The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 375: what you’re looking at

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

ry ee = -= Se ee ee ee ee eee eee ee oe r = mee ee Ret oe a = eS 2 Re TE ca RY, se a Sanaa Chae | Gunthorpe THE MYSTERIES “Woll,” he suddenly resumed, turning towards | Pm OF THE GOURT. \ hae wee “This is most remarkable,” said the oid gontle- Lady Bess, “about yourself? You had a fortune, Ziman, gazing in profoundest surprise upon that BUp pose?” “f peeeived some money,” with a visible unwillingness to be thus questioned. handsome creature, of superb shape, who stood with she answered, stl | half-averted countenance at a little distance from where he was seated. “Fat your husband, Elise- “Qh! you recoived some money?” repeated Mr. | beth,” he continued,—“ pray do not hositate - to Gunthorpe. “Would you mind telling me how much? Lean assure you that f ask not from merg curiosity -----” “Then I will tell you, sir,” responded Lady Bess. © T received five thousand pounds.” “ive thousand pounds! no more?” said Mr. “Are you sure? Pray ¢ell ine tho exact truth, without rescrye.” | “Tint is the exact truga,” replied Lady Bess, with increasing curiosity and surprise at this interroga- tory. “But [ should add, in fairness to a certain individual, that IL have latterly récsiyed & hufidred pounds quarterly, through an attorney in Eoglon.” © And that individual to whom you allude” aaid Mr. Gunthorpe, somewhat eagerly: “pray tell me his name.” | oe “T do not know wherefore I should capoaal it,” obacrved the amnazonian lady: “for you. can’ have none but a good motive in thus questiontag “(Cyrtainly not. On my soul, as & living man,” exclaimed Mr. Guathotpe vehemently, “my motive isa good one. ‘The name of that individaal.” ‘Sir John Marston,” rejoiried Elizabeth. “Ab! the villain!” muttered the old gertleman, in atone of docp execration. “But, now another question, my dear Elizabeth—for sq, you must per- init me to call you. You have been married—yowt are ymarriod——your ‘lusband——I presume as a inatter of courso his name 1s Chandos?” | Lady Beas blushed up to tho very hair of her head, and uttered not a word. | “My dear sir,” said Francis Paton, approaching Mr. Guat*orpo and bendinz down towards him, “pardon me for hinting that your words teuch upon topics not altngather agreosble to my sister.” © Poor boy---poor girl! L would not willingly or wilfully distress-either of you,” e:tid the old gentle- man, gta tremulous vuice that showed he was much moved, ° Hiivabéth, believe what TD say—L would not wantonly cause you pain, You have assured me that as a woman you ean lovk without a blush upon your past life--tharefore why not speak of your husband? If he be doad, and vou deploro his loss, T ean sympathize with fou: but if he be alive anil soyprentock froin you, it can acarcaly be from any fault of your own, if your life has been pure and chaste? And that i¢ has been so, F feel convinced : for there is something in your look“which corrobo- rntes your solernn affirmation.” ° “Oh, yes, Mr. Gunthorpe—most sacredly can I repeat that assurance !’*exclaimed Lady Besa: then ys her voice suddenly sank into a lower and graver tone, she atid, “ Sfy life has hud its faults: but that which woman gonerally commits first, hé never tainted my nama:”—and she averted her bly shing eountenance as Kho spoke. , “My sister has been married, Mr. Gunthe rpe,” whispered Francis Paton: “ but sha has never lived With her husband for a single day—ho, nor for an hour, nor a‘minute. She is the samo as if the marringe ceremony had never boen perfurmed at all.” speak to me upon this head. What was he? whore is he?” “There is such an earnestness in your words, Mr. Gunthorpo,” replied the lady, now bending her macnificent’eyes upoh him again, “ that I cannot help answering your questions. _Tho man whom I mariied, bore not the name of Chaidns:’—then after a few moments’ hesitation, she said, “I would tell you what his roal rame is, but that I should perhaps be doing an injury to u young lady of whoin I have heard some food things, and nothing bad.” Whatever necessity there may be for secrecy and confidence, Elizabeth,” obsorved Mr. Gunthorpo aceLinly, “that necessity shall be respected by me. T am a man of honour.” “Oh, *you necd not give mo this assurance!” cx- claimed Lady Boss; “your conduct to Ienrictta and her mother mide ime esteem ycu before I know you. And how there js something which impels me to givo you niy eonfideney and to reply to all your questions, If I chose to assume the title,” she added after another brief pause, “I could oall my- self the Marchioness of Viflebello !” “ Villobelle &” ojaculated Mr. ‘Gunthorpe. “Ah! ‘{ comprehend. He coped some short time back with the Hon. Miss Constance Farefleld, Lady Sazon- dale’s daughter.” ‘ . And he has married her,” fejoined Lady Bess. “ Married her?” cricd Mr. Gunthorpe, in astonish- ment. “But if io were previously marricd to our” . ™ Ho was,” she observed: “but I released hun. T never loved hiin—I cared not for him. J have never Kiows what love is,” she addcd, in a softies find pentler voice. “ But if he loved, I could pity him. dnd he did love. I met him a few weeks ago—nfter a long, long separation. I had never seen him ginco the ¢¢; which usited our hands ut the altar. Low could 1 consider that mock cere- mony binding? It was a marriago and no mur- riage. Well, air, wo met as 1 havo already toil you; and it was a few weeks back. He unbosomed all his secrets to me---and I voluntarily offered to place in his bands whatsoever papers existed in mine as the pr§ofs of our marriage.” “ And you did su?” said Mr. Gunthorpe. “Yes, But I did not choose to meet him again: I therefore gavo him an appointment for a par- ticular ni:rift and at a particulur place. This was ut King’s Cross} and I despatzhed to him a messenger with the papers of which [ have spoken, Le has married Ludy Saxondale’s younger daughter: they hath gono to Madrid—and I hope that they will be happy. . “‘ But this is wonderful as a romance!” said Mr. Gunthorpe. “You are a singular being, EHliza- beth. I Rave not been quite an hour-yet in your society, and I have discovered many excellent traits an your character :”—and he spoke with a sincority and an Garnestness that showed how deeply inte- rested he really was in the object of his eulogiis. “Accept my gratitude, dear sir,” she answere:|, ‘for the kind language you address to ine.” Pd & ANICLOOO© ( Lo) SS (CO)