The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 346: what you’re looking at

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333 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. wip Gees Spee eg Some more convertion took place between him- | self and Mrs. Broughton, but which wo need not day boforg-the roader.. In half-an-hour the modi- | zine for which he had sent, was brought : butin the ineatitimoe tho delirium of the Countess had broken I1 was about noon—on the day following tho evens forth anew—and it was wit& some difficulty that she ing of Harold Staunton’s interview with Emily could be forced to take the composing draught. At! Archer at Evergreen Villa—that Lady Saxondale length however it was poured down hor throat ; and ; was walking by herself along the bank of the Trent in a few minutes its effects became visible in the lull ‘ at,a short distance from the castle. Sho was pon- of her oxcited mind whith followed. dering upon many subjects, few if any of which were Tho physician remained with her ladyship fur, very pleasurable—and least of all the one for which another half-hour, and having given Mrs. Broughton ; she had specially despatched Lord Harold Staunton certain requisite iastructions, he quitted the sick | to London. Her ladyship could not bhiad her cyes chamber, promising to return again by noon. °He|to the fact that within the last fqw weeks the then descended to the drawing-room, where he had | aspect of her affairs had become most threatening : left the Earl of Castiemainc? and whom he found | the sky of her destiny had gaown suddenly overcast walking to and fro, with his arms folded across his | and from every quarter did the storm of calami- chest, and his looks bent down. ‘He did not imme: | ties threaten to burst forth. Within this interval a CHAPTER LXINX. ‘THE TITLED LADY AND TIE OPERA-DANCER. a ae e — a = dialcly perceive the physician; for the room was | new spacious, and the door opened noiselessly, The doctor accosted him;‘and the Earl, stoppumg «fa. denly short, bent upon him #@ look which, yith all the power of his piercing dark ayes, seemed search into his very soul. “Dr. Ferney, what is tho matter with her lady- ship?” he demanded, in a deep hollow voice—so changed indeed from its natural tonos, that if the physician had heard it in the dark, he would not have recognized it. ‘Her ladyship is exceedingly ill,’ was the re- sponao rendered by ‘Ferney; “and must be kept as quict as possible. I have given Mrs. Broughton the fullost instructions-——" to ime had been perpctrated, which weighed upon her constience notwithstanding that iron resolution of soul which she possessed, and which often rose superior even to the qualms of the secret monitor within. And then, too, she had fallen from that pedestal of female honoyr and chastity upon which, since her husband’s death nineteen years back, ahe had stood so proudly. Yes—she had fallen in a manner but little caloulated to mitigate the senso of self-degradation! Had she fallen to throw herself into the arms of himywhom she loved—th arms of William Deveril—it would have been diifer ent: but she had fallen, only to sink into tho em. brace of ®ne whom she bated—Lord Marold Staun- ton! This was a fall, therefore, accompanicd by “But: what is it?” excfaimed the Earl, now | utter humiliatioa; and though she was inspired not manifesting impatience. . “I hope and trust,” answered the physician, “¢hat her ladyship will in a few hqurs become-com. | posed and regain tho powers of her intellect. But I chargo your lordship to avoid anythingéhat may excite her. If this advico be not attended jp, I will not answer for her reasyn—no, nor yet for her life. She is in a more dangerous state than your lordship ere now appeared to imagine.” “ But what is it, I again agk?” ejaculated the Earl; and an indescribable expression, which had something demoniao in it, passed convulsively over his dark countenance. “Her ladyship,” responded the physician, who evidently trembled lest the announcement he had ¢) make should not be a ple#&sant on—or rather he had the certainty that it would not,—“her Jadyship is in a way to become’a mother.” “ Ah, I thought so! Enough, ductor :”—and the Earl of Castlemaine instantaneously became sternly | and unnaturally cold. “Of course you, will come and seo her soon again ?” ‘‘T have intimated to Mrs. Broughton that I shall returh abott noon: but if any threatening symp- toms should arise, I must at once be sent for.” “No doubt, doctor,” responded the Earl, who was still cold, severe, and ominously, implacable. “T have ordered my carriage to wait to convey you home.” . Dr. Ferney then took his leave; and entering the vehicle, was speedily whirled back to his own man- by any true principle of virtuc, yet her pride was deeply wounded. She felt th&t she was sacrificed to terrorism, and not to love: she had yielded herself up to expediency, and not to passion; and theso reflections were accompanied by a profound sense uf self-loathing. And now, too, she asked herself if Lord Harold's migsion should tail, what course was slie to adupt? It was but too evident that Mr. Gunthorpe was resolved, on Deveril’s part, to pursuc cxtrome mea- sures. Ob! how ‘she hated that Mr. Gunthorpo. how bitterly—deeply—cordially, did she hateshim! How she would have rejoiced to be enabléd to in- flict upon him some direful vengeance! Again, too, she could nob help thinking that thero had beon something singular in Florina’s conduct towards her for the last twowr three days :—nothing very pointed—no overt dispihy of aversion or pique—but a cortain cold reserve, the cause of whjch her lady- ship. could not conjecture. Nay, more—the ox- perienced eye of Lady Saxondale had even discerned ‘an inward struggling on Florinae’s part, to conceal, if not to conquer, that coldness—but without suc. cess. It waa evident therefore that the young damsel had learnt someting concerning her: or was it mere vexation, because Lady Saxondale had exposed William Deveril amongst all her fashionable acquaintances? No: this could scarcely be the solution of *Florina’s coldness: for the young maiden’s demeanour towards her lgdyship, had not been that of an uniform reserve ever since the first sion. But during the rido thither, he reflected sor- | day when Lady Saxondale told her story of Deveril’s rowfully and with apprehension, upon the circum- | alleged impropriety : but it was a change of conduct stances of the case which had thus rcquired his | that Florina had manifested only within the past -——_--— ge a S @Qpethe- ey ---= Gus Tere Ee two or-three days. Rae ow 1 Sa > “1. . 2. 0” ee Ee ase: 4 ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)