The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 224: what you’re looking at

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

- - —~ a rr cr emt a ee cic i wc er gn oe —_ ad ee — ee | the softnesa, and the polis ' though it were; but it was also from the rich —e oe ee ee eee el a a THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. PARI gn LL LEY eT aS upper-lip did she affix it in the moat artistic | to herself the handsome Bergami, who, 95 sho manner, and then, as she gazed at herself in { thought, was ina few brief minutes to strain the mirror, with that delicately-poncillen, glossy, | her warm, palpitating, and glowing with love and curling appeudage to hor luscious mouth, | and passion, in his armsa—that handsonw Ber- she fancied that it gave a more mischiovous | gami whose miniature counterpart she had expression to her features sand a delightful | apparelled herself to seem ! archness to ger smile. Reosplendent as pearla The passage was feebly—very feobly livhted already were hor hoanutiful teath: but if itwore | by the lamp that burnt there, but which wus possible, that dark moustache mado thom ap- | now flickering towarda oxtinction. Indeed, thie pear still more brilliant by the contrast; and | gloom was so deep that it would have been inn- when she fastened below the nether 'P just | possible to discern a figure a dozen yards a-head. where the chin formed its boanteous dimple, | All was silent in tho villn—silent as the grave, another little artificial contrivance of hair | as Emma stole with noiscless steps along the to sorve as an imperial, her delight became J corridor. absolutely childishe Indeed, as she survoyed But suddenly she pauses and listens. That herself in the full length mirror before which ¢ deep silence has just been broken by a sound as her masculine toilette was achieved, she looked | of the turning of the handle of a door. Yesa— like a radiant boing without a care, and who | she cannot be mistaken: itis so—and moreover had never even known what a ruffled feeling | it is the door of Mrs. Ranger’s ronma whence was—dressing for some masquerade where she | the sound emanates. It opene—ao head perps was to enjoy the full measure of eharac- | forth—it is Mr?. Rangee’s: and the next in- teristic dehght. | stant it is withdrawn again. Lut the words, Long as it has taken ‘us to Uescribe the pro. ; “*’Tis he, now im the passage!” uttered with ox- cess of this toilette, it did not occupy Emma | ceeding rapidity by Mrs. Ranger inside the above twenty minutes altogether; 4nd now, | room, reached bmma’s ears; and che, instan- as she threw a last look at herself, sho mur- ; taneously fancying that the old lady was posi- mured with an air of suprome satisfaction, : tively and actually taking her this time for = SO eee i a ieee ‘Never did this attire scem to become me so | Bergami himself. laughed inwardly as she con- . much before !’’ tinued her way along the passage. And truly it did become her well,—setting ; Uncte more all was quict. Mrs. Ranger’s | forth the exquisite symmetry of®her shape | door had closed again; und Enioma did ‘not . withont concealing its feminine contours. In- | choose to waste a single mormont in inquiring | doed, it could be byt at a distance, or in an ; why the old lady was up «till, and what she was | -obscure light, and whan only a hasty glance |! doing when peeping forth into the passage. 4 ! ' was thrown upon her, that she could he taken | No—noit an instant could Tinma spare from the | for one of the malo sex—much less Bergami ; time which was now so precious, and wae to be himsalf, whose noble height she altogether | devoted as soon as possible to the delights of | wanted. Besides it wore casy to perceive, when | love! zing clos? or ina clear light, that she wasa | Aud now tho door of Bergami’s apartment . emale disguised—not pin from the delicacy, |-was gained—and Emma wax abont to kpook of her skin—nor ; gently with her delicate fingers, when she snd- from the seductive look of wantonnegs which | deuly became aware of the stealthy creeping of beamed in her mischievous eyes ang ahed the | some one near her. She turned round abruptly ; anbdued light of soft sensuonsness over her | and the look she threw was the lust that ever entire countenance, whiskered and moustached | flazhod from her eyes in this hile. For at the dame moment her throat was era spal by hands development of that buat whisk the tight- | of such iron strength, that te ary wlaek ruse ~ fitting frock could not possibly flatten and only Bes in her terror was stifled in nn instant— partiaily restrain and compress. But oven aa | utterly subdued, ere ovenethe very breath on she drew herself up t8 her full height, and by | which it wus to be wafted forth could issue fror throwing back her shoulders endeavoured to | the guivering lips! Simultaneously with ¢his make tho most of a stature which was not even | vigorous and effective axsault. aw Jong, sharp tall for a woman, it scemed as if with the | dagger was driven deep down into the unfarca- expansion thus given to the chost, the Mow: ; nute young woman’s bosom-—-and penetrating ing orbs wold burstforth from their prisonags ; | her heart, death was instantaneous ! and in this mannor did the projecting develop- his fearful deed occupied not a minnte: and ment uf bust, apart from all other gjrcumstances | so noisclessly was if perturmed. that Mrs. Kan- above detailed betray the woman in the mas- ; ger, who wus Inside her room jolding the door culine garb. | . ajar and listening attentively, could searecly We will not, however, linger at groater length | hear the s8und of even the faintest strnggle. upon 2 portraiture which assuredly had its | But, nevertheless, there was just a sufficiency delicious attractions. Sad—oh! sad, indeed, is | of nvise to reach the ears of Borgamiand Loftus it to reflect that this creature so lovely, was | within the rvom at the door of which the tre- | not so virtuous as sho is beautiful—that this | mendous tragedy took place. Thinking, how- | being so seductive, was notso chaste as she was {| over, if was mma gropmug her way thither— | fascinating. perhaps in the dark—they only openad the door UO Me i Eee Se ene on Geiger er - - —_ — =e mw octphnell die r | The masonline toilette, then, being completed, | gently. But as the light strained forth from Emma Owen prepared to sally forth from her | the chamber, what a spectacle mot their view! chamber. One last look did she fling upon the | Cries of horror burat from their lips; an | at mirror where her symmetrical and, at the aqme | the same time thuir ears canght the sows of ume, voluptuous epee fo faithfully repro- | rapidly retreating footateps. laced Upon Lhe p p aed spirits elevated to the highest pitch, throngh honse—that terrific ory burstin like the knell very feeling of satiafgetion which she expe- | of doom upon the ears of startled sleepers in rienoed, ahe urned SeRy, and issucd from { e | the depth cf the t! But along tho passage room. Ah! how her hea pitated now with | sped Loftus and Hergami: down the stairs they the anticipation of ineffable joys, as she pictured | precipitutad themselves—and ov the landing aurface; ond with her| hon rany the alarm ef. mnrder through the - COMMU O) LDOC cS) CO