The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

166 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. - BQ, you cannot prevent me. that wo shall have plenty. of opportunities of éx- pressing our opinions together on this and other points ere we separate.” ° “ Andis it really your intention,” gsked Hen- rietta, ‘utterly reduced to despair by those lant words which augured a long captivity for her, 9% keep moa prisoner here in detlance of the law | a “ Tho law!" echoed the woman, with snother | scoruful look, and thia time it was accompanied by astill mor asardonic slaugh. “'Thelew is ogly made. to coerce the poor, and not to restrain the rich.” “* Heavens! into whose power have I fgllan-! a cried Henrietta, wringing ber hands in anguish aa she sat down again on the sofa: for. {t really seemed to her as if a fond in humen shape, and net one of her own sex, yore finging | these ‘proud deflances alike at virtve ang at leg ality. * You have fallen into the hands of a nobleman who will engure you egalnst want for the rest. of your days, and lavish all the advantages of wealth upon you,” returned the woman, “provided that you willingly accept the destiny: markéd out for you. Bat jf, on the other hand, yoa play tl i silly prudo ———However, I will not threagen you in‘ respect to that alternative; beaausd you haye not been in the house as yefe quarter of an hour, and have passed through a fainting: fit during that brief in at Now listen. & me,” said Henriette, suddenly wiping the tears from her eyes, and speaking with firinness and energy. “I have a mother who has been very, very ill, aad whose health is. gtill most precarioys.. My pro rolonged been from her may be followed by fatal consed fi ences. I have a little brother, only seven years ‘old; and if anything should happen to my poor mother, who is totake care of him while J am in captivity here? I con- jure you, if you haye the slightest & rk of feeling in your breast, to suffer me to go he Fence : and. I declare solemnly thet I will take no step to punish the authora of this outrage, But if you refues this prayer which I offer up, I warn you that | will exar$ every effort to summon succour to my aid. My soreams snd @hrieks shall pierce be- yond thege walls—there are’ other houses at no great distance—the. passer-by in the road must likewise hear ma —~-Or if these means fail, then. will Levatch the firat opportunity to preel pitate myself from a window, no matter what height from the ground. In shor I am desperate! You may think me a weak and powerless goung | girl; but the maddening nature of my thou ughts. will togpire me with the strength and the gone of a gian “ Al eee rg very romantic ip the cold jrony of hte is $ that your preset vay sympathy is eg. useless: as if you addr { to one of the. gtatics in tho ball; and the Sooomplish 6. of: your. threats will prove nomewhet more aa pl al you imagine. a us Chyod heavens Veried the wreighed on ie “ig it pogsible. thet any one in female i pa 'e procluim bagel ag heartless as the cold inten | marble ? Womans, tay must be.» ' flend must be ¢ fen 1” she added, with gn ‘outbmet q uncoptroHable vehemenpe. “ And as for what I have threatened to do, you se prevent me— My screams shall 4 tei fine, very. hieroip, ¢ “ The only misfortpne. . rales the whole neighbqurhood !” and . observed the yotaan, with brows, \ a ee With these words, utteredin wild frenzy, Hene rigttaprang towards the nearest window : butshe recoiled with a sudden horror gu observing that it was. jell provided with iron bars. Her agoniffng gianca wes fing towardg:the two other windows which belongel to the gama room ; and at each did she ubserve a similar ‘grat ntlog. j ust heaven | where wagehe? grbat prison wasthis? Reeling half round, with a frighful dizziness in her, brain, the unhappy girl staggered. toa sat, on which she sank down ; aud at the same moment the mocking laugh of that fiend: like woman rang in her ears. * “Now, Miss Leyden,” said this dreadfal oreature, ‘do you begin to understand that yourthreatsare | - all ag ridiculous as your own silly prudery? There is nota window in the house which is not thus de- fended with iron barg; and therefore you will be spared the digugrecable alternative of self-destruc- tion. As for your sqyeamns, you are quite welcome tv open'one of those windows and shriek forth till yZu loge your voice altogether, J can assure you that none of the neighbours will think of coming to yous assistance, They will only wonder what pvor maniag, has been brought hither.” “4 maniag!” echoed Henrietta, springing up from her seat es if galvanized with the light of the horrid trath which now flashed to her miud: “es maniag, did you gay? What house then is this 2 —and-her voice sank to a subdued andawe- inspired lownens of toue as she put the question. “TI do not iutend to be too communicative, my protty dear,” responded the woman: “ butt may ‘be that Mr, ‘Bellamy —that is the gentleman who brought you hither —keeps a privatelunaticasylum where he from time to time recelves putients —” “ Bpough, enough !” _ interrupted Heurietta, hysterically; aud again'sipking down upon tho seat, she covered hier face with her hands, the tears gushing forth between her fingers. uc 50 you: perceive,” contiqued the woman, who peared to take « ‘Gevilish delight in making. ahaa a the young lady the utter hopelessness of | her position, “that you will not be gratified with bhe f acility of leaping from a window: nor will it ba worth ‘while to spoil your aweet voice by in- offeotinal soreame. | I wouldyadvise yor to com- pose -yoursell—to meke. up your mind to the cooking which is inevitably yours; and whonever yeu fity I will conduct you to the apart- ments which you ate to ogoupy.. You need not hurry yourself, anlegs you like: I amin.no hurry . mygelt. Therefore, whether you come now or | two or three; hours hanoe, ia not of the smallest ogniequenge tate.” —s Henriette. preseed her fingers to her throbbing pnd endeavoured to steady ber thoughts. She poh ‘tha inutility of giving. way to her snguish ; and as the hope of astape was the only one which now ral rea ned i her, she thonght that the sooner acquainted with the quagters to wi ta her, the Dever, Sho anoo Nlnghy ar. eyee-—striggied with 9 powerful effort pease the ‘yiplanes of bey grief—and inti- : 3 | missed to tho Fame: hat ah company. ‘hogs. . aw eh MJ pet os--z09 ‘pleane,® AURIS: end- the. sho gare. }t. forthwith ocon- Unt tees i oP tive out of ‘thé room. Be into the Hell; end thence eaevended shat hebgpome Sigh Fr. a already mentioned They reached a lafding adorned with statues, ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)