The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 314: what you’re looking at

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

iepe.eagts eer unas bs tee ong =e. oe Dem. - 6S? | ee g~ee TRE MYSTERIES oF THE COURT. re eee volving another in his mind; but Lady Syxondale was too much absorbed in the ounteimplation of her ¢ own perilous position, to notice his mood, They continued to walk together for a few ¢| minutes longer, until they beard the voices of Ju- ‘liana and Florina at the a&tremity of the avenue; and then Harold quickly withdrew his arm from around the admirably modelled form of the suporb Lardy Saxondale. } , The night passed; afd on te following morning it happened that Harold did receive by the postea lettor from & friend in London. It was delivered at the breakfast-tablo; and he immodiatoly gpid that business of urgent importance in conné™l with some friend whe had fallen into difficulties, required his speedy return to the metropolis; but he addod that his absence would only last a few days, at the expiration of which time he should have the pleasure of joining the circle at Saxondale Castle again. His aunt bade him nof be so foolish as to hurry off for the purpose of meddling wh? the affairs of friends in difficulties: but Staunton man- aged to convince her that i¢ was absolutely neces- sary—and Lady Macdonald accordingly said little more upon the subject. After broakfast Florina and Julians went out to- gether to walk in the garden; and Lady Macdonald sat herself down to road a new novel. Lady Saxon- dale whispered to Staunton to join her in a few minutes in the drawing-room; and thither he ao- cordingly proceeded. ° “My dear Harold,” she said, “I thank you for this fulfilment of your promise. You know that I am now your’s a8 much ak woman can be, short of | off the marriage-tics. In surrendering myself to you this night past, I havo descended for the first time from that pinnacle of honour which I have main- tained since my husband's death nineteen years back! Oh! do you not*confess that % deserve all you can do for mo? «Buf wherefore do gou regard me in so singular a manner ?”—and Lady Saxondale felt suddenly frightoned at the looks of her para- mour. “Tt is time that wo should dave further explana- tions,” was Staunton’s answer, delivered with tho tone of a man who felt that he was exorcising an authority which could not be disputed. “What mean you?” askod Lady Saxondale in a faint voice, and trembling all over; for she was smitten with a presentiman? of evil. “It will be your own fault,” Staunton went on to say, ‘jf wo do not settle matters very amicably indeed. You have already said that you aro mine as far as woman can be where the marriage vows have not been pronounced. Wherefore ghould those marriage vows not pass betweon us?’ : Lady Saxondale was confounded and stricken | speechless : she could scarcely believe her ears, and gazed in vacant bewilderment upon Lord Harold. “ Now, my dear Harriet,” he resumed, “ do not be childish—for we must talk geriously. You as- sured me last night, with a aincerity which I could not doubt, that your life had been pure and spot- less, and that the moment of weakness in which you had given encouragement to Deveril was the oné 30} or the smile of superciliousuess upon the lips of those who had previously been her paraimours, I should not have thought of seeking you as a wife if it had not been for that solemn assurance. You have a pandeome jointure of your own; besides which, you vea good sum of ready monoy which you have saved. All this I know, of course, from Edmund. I¢ is true that there is the disparity of a few yoars between your age and mine: but then I look older than I am, and you Jook much younger than you are; and therefore the match will not bo so incon- sistent after all. Besides, without any flattery, you are of a beauty so splendid that it ‘seems to dofy the ravages of Time. Altogether, therefore, you will suit me as a wifo better than any lady of my ac- quaintance—that is to say, better than any one who would be likely to have a man of no fortune such as IT am.” Ig it possible that you are serious, Harold ?” asked Lady Sqxondale, who had listened in mute astonishment to this business-like and matter-of-fact speech, wherein however there was a certain pcr- vasive under-current of patrician levity. “ For if you be perpetrating a jest, it is crucl to joke with me under such circumstances.” “I nover was more serious in my lifo,” rejoined Harold: “and I em convinced that when you come to reflect, you will see that it is the best thing I can do for myself: inasmuch as that old uncle of mine Lord Eagledean does not seem at all inclined to die. I have had no letters and no remittances from him within the last two or three weeks, as I had expected; aud at dil events he could not possibly bo onded with mie for making such a maich—ho eee es BE 2 would rovard it asa very ckcellent one.” “You must be mad, Harold!” exclaimod Lady Saxondale, stamping her foot with impatience. “If you marry me, how can Edmund marry your sister?” ‘ Pormit me to take care of myself and think of | my sister afterwards. Do you not comprehend that if Edmund married Florina, it would prove of no pecuniary advantage to myself?—for 1 could not spunge upon them—whereas by marrying you, I secure to myself a fine position at once. (Of course the affait would Be broken off between Edmund and Florina; and we should svon find another eligible match for the former, and a wealthy husband for the latter. Depend upon it, my dear Harriet, the echeme is admirable. I revolved it in my mind all tho time I was conversing with you last cvening: but I thought it befter not to broach it until this morning—because I knew that in the interval you would become more truly mine then you wero bo- fore. Now wo are husband and wife in all cexcopt the marriage ceremony ; and that may be solemnized in a very short time.” “Do you mean me to understand,” asked Lady Saxondale, determined ta come to the point at once, “that you are not making a mero.propusal which I am at liberty to reject if I choose, but that you are dictating terms to which I am to submit P” _ “ Pray do not suffer aggravating language to pass ‘between vy,” rejoined Lord Harold: “or you will compel me to speak more candidly still.” “Then speak candidly!” said her ladyship in a solitary instance : but as that led to no result, we ; decisive tone.- may as well pass it over as nothing at all. Now, as “T will do so, since you require it. First of all, I confess that it would not be very agreeable to me | you enlisted me in your service to provoke Deveril to marry a demirep and behold the laugh of seorn | to a duel, with the solomn understanding that if I \ ORR a ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)