The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 202: what you’re looking at

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

. THE MYSTZRIES OF TRE COURT. 139 ing how necessary it was te addpt-the cautious | words: but still the anodyne thus conveyed was and pradential course recommended by Jocelyn, | incommensurate with the frightful lacerations which he put®a curb upon his passion and restrained | poignant terror had inflicted upon their eouls, his feelings as well as he was able. Despite, too, the somewhat sanguine ‘manner in He saw plainly enough thad Mra, Hubbard was | which Mra. Ranger had just announced that there a dupe and not an accomplice, and that Mrs, Ran- | was a loop-hole of escape from their eimbarrass- ger and thesQ wens had so contrived matters, with | ments, they were now compelled to pass through the most exquisite refinement ofsatanic ingenuity, | another fearful phase pf excitement when. the oid as to make her a witness of the supposed guilt of | hag circumstantially narrated to them all that had the Princess! The Baron therefore iost no time | taken place between herself and Maravelli. Heavens! in disabusing the woman's mind, how did the hearts of the three sistera sink within ‘Mrs, Hubbard,” he said, “I came to this apart- | them, and what terrible feelings took possession of ment under the impression that you were an } their souls, as they heard how Jocelyn Loftus was accomplice in a fedrful conspiracy: but I now per- | pursuing tife track of his investigations<-how he osive that you are‘its dupe. This conspiracy ha#| had extorted all the physician's secrets—how he was been concocted for the ruin of your royal mistress | acquainted with all the adventures of the me- You have never seen me in the passage as you | morable night at the vitla—and how he had the state, but some one who has personated me: wor | very corpse of the child fished up from the depth of have you ever seen the Princess mm the condition | the lake! At ne —. s0 sudden a faintness which you have described, but some one person- | seized upon Agatha—for Mrs. Ranger was not over ating her! To such an extént has the fiend-like | nice or delicate in giving the particulara of the nar- imaginativeness of these wretches gone! Ah! you | rative as she had heard it from Maravelli—that had may well hold up your hands in amazement: but | not strong restoratives been applied, she would have let me tell you that all is discovered, even to the | fallen into a swoon. By meausof a powerful cor- fact that it was Agatha Owen herself, and not the | dial, however, she was inspired with that artificial Princess, who gave birth to a child within these | energy which is only enjoyed to the prejudice of walla—that child, whose corpse you have had in | heakh’s natural vigour, in the same way that opium your arms! And now I am reménded,” added | and alcohol prey upon the constitution which-they Bergami, “that those two gentlemen whom you | either Jull into dreamy bliss or raise into ecetacy. saw at Lausanve—Colpnel Malpas and the Earl of | “ Now, my dear girls, you know the worsé,” said Curz:n—for such were*their names—were the | Mrs. Rauger; “and it is time L should tell you the paramoure of Emma and Julia Owen; and doubt- | best. 1 waylaid Bergini as he returned from less they were the same two individuils whom you | Maravelli’s house. He of course knows all: but it saw introduced to the vilia by the wearers of the | 8 quite clear that neither he nor Loftus propose to e:mine cloak and silken hood !” have recourse to harsh measures immediately. Mrs. Hubbard Was astounded at all she thug} Their aim is mtellizgible enough: they mean to heard—as well indeed she might be: but she was | met together all the information they can and clear no looger frightened on account of harself—for pe every point which is o6 all mysterious or per- Bergami’s manner had undergovean entire change | plexing, befure they make the grand expo>ure. towards her from the moment he found she was a| Now, then, we have breathing time: we have dupe and not an accomplice. Hespoke kindlyand|the rest of this day before us—and all to- encouragingly, reiterating h's assurance that no | Bight——” ated harm should befall her. He also bade her main- | ‘Good heavens! then to-morrow the exposure tain the profoundest silence relative to this inter-|may como?” exclaimed ghe sisters,. clasping view which he had wit her, until the time came | their hands in despair, “Oh! let us fly—let us when she would be required to speak out and tcll | fy*&—” allshe knew. Mrs. Hubbard promised most faith- | “Foolish girls! how can you fly?” demanded fully to comply with these instructions; a@d tye} Mrs. Ranger. “ Without time to get passports Baron then took his departure from her chamber, | made out, we should be arrested as suspicious more than ever astounded, afflicted, and indipuant, | {&gitives-———Nov, no- flightis impossible—we must at the atrocious measures set on foot to rum the | remain and dare it ali!” Princess of Wales. ° “ Bat we have but a few hours before us!” ex- . “ e ° * . # ,| claimed Jujja, shuddering. . . . . : * ‘* And in those few hours an immensity may be We must now return to Mrs. Ranger, who in the | done,” rejoined Mrs. Ranger. “ Bergami deaiies to meantime had also re-entered the villa. see you all three at the jetty at five o'clock. You Proceeding straight to the apartment where she | must go. It is forthe purpose of making another had left the sisters two hours before, she found | appointment for you elsewhere—and this other ap- thom still there in no very enviable state of! pomtment is with Loftus, which you must also nind. keep —=." The moment she made her appearance, they “What! see Loftus, after all he knows?” cried started up—rushed towards her—and with their | Agathaindismay. “Is he not aware that I have eager looks, more than with their hurried words, | been delivered of a child ?—is not the very corpse of showed the iptepse anxiety which <lled their | that child in bis possession 2” —, ; “Oh! it becomes you admirably to play the Tranquillize yourselves, girls—tranquillize your- | shame-faced and the prude,” cried Mrs. Ranger selves,” sie said in an eyooursging toae. “The | scornfully,—“ you who did all you could to win him evil is tremendous—-but the danger may be sur- | to your arms in Paris—~displaying all your beauties mounted.” e with the luxuriousness of a wanton——” The young ladies were somewhat soothed by her! =“ Enough, enorgh !* said Agatha, biting her lips OY a rea EASON os rT CO COMMU OOOKKS