The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 389: what you’re looking at

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

a a _— ne he Eee ne 376 @AK MYSTERIES elderly lady named Mrs. Burnaby, whom I -was taugiit to regard as my grandmother. Sho was moderately off, and kept one servant. She herself instructcd me in the rudiments of education: I was fond of Jearning, and progressed rapidly under her supervision. She was indeed very kind to me— behaving with all the affection of a near and fond relative. When I was about eight years old—lI remember the incident as well as if it had only occurred yesterday—Mrs. Burnaby told me that she was going upon a little journey, that she might be absent a couple of days, and that I was to be a very good girl and mind what the female-servant said Guring her absence. She did remain away two days: and it was late in the evening when she re- turned. She was accompanied by & nurse carrying - fn little baby; and she told me that this little baby was my brother. I was too young to, reflect upon such mattera at that time; and therefore I did not think it at all extraordinary. Indeed, all my feclings were those of an onthusiastic joy at having tls little brother. It was a wet-nurse who had charge of him; and I was told that his name was Francis. At the expiration of somo months—TI suppose nine or ten—the wet-nurse went away; and a girl froft: the neighbourhood was hired to take charge of little Frank. He throve apace; and when he was able to run alonoehe became a companion for me. Full well do I remember the childish delight with which I used to lead him when wo walked out with Mrs. Burnaby or the purse- maid; and as years went dy and he became more companionable for me still, I loved him with the siuccrest affection. He was not a strong nor healthy child, but delicate andeinterosting—endowed with that remarkable beauty which has accomffanied his growth and which characterizes him now. I' myself, on the other hand, was a strong vigorous girl—te for wy ago—and totally unacquainted with even a day's indisposition. When Frank was old enough to commence loarning, Mrs. Burnaby inétructed him as she did mo; and it gave me the sincerest delight to assist my little brother in higq Jessons. “Time wore on—and the incident I am about to rclate happened in the year 1832. Iwas then four. teen, and .rank was six. One morning Mrs. Burnaby told us that we were to be dressed in our Sunday apparel, and accumpany her on a little journey. Presently a vehicle, which had been ordered from Edmonton, drove up to the door: we entered it, and proceeded to“ some village about ten mileg distagt—but I did not know the name. There we stopped at a tavern, where a splendid car- riage, attended by servants in a gorgeous litery, was waiting. Mrs. "Burnaby, myself, ati Frank took our places in this carriage; and it drove away. Speedily turning out of the main road, it entered a bye-ong, running through some beautiful sylvan scenery. At tho expiration of an hour a superb mansion appeared at a little distance. It was situated upon a gentle eminence, in the middle of a park, where numerous deer wore friskifig about. It was & beautiful day in the ‘middle of summer: the trees and fields were of the liveliest groen-—the ornamental waters in that park reflected the un- clouded blue of heaven—and swans were floating in stately gravefulness upon the limpid lake. l.- together it was a scene which delighted me at the 4 time, and made on indelible impréssion upon me. OF THE COURT. Through this park did the carrisge progzed, until it drove up to the entrance of the mansion, where it stopped. s. Burnaby alighted with usr an elderly female, looking like a housekeeper, ree ceived us as we descendeg from the vehicle: and a kind grocting took place between her and. Mrs. Burnaby. They were evidently old acquaint-. ances. The housekceper—for so I shall call her— ‘bestowed great attention on Frank and me, and seamed surprised that I should have grown such a tall girl. Perhaps shes paid me some little com- pliments with an admiring good-nature:- but these I pass over. We were conducted tip a magnificent staircase, to a bed-chamber, where a lady lay ill in the couch. She was very, berutiful, though pale with sickness: she appeared to be about thirty-three years of age. Thero were two other ladies with her, much younger than herself—one being but little past twenty, ond the other nineteen. I do not,‘henk they were sisters—for although they Wworo both very beautiful, there was no family resemblance between thom. Nor do I think they were any re- lation to the lad} who was ill—nt least so fur as I could jufige by the way in which {hey addressed her. I must however observe that neither the in- valid lady nor these two younger ones called each other by any name the whole time that Frank and I were tiicre—this.Foservo being doubtless a neces- sary but melancholy precaution to prevent us frum obtaining uny clue as to who theyswere. ¢'The sick lady embraged me and Frank with the utmost tendorness, and wept over us. She contem- plated us with a look which I can never forget—a tlook of mournful fondness and ‘sorrowing love—n look which, young though I was, nevertheless made me think that thosa must bo some secret tio con- necting my brother and myself with this lady. | After remgining upward? of an hour with her, she bade us a most affectionate farewell. She gave mo somo advéce as to my future conduwt, .and hinted that I was shortly to be removed from Mrs. Bur- naby’s and placed at school: but she assured me that [ had friends in the world who would ever bo watchful over'my intends. Again and again did she press me and Frank to her bosum ; and although I have no doubt she exerted ail her onergies to re- strain her emotions as much as possible, yet she could not prevent them from finding an issue. Mrs. Barnaby and the houseyeeeper conducted us back to the carriage; and the latter female kissed us both most findly at parting. I should observe that the two young ladies already méntioned, had like- wise lavished affoctionate endearments upon us. The handsome carriage took us back to the village, where we entered the hired vehicle and were borne home to the cottage. . “On the following day preparations were com- mehced towards fitting me out for a boarding- school. I grieved sadly when I found that I was to be separated from my. dearly beloved brother: but Mrs. Burnaby‘consoled me with the assurance that when he was old enough he should join me in the same establishment. At the expiration of ei¢'st or ten days, tho hqusekeeper from that splenii'! mansion arrived at the cottage. The moment of ing had now come; and full well do I remem- ber the bitter, bitter teara I shed when separating from Frank and Mrs. Burnaby. Tho housekeeper tock me into London in a hired vehicle; and thence COMIC OOS OY SS (CO)