The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 395: what you’re looking at

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a a ga — —_ 4 Qe ee ee eS a Se € BR2 : justified ih excluding you any longer from their presence.” “But their reason, doctor—their reason ?” exclaimed Mrs. Owen: ‘think you that it will ever be restored ?”’ “Madam, I showd not bo doing my duty,” was the grave response, “if I bnoyed you up with hopes that may never be fulfilled. Iam thorefore buund to inform you,’’-—and he was about to draw her aside so that Mary might not overhear what he was going to say,—‘ that your daughters——-”’ . “Oh! for heavon’s sake let there be no secrets with me!” cried the young maiden. “ Suspense under such circumstancey were far less tolorable than a knowledgo of the worst. Roxides,” she added, in'a quick hysterical tone of mental agony, “I already gather from your looks, Dr. Dupont, a presage of what is pussing in your mind.”’ “'Yox—you must speak it in my poor sirl’s presence,’ said Mrs. Owen. “In that case,” continuod, the physician, “it is my painful duty to inform you both that from all the symptoms by which I am enabled to judge, I much fear thet the minds of the two younz ladiesthave received a shock which they will nevor recover.”’ Mary said nuthing, but clasped her hands despairingly ; while Mrs. Owen turned asjde, and sinking upon « chair, was for somo minutes convulsed with grief. ‘‘ Now, my dear madam,” snid “the doctor, at length broaking silence,— and you also, Miss Owen,—J] must beg dnd implore of you both to put as strong a restraint upon your feelings as possible. Remember, I um by no meaus certain as to the result of the interview which is about totako place. With all my experience I can foretell nothing upon that point. It may prove beneficial, or the very reverse; it may soothe, or it may excite. If my two fair patients recognize their mother and their sister, they will most probably melt into soft- nesa, and the effect would be advantageous : but unfortunately, in those cases the very persons who ought to be loved the. most, are sometimes regarded as the .objcots of sudden aversion, hatred, and terror. You will therefore both, perceive the ubsolute necessity for exercising un authoritative command over yourselves at the approaching interview.”’ Mrs. Owen and Mary promised to follow Dr. Dupont injunctions as well as they werd’ able; and when he thought they were suffi- ciently tranquillized, he conducted them out of the waiting-room. They traversed the hball— ascended a magnificent marble = stair- case— and then proceeded along a carpetted passage having an array of doors on both sides. Prosently they stopped at one near the end of the pussago: and here the doctor paused, placing his finger upon his lip to remind Mrs. Owen and Mary of the injunctions he had given. He thon knockod at the door; and it was almost immediately opened by the female custodian who had charge of the two young ladics. Dr. Dupont cntered first—Mra. Owen and Mary following close behind. The reader mny imagine if he can--for we have no , power to describe— the feclings which now awellod in the heart of that mother who knew that she heraclf was the primal causo of every- thing which had hurried on her two unhappy children to the catastrephe of a mad-house: nor van we depict the emetious which the inno- cent and tender-heartudl Mary Owen felt at thus encom coring her sisters in sneha placo € THE MYSTERIES OF, THE COURT. and under sneh circumstdnces. The mother and daughter lmd wept over the tomb of the murdered Emfaa in the cemetery without the walls of Geneva; wid d@ep as their anguish had been there, it assuredly was not moy pro- found fhan that «which they experienfed in crossing the threshold of the chamber contain- ing the living Agftha and Julia—but living only in a state of mental confusion ! The two objects of this visit were still seated at the window—still appearing to gaze forth upon the splendid scenery without—but still looking upon dull vacuity. They heard not the door open; or if they did, paid no attention to the circumstance. Dr. Dupont motioned with his hand for Mrs. Owen and Mary to | rofaain near the dour, while Ifo accosted Agatha , and Julia. Well, young Judics,”’ ho said in his blandast, kindest, most soothing tones, “ what is it that thus engagey yopr attention?” : ‘““Methought I bebeld angels flying throngh tht air,” said Agatha, slowly turning her head and raising her eyes towarda tho physician's countenance. “ They were all beauttEnl beings, with white wings shining as if made of silver: and they were dressed in azure garments which streamed out in a long train in the track of their feet.”’ ‘And I also beheld beautiful spirits parsing through the air,” said Julia, turning round with the same slowness of manner and gazing: up with similar vacancy into the doctor’s countenance. “I fancied also that they had beautiful silver wings, and azure robes spread- ing out into a cloud Behind them—oh, it was Mra. Owen and Mary were now able to behold the countonances of Agatha and Julia, and hear their voices. Those countennnces were so pale as to be devoid of all vital colour- ing; and those voices wero so low, plaintive, and melancholy, that it rent the hearts of the mother and sister to hear them. Bui. still they ‘i, na their feelings with a strength of mind that even astonished themselves; and now ata signal from the physician, they slowly up- proached the window. ‘““Here are friends, come to see you,” anid the doctor, his voice more gentic and more soothing (hau even at first: and yet both Mrs. Owen and Mary could perceive in his accents, as well as in his manner, that this was the crisis which he fearecd—that is to say, the mo- ment was now come when the effect of the visit would be immdiliately shown by his two un- fortunate paticnts. Agutha and Julia—at the anme instant, in orecisely the same manner, and us if in obedi- ence to a foeling common to them both—slowly averted their looks from the doctor’s counto- nance, ahd bent them upon Mrs. Owen and Mary. Then they both started, as if suddenly galvanized by the same electric wire, and also at the very self-same moment: and still as if inspired by this singular identity of feeling or instinct, thoy sprang from their seats, shricking forth, “‘lt is Mary, our sister !”’ Bounding towards the young dameel, they both wound their arms about her neck—covered her with edervid, even frenzied caresses — addressed to her the most passionately endear- ing epithets—and shed floods of tears. Then Agatha embraced Mary all to herself—and then cJulis took lrer tarn in the same demonstration of cthusiastic love. “Oh, my sistera—my dearest, dearest sis- ters!” oxclaime® the young dumecl, giving E:T LA Ee EP IE TIT ST I eee PT ia NN eal _ | | wonderful !”’ . ! } AOC) Cy COMMU cS) CO