at the Court of Bruuswick. In the chapel at the ducal palace did I behold the Princess Caro- line for the first time: and I believe there cau be no sim in confessing What she made a deep impres- sion upon my heart. I loved her—and my love grew into a worship, intense ~profound—yet deli- cate, and pure, and holy, as the love of angels! I | thourht not of her as a wouman—but as a being of @ nature infinitely superior tou my own. I loved her, in fine, as & Visionary may Jove a shadowy sylph or epiritual wood-pymph in the deptns of the forrest. That she comprsheuded my passion is beyond all doubt; and that she reciproca.ed it too,” continued Bergami, his vuicc, which was s0 finéin its masculine melody, now gradually sink. “=p A SS a ~ So I ed Ee SS a te a Ee ek - Es ee eee, ee ee ee ee ee O) cS) CO COMMU AOC)