The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

. | anticipate to behold it once again,” , SHE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 149 Ser DR RS cree, SST Sy TP a on “Dr. Ferncy,” was the lady's response, “after all| ‘And are you not surprised to roceive a visit the generous words you have spoken to me, and | from me?” asked the lady. after declaring that you would rather laydown your} ‘Yes—and yet mot altogether surprised; for | lifeta do me service than breathe a word to go me | without being able to explain it even unto myself,” an injury, it would ba, wrong—it would be ungrato- | continued ‘the doctor, “I must inform you that ful—were I to treat you with euch mistrust as to | there has often drigen in the depths of my suul a retain my veil over my features. Qesides—you say | presentiment. that we ahould one day moot again. that my countenapce is impressed upon your me- | But observe, this presentiment has not beon accum- —? ee . panied by hope.. I never. was wildly enthusiastic “Yes—indelibly !” exclaimedsthe physician. “ But | nor drivellingly foolish enough to anticipate that it would be © happiness which I had never dared | the feeling which my heart has cherished would Se ever be crowned. with happiness. Yet I felt, us I The lady slowly raised her veil; and an expres- | have said, that we should meet again; and I now sion of- mingled delight, admiration, and surprise | rejoice that we have thus met. Sych is the tone came upon the countenance .of Dr. Ferney, So | and temper of my mind titat when you depart little had time changed the beauty of those splendid | hence, no drearinesa nor dismalness will be left. be- features that it appéared to hum as if the lapse of| hind you; but, on the contrary, the light of your nineteen years had not takerf placo—that it had | transient presence will appear to linger within theso been all a dream—and that he saw her now as li had | walls and choer me on my way. You gee that I can been wont to see her when at his mother’s residence. | speak rationally and calmfy upon this subject, as For that lapse of time, while maturing the beauty | becomes my years, and as becomes porhaps tho po- of this magnificent woman, bad only seemed to add | sition of her whom I am now addrodsing. For that tothe glory and the splendour of her loveliness. | you were not what you seemed when dwelling at Thore was perhaps less of youthful softness in her | my mother's residence, I felt assured; and that looks—but the light of her eyes had no$ waned—tho | your’s is no plebeian nor middle grade, I am equally ravon darkness of her hair had not paled nor lost | confident now. But who you™aight have been [ its gloss—the richnegs of ihe red had not withered | never sought to know; and who. you are I purpose on thg lips—nor the evenness of the flesh becofhe | not to inquire at prosent. Those are your secretsa— indented with a single wrinkle. and they are sacred in my estimation. Besides, [ “°Tis tho same—the tory same!” murmured tho | have no undue curiosity; mine is a disposition of physician, in accents that were only just audible: | another stamp... But pardon this long speech. All then passing his band over his eyes, he said, “ Is it | I have said is merely to inspire you with the neves- a dream—a delicious dream? or is ita reality? It | sary confidence to induce you to explain the purpose is areality! I cannot dgubt it:’—and once more | of your visit: for that you have an object in coming did he appear so overpowered by his emotions that | to me this evening, I must of course conclude.” he looked as if almost about to faint. ¢ “Dr. Nerney, you are a man of too much sense,’ “And during this long interval,” said the lady, | replied the lady, “for mo to dream of flattering ox ropgeting her former question with, an evident | complimenting you so emptily—eo transparently— 4nxXiety to receive the confirmation of tho former | as by a declaration to the effect that I came hithcr response, “you have never once seen me?” for the mere purpose of reviving the friendship of ** No—never onoe,” returned the physician. ‘“ By | former days. No—it wasa purely business-matter the nature of the query I must of course suppose | that brought me hither; and as I ere now said, lit- that you either dwell in London or vialt it frequently: | tle did I anticipate.so kind, so generous a reception. but even if you gro constantly riding or walking | I fancied that we should meet almost as strangers; abroad it would not be surprising that wo have | but it has proved otherwise—and I have thorefure never met: for I go out so little—never into society | the less difficulty in explaining my purpose. Do you —only to visit the patients who cannot come to me; | recollect that when you had your little house in . and im those professional rounds I am whirled | Islingtyn—at a time when you could scarcely fore- |, rapidly along in my carriage, for my time is so pre: | sco the eminence to Which you were destined to rise, cious! Then, even when thus flying about in my | and which has enabled you.to movo to this fashion- carriage, my attontion ip ever fixed.on some book | able quarter of the town,—do you remember, I ask, which I take with mej.so that seldom is it I gaze | that you had a little laboratory’qpening from your forth from the window of the vehicle—and thus, if | private sitting-room up-stairs P” every day you pass ine by, I should. not sge you.| “ When I removed from that house,” replied Dr. But let me again: beseech ‘and implore that you will | Ferney, “it cost me many a pang to do so, bocause experienge no mistrust in me. Good heavens! 1 | you had visited. me there., Ah! caw I forget that Fe eee cnitTna Tous and even if T were | laborator . chpable, I know not that I have the. power: Wor.| morning was passed with you there § and you seomed take 60 deep an interest in the various expori- allude more. pointedly, I- scarcely wnderatoad ite | ments I ahowed you--—Qh! it was that which om- | I | boldened me at the time to: throw myself at your | meaning and purpose at the time, and. assutedly I | boldened . feel no inolinetion : to: fathomy it now... Whatever | fos and declare how much I loved + ae mysteries be your's, keep them—-cling to them-—and ||.“ And you remember also,” continued the lady, rest confident that #o far. ss I am: concerned: they | “that there were two or three of your experiments are safe. You have conferred upon me too: mach | in which I was s0 much interested that I besought happiness by thus permitting ‘me to gazé upon that | you to give me written descriptions of the several countenance again, nob to inspire mg with the live- | processes—and you did so.” liest gratitude in addition to spy other sentiment I | “ And those receipts—have you preserved them may have experienced towards you.” have you ever thought any more of-them f” asked f do I. not. remember that one entire . Pe ee ee ee ee eee eee eee = es ee - SS (CO) COMIC OOO©