The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 338: what you’re looking at

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

e - J THE MYSTERIES OF *THE COUBT. “ “Do tell me wha’ you are saying in this under. tone—I cannot hear you. Speak out, Emily. Are got you and [old friends? Come, Saxogdale will be returding—and do let ussettle this little business at once. Fetch me down the dress, there's a doar girl; and here is the littlewift which I have taken the liberty to offer you.’ “TI thank you, my dear Lord Harold,” responded the ballet-dancer, with mock affability, and affecting ‘to béw very courtcously: “but, I think that the secret I possess, and the truth of which is corro-, borated by the’ masquerade-garb, is worth a little more than five huralred guineas.” “Nonsense, Emily! What does it prove, After all °” . : “It proves this,” returned tho danseuse: “ that there is a certain story come to my knowledge, in which the heroino is a lady who wore a particular dress at a particular ball. Nowy, guppose inquirigs aro instituted amongst the West End milliners— can it not be ascertained who made this dross ? @Ad ean it not be proved that ib was made fug Lady Saxondale? Thus, even if her son gbhould refuse to corroborate my averment that he found the dress in a box belonging to his mother, the ownership of that dress can be brought home all the same to her ladyship.” ° “ But 3s it possible, Emily, that, your views, havo takon a mercenary turn?” cried the young noble- man. ‘By what right; Lord Harold Staunton,” ex- claimed Miss Archer, her spfrit flaming up, “do you addrcss me in such terms as these? Doubtless you have your own selfish *interests.1n wishing to hush up an affair to which at the time you would have scarcely hesitated to give the fullest publicity. Well, thon, that secrot is worth a fortune to me :”— and che looked him full in the face; her large dark eyes expressing the, firmest decision. ° “Namo the sum that you require,” said Lord Harold, with difficulty goncealing the bitter voxation and spite that he experienced at the turn the affair had taken; and he inwardly cursed his own folly fur having given it such an air sf importance in the: - first instance. 2 “ After all that bas just takon place betwoen us,” replicd imily, in a cold voice, “I do not choose to neyotiate with yuur lordship:”—and as she thus spoke sho rose from her seat, as much as tu imply that he could tako his departifre if he chose. © ‘Come, Emily—do not let us fall out ppon the subject,” said Staunten. “I did not mean to give utierance to anything offensive—very far from it— I would not do such a thing. Do let us be friends again. Give me your hand, Emily.” | “No, my lord: everything is at an end between you and me. You have spaken insultingly to me— and {resent it. As for the secret which is in my possession, I shail know how to negotiate at head- quarters.” > “You mean that you will writ? to Lady Saxon- dale ?” said Lord Harold, visibly perplexed. “T shall not write to hor ladyship: I ghall go to her,” was the firm response. “But you will offend Edmund—you will break with him altogether-——” “ What care IP” cjaculated 325 and candidly that the sooner [ can rid myself alto- gether of him, the better. What I shall get from Iady Saxondale for keoping her secret, will be more gained in a day than I should get out of Edmund for a year.” * an ejaculated Haroll: “then your views ina- deed soar high ?” ° “They are proportionate to tho importance of He secret for tho knowledge of which I am in. debted to you :”—-and Missa Archer gave an ironical laugh. “Yes,” sho added, still in the same vein; “and my obligation is still greater to your lordship: for you have taught mo tho importeanco of that secret which I had all along regarded as being of no more value than any other piece of gossip or scanilal.” e “Now, Emily, once for all listen to mo,” snid Harold, feeling that his position was an awkward ° one. “I have the command of some little money at prodent; anddf you will state your terms, I shall perhaps be enabled to meet them—which wil. sure you a journey into Lincolnshire, besides the un- pleasantness of such @ negotiation personally cou- “You must indeed be very rich all of a suddon, my lord,” responded Emily, “if you can mect my torms, as you ‘phrase it. Perhaps you liave five thousand pounds at your banker's ?”’ “Am Ito understand, Migs Archer,” asked Lord Harold, almost aghasé, “that you entertain such an exorbitant notion ?” “Why all this trifling? wherefore exchanro so many. words?) cricd tho danseuse. “ Have I not given you to uAdorstand, as pointedly though as politely as I could, that I wighed to be slono? But if you requiro @ positivo answer from me, I will tell you at once that my terms arc five thousand pounds.” In three days you shall have the moncy, Emily,” answored Harold. “ Will you give mo up the dress at once, if I present you with a thousand guineas now, and my note of hand payable at threo days’ sight for the remainder ?” “ No—asguredly not,” responded Emily: then with a look of malicious mockery, she said, “Ah! my lord, I have over-reached you. I have‘“mnade you avow that the secret is worth five thousand guineas; but I menn to havo ten. Lady Saxondalo will not hesitate to silence my lips with that amount. And now, wy lord, 1 wish you good evening.” o As the danseuse thus spoke, she rang the bell; and Lord Harold, perceiving how uegless it was to romain arguing the point, and into what mon- atrous blunders he had fallen from first to last, bowed distantly and withdrow. He had his cabriolet waiting for him in front of the house; and he was about to enter it, when he bethought himself of a plan which ut the very first glance seemed feasiblo. In Icss than a minute did he revolve it in his mind: and the result was a de- termination to carry it out. Ho ordered his servant — to drive away witb the cabriolet, and wait for him at the bottom of the road; and when the vehicle had departed, Lord Harold posted himself at a little distance from the gardcn-gate of Evergreen Villa— the danselise, disdain- ! so that he could watch the promises without being fully. “I am already more than disgusted with ' observed by any one who should arrive there. Ho him—TI hate him. Nor do I mind telling You frankly had net becn in his pince of concealment many id qa . Ry i 9 Sa ED = one eg a= ee = ee es i ee ee eee eee L] (CO) EO NOG