The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 379: what you’re looking at

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

2 a iP eee RE ES ees TY a ee ET i a LE LP A EL EE EE la I a CSR a I a A fe ee eee ee a ea =— rt ee EEE a A om RP Ne —n eee oo. 2 ED OF ee SE 2 ee Geter © eevee ere et ae Og ee equ jp 2 7 wai, id | 366 i ee | | the very fast: oe wieelew 9 ae eS os oo man pb te w cag ——- =——_ Am wpon the Prince’s affections, I never had: it was as atoy-and a playtuing for the moment that I have served! Ho is sated with me—and he scarcely had the delicacy to conceal it.” “Oh! the ungrateful monster,” cried Mrs. Ar- outhnot, now trembling with rage: then the next moment she began to shed tears of vexation. “But perhups he was in an augry mood, Pene- lope?” she suddenly exclaimed: “ perhaps he had something to vex him? It is«well koown that he feels deeply the loss of Venetia—— ‘“Yes—it is because he loves Venetia as much as a debauched sensualist like him can pos- sibly love a woman otherwise than as the object of gross indulgence—it is because he leves her, I kay,” continued Panelope, with the emphasis of bitter vexation,—“ because he pines after her— because he yearns for her—that all his thouglits, all his sympathies, and all his longings are centred in her, and that he has vo rpowm inv his heart for even the slightest feelingeof pity on behalf of me !” “But tell me what he sail? how did he behave to you last evening?” imquired Mrs. Arbuthnot onxiously. “Oh! it is useless to enter upon these detai!s,” exclaimed Penelope. “Suffice it to say that when Ttold him my position and besought his advice, he anawered with a cold indifference that he, had no dogbt you would be able tou manage the matter easily enough when the time came—that I must gu into retirement for a while, with leave of abseuce from Court—and that if I wanted a few hundred pounds he dared say he should be able to spare them. Now, mother,” asked Penelope, with a biting irony, “ what becomes of your fine fabric of hope anu ambition atter all this?” * Penelope, 1 am distressed beyond measure,” answered her mother. © The Priuce’s couduct is erael and heartless to a degree. 7 had nevera very high opinion of his character for gencrosity anid honour: but I certainly did not expect that he would show such bratal callousness as this.” “Mother,” rejoined Peidelope, “you have sold me toa vilain! Would it not havé been better that I should have beculoe the honoured wife even o. ahumble Mrs Smith a Mr. Jones ?”"—and there was again a terrible irony in the young lady’s words and a malicious fire in her eyes. “ Daurhtgr, dv out inake things worse by show- ing a bad temper. Perhaps everythmg is not as bad as you fancy it. There is plenty of time before you. Months will elapge cre your condition will become vi-ible; and in the meant.me who knoé€s how the Prince's humour may change? He will | altog ther havo furzotten his Venetia,” “Yes—and will have taken up with some other mistress, equally brilliant—or if not so brilliant as Venetia, at all events sufficiently splendid to keep me aliogether in the back-ground.” “Do not give way to this despondency,” said Mrs, Arbuthnot, determined to hope even uuiil “we must think of what is ‘to be done, Ido uot pretend for a moment that ygu are 80 beautitul as Lady Sackville: but you are ' nevertheless avery fins yours woman, aud it is . impossible that the Pimee can remember your | thanns with indiilvrence, Penclope, that you vourseif have not played your cards welt—that you Lave not exerted all your povers of fascination -ilvat yeu ase not done se —M FE? 3 hes wt Py — ae tee 0 ee See oop Oe ee ees eS THE MYSTERIES OF i Foam really atraid,, weet 8g Pe rts 0 ire eiretrer eats THE COURT. ee | ‘your best to please and captivate the Prince ? Perhaps you have been cold———" “No, mothes,” answered the young lady, a crimson glow iow mantling upon her cheeks, then rapidly suffusing itself dver her neck and upon the luxuriant orbs ot her heaving bosom: “when once the barrier Of chastity was brukem down, I surrendered mysglf up, as I have already told you, to the intoxicating delights of passion, and -was a very wanton in the Princes arms. But even now, mother, you are labowring hard to deceive your- self: you are still striving to buoy yourself up with hope when there isnone! I tell you that we shall obtain nothing from the Prince. In short, Iam a cast-off mistress—and Oh! deep, deep is the humiliation {” As she gave utterance to “these last words, all the glow of shame, which had risen to her cheeks and suffused her neck when she confessed herself a wanton, fied away, Jeaving her pale as marble ; and her looks sank into the profuundest melan- choly. “It is awkward—awkward indeed,” said Mrs. Arbuthnot, not knowing exactly what course to adopt. “ Awkward, mother! Is that the term to be applied tu this cruel embarassment?” suddenly exclaimed Penelope, raising her eyes and Jooking with mingled indignation and reproach in her puent’s face. “ May it nut prove utterly ruinous ? Taink you not that it is geverally suspected that Ihave been the Prince’s mistress ?—aud so long as itis believed Tam it high favour with him, the old Queen herself will shut her cyes upon the amour, aud the ladies of the Court will pet, caress, aud envy me. But the moment ié is known that the princely favour cxists fur me no longer, will not the Queen he the very first to look culdly upon me? and will not her ladics treat me with scorn, mockery, aud contempt? Yes: but even this is not all: the worst is behind! For if accident should revcal my position befure [ can obtain leave to go into retirement, shal] 1 not be expelled iguo- miniously from the Court? and wouid not you be involved in my ruin? Then what is to become of us? While we were poor, we diways contrived to live somehow or another, because our characters were not gone: butif once thrown upon the world, with our reputations blasted—I as an unwedded mother, and you as the wretched disappoisted pander to your duughter’s shame—who will take us by the hund? who will befriend us? what shall we du ?” But Mrs. Arbuthnot was not listening to the latter part of her daughter's speech: she had faiicn into a deep reverie, and was revo-ving in her mind a variety of plans that suggested them- selves as a meatis of encountering the present emergency. , When Pcuelope had ceased speak- ing, she also sank into a meditative mood; and thcre was a long pause before either wother or daurhter again broke silence. “ My dear child,” suddenly exclaimed Mrs. Ar- bothnot, ‘“I have it—I have it! Depend upon it i shal be enabled tg bring the Priuce to reason, antl make him do something for you }” “ Anything, mother, so long as it will ensure our ;-usitions at Court,” cried Penelope, “and save ine irom disgrace. But what plan have sou -. you: heal?” = * ee ee Se ee le ee ee ey eS Se EY ase SG: Se NaS GR —_— ee ge = COMMU CY) AOC) < = CO