The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 223: what you’re looking at

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

OO i Pe ehee ES oe ES ES a a oe ee ~~ -—> °° eee! Sf ESD Ms A AP ee acetates —=_ , Goa vorees: enme., a TY 210 the hour for its pleasures was now approaching, and in Bergami’s arms did she hope to reap the reward of all Lhat she had just undergone. The three sisters stealthily re-entered the villus; and immediately separating from each other, thuy sought their respective chambers. But Agatha, sccording to previous under- stunding, repaired in the first instance to Mrs. Ranger's room; end there she found the old harridan sitting up and anxiously awaiting her returu. ‘here was a screen drawn round one corner of. the chamber; and as Agatha entered, Mrs. Ranger pointed significantly in that di- rection. A cold shudder thrilled through tho youug lady's frame, as she full ca&ily compre- honded what the sign meant—namoly, that Kobolt and his two companions were concealed bebind that soreen. ‘‘ Now, Agatha,” said Mrs. Ranger, of course spenking in English and also in a low voice; ‘tell mein as few wdrds as you can all that has taken place.” The young lady sat down ona chalr close to the old one, and rapidly outlined the horrors through which she and her sieters had passed— as a matter of course not forgetling to describe how they had beheld the forms of the murdered Curzon and Malpas stretched upon the table in the doctor’s dirseeting-room. Mrs. Ranger was asiounded at this portion of the narrative, the crime being characterized by so much real mystery in every respect. But she was nota woman likely to devote much time to snpecnla- tion and conjecture, when it became necessar ti act with decision: she accordingly asked, “How stands the matter, Agathn f—what words spoke you in Matavelli’s oar? ” “1 said nothing,” was the response. “I was too much the proy to the wildest emotions of torror and grief to be able to settle my thoughts on any patticular point. It quite ig m0, in the whirl eof my ideas, that the lives of Loftas and Lady Prescott were, 86 to speak, in my own hand.” ‘ - Well, then, it is perhaps oll for the better,” guid Mra. Rengrr, with the dopgedness of deter- mination, ‘ Doad peo lé toll no tales, and therefore it is better that the tongues of Loftus and Lady Prescott: shoull be silenced than that we should be at their mercy. Since you dil not speak the word, Maravelli will co his work. And now,” she w!ded with an emphasis anf a look both alike of darkest meaning, “I rhall do mine.” * You—you—are resolved thenr” faltered Avatha, glancing with uneoutrollable horror towards the sereen, from behind which tie rreethiug of garments and the whispering of | ci If J “ I'o be sure,” rejoined Mrs. Ranger. ' Loftus and Lady Prescott are to die to-night, Q eee. yey ee ees ee Cd how t. it possible t) allow Bergami to live f ”’ witha spoke not another word; but for Nearly s minute she stood gazing in vacant terrer upon Mrs, Ranger—not only in astonish- ment atthe oxtraordinary firmness of that woman at other tumes so frivolous and full of aifec tations, bit alav as much as to ask whether if waa possible that a murder so foul, so cold- blbuded, was tv be done that night within tho walls of the willa * Retire, Agetha—rctire,” said Mrs. Ranger . at length: ‘and m lesa than half-an-hour from wet 2 ee eee eee oe this time all will be over.” Agotha slit! rernained 1 peechless : her tongue was parched-- her throut was dry, as if she had been swallowiug ashes , and yet it seemed that THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. if she even for a single moment relaxed the strong hold that she was maintaining upon her feclings, she must give full vent to her anguish in one long, loud, and penetrating scream. ¢ Mrs. Rangbr pushed her gently towards the door; and Agatha, quitting the chamber, dragged herself along the passage to her own room,—where locking the door, she threw hor- self upon the couch, atid burying her face in tho pillow to stifle het cties, gave vent to all the tremendous anguish that for the laat quarter of an hour hod gathered atid remained pent up in hor almost bursting bosot. " # * | * % * + # a * + a a Meauwhile the voluptuous Emma, itmo- diately ou gaining her own apartments, had hastetied to throw off het tpparel. Then un- locking a wardrobe, she took thence a frock- coat, & military stock, & pair of trousers with a sitipo of gold ‘lace ohn the outward seam of each leg, a pait of Wellington bodts anda hat. any,one cotld have peaped into the chamber at this moment ahd beheld that young woman undoing her feminine toilette and proparing for her masculine one, it wauld have boen im- possible to believe that she had gone through such a severe trial as ale had #o recently ox- perienced. ¢ Upon her countenatce was no trace of those feelings which had ere now been so vividly excited at Maravelli’s house: on tho contrary, tho flush pf*a blissfal anithation. Wk upon her cheeka—the light of ploasure Hashed from benesth the silken fringes of her hazol oyos—a sung smile sat pon her lips, which so far from being dry and fetetiah with recent horror, were moist as wet coral and delicioué as a rich pulpy fruit. Her bosom rose and fell with quick heavings, but not indicative of either affliction or alarm, No— those voluptuonk uhdulations of that superb bust wore prodnéad by tho antisipstiona of love's delight which fred the soul within. Sho distpparclled herself, wa say, of all her fomiriitie gear, and then began to Assirme the musodline garb which she knew became her so well. Even to her very corset had sho laid aside ; and though the tich contours of her bust depended not upon artificial support or com- pression for their shape, roundnoss, or firm- nexs, yet. was it now easier to imprison those glowing globes of snow within the tightly-fit- ting frock ceat. The Wellington boots, made with such exquisite delicacy, fitted her beauti- fully-shaped, fect in the most faultless manner —the upper leathers ascending to the middlo of the swell of her robust but admirably model- led legs. The pantaloons, however, wera made somewhat wide and with large plaits, so as to concen! the feminine shapeliness of the limbs, and give them the appearance of that unde- viating straightness which especially charnac- terises the male figure. Her hair was arranged iu euch a manner as to flow in a luxuriant mass upon her shoulders; and whon thia was done, sho proceeded by the aid of gum-water to fasten a pair of false whiskers in their proper place. This she did with an air no coquettish—so full of arch delizht—that it was less possible than ever to bolieve she had undergone euch eox- citing fluctuations of feeling during the fow past hours. But now, came another of the finishing touches to the masculine toilette,— uamoly, th§ fastenthg on of the exquisitely- fushioned false moustache. Above her short COMMU CY) AOC) cS) CO