The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 227: what you’re looking at

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

EE Gages, — ee ee oO ee ee — Pp 214 son, Sharply. “If I have had my faults, you have had your’s—I mean in the shape of extra- vagances—~—”’ ; “Ah! but it is much worse,” rejoined his wife, “to go gallivanting about with loose characters, by which means you bring your family into troubles and bothers of all kind.’? - ® ‘‘Knough, I say!’ ejaculated Emmerson, flying intu 9 passion. “And now leave mo—I have letters to write. Como back in the even- ing, if you choose.” ‘Well, well—perhaps I may,” answered his wife; and she soon afterwards took her depar- ture, little thinking in what a dreadful state of |, mind she left her husband, and not being likely to care very much even if she had really kuown it. Again did Emmerson pace to and fro in thut apartment, which under any circum- stances would have “beon dull and gloom to a degroe, but which now seemed of n dul- ness and gloom beyond all possibility of description. Heavens! what tortures did that inan’s brain experience as thus, like a chafing lion in its cage, he turned and turned in tliat narrow space. Oh! and there is something dreadful, dreadful, in turning thus often and often; for it shows that the mind is filled with oa restlessness that is in itself an excru- viation ! He looked at hi» watch: if was now ono oclock. An hour passed; never, nevor had an hour dragged itself along with such leaden footsteps. Another hour wonnd its slow lencth along with a moro wearying tardiness still; and yet no one came. @Ah! was it oa mere excuse of the creditor to get rid of the importunity of his debtor's wife? Emnmer- son began to foar so. to hope. Good God! how could he do otherwise ? fur the pitch of desperation was passed —and because this very ageny of aronios was transeegded, did it become ne- cesyary to fall back upon hope again to save the brain from bursting or from going mar. ' It was past three o’clock, and the front door bell rang. There had been many rings during the last two hours; and on each occasion wus Emmerson s suspense excited to the«ut- most degree. Now again, therefore, did he expericuce the same thrilling, throbbing, rending, excruciating agony; for everything at present appeared to him a mattor of life or death, Footsteps aseonded the atairs; then a koy {urned in tho lock of his door. It was opened —and a visitor entered. “ Vurian!”’ said Emmerson, his heart sinking within him as he encountered the look of his ex-clerk : then staggering to his geat, he all in a moment felt, the necessity of hecoming civil— nay, evan servile, cringing, and grovelling to that man whom he know to be tho arbiter of his destiny. It waa diffioutt to gather from Varian’s look the inved in which he was towards his impri- soned master. The young man’s countenance was fixed aud almost passionless: if might have augured a relenting sorrow for Fmmerson’s fallen condition—or it might equally as well have betokened a cold implacability. AJl this the miserable captive saw ata glance; and he caught greedily at the ray of hope which pointed to the former. Yet it was hoping in despere- tion’s despite—for deep and dark was the mis- But still he clung THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT., a giving which at the same time struck te Emmerson’s soul. (a ‘*I come, sir,”esnid Varian, in a voice the ac- cents of which were as dubious as his looks, leaving nothing ¢f hia humour or intent to be fathered from them,—* detaining creditor, who, aa I told: you on the night of your arrest, left the matter entirely in my hand!” ‘‘ Yes, yesa—Mr. Varian—I know what you said—I recollect it full well,” interrupted Em- merson, quivering with nervous excitement. ‘“Well—and you have recommended him to be merciful ? You—you——” “Bo pleased, sir, to listen to me,”’ said Varian. ‘‘T have come to deliver myself of a mossage, and likewise to address you in a few words relative to some little matters con- cerning which T think ‘you ought to be enlight- eed.” ’ “Yes—but the message from the creditor— the message—the message ?’* repeated Emmer- son, absolutely pitiable in his unmanned nervousness and the abject impatience of his SUspensee ‘* Permit me to preface what] aim about to say on ihe creditor’s behalf with u few observa- tions on my own account ;’’—and thus speaking, Theodore Vurian seated himself in a chair with the cool deliberation of one who is not only resolved to porform a particular part, bat also to take his own time in doing } ; uy ; _ Emmerson resigned shimself to a prolonged Intervul of the cruellest suspense; but so dasperate was his position, that he feared to anger the young man by any farther demonsira- tion of impatience. “Tn the first placo, Mr. Emgneraoh,” resumed Theodore Varian, in that cold measured voice and deliberate manner which was the same as heaping torture upon torture — agony upou agony —in respect to tho miserable wretch who wished only to hear one word— yes or no--s0 that it might be decisive of his fute,—and if of the very worst, at least put him out of suspense,—-“* Mr. Jimmerson,”’ said Varian, “in tho first place I wish to enlighton you on afew of those proceedings which rince my return into your sotvice 1 have been con- ducting agaoinslh you. It was I who threw in your way those newspapers that contained suchflaming accounts of speculations and en- terprises which I full well conjectured to be worthless ; atid in your greediness to augment your gains, as wellus to counterbalance your extravagances, you nibbled at the bait. Next, when your vanity led you to stand as a candi- date .for the aldermanic gown of one of tho City wards. I went among those who had pro- mised you their support; and thas was it that. although your canvas gave promise of complete success, the result of the poll proved the most mortifying—the most humiliating! Atthe mo- ment you were vapouring and declaiming about ‘our blessed Constitution, ‘our glorious laws,’ and ‘ our admirable social system,’ I wag darkly and insidiously undermining you amongst all your civic friends. ‘To me, then, did you owe your defeat; and secretly I gloried in your dis- comfiture. Then, about the same time, you began to observe that many of your most in- fluontial City friends began to look coldly upon you. It was I who secrotly propagated rumours tending to destroy your character, and conse- quently to diminish your credit. I managed— thongh with some little dificnlty—to acrape an cole, sir, from your . eee wie TE Yin ot me Remy Ce TS | Bee a, el — See eee apes 6 Se ee 8 ee ee ee ee > ae —— . ae OS ee, Sy eee en ee Oe ee ee ee ee ee ee ee Se ee ECOMNIE OG O) cS) CO