The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 393: what you’re looking at

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

= - = eer ees ot 38) mo to live with thas husband of his choice a.day, accompanied by a very handso:n4 youre Ss sess nor an hour, nor @ minute. On tho contrary, he. who spoke Faglish perfectly. and whom ho intro stipulated Qs a part of his proposition, that wo were | duced to mine as the Marquis of Villcbelle. So Z was ty separate immediately after the ceremony and sco to become a Marchiouess! This did not however | ese, other no more. When I had recevered from ° flatter my pride in the sligh@est degree: fur 1 cared | th-: astonishment into which this proposal bad thrown | nothing about artificial rank und the nauseating | me, I speedily reflected that it was one which, | blazonry of titles. Nor did tho arrceable perso singitlar and indelicate though it appeared, I should | of the young Marquis produce any tender impression nevetheless do well to accept. Toa person who was upon my hoart; and notwithstundiaz his riod about to loave a situation with only afow pounds in | logks, his graceful %earing, and his elezant man- her pocket, and utterly uncertain how soon she could | ners, I remained perteetly willing to carry out the procure another—without any known friends, too, | Baronct’s conditions to their utmost limit, and so- cane OD oe AR EN. « On A Pe ie ee © 9, 2 FE . THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ——Ls— «=o mt 2 ° Oe io . s o se > oS eceineOee-e wee went .OT * OES. 6. 4 Ee SF A-- S ee 2 men ee «0 a ee eee ee, a . = > = ee ee ee ‘n the whole wide world—the offer of five thousand mounds was magnificently tempting. Indeed, it was » temptation too brilliant gnd dazzling to be refused. paratet from my intended husband the moment tho ceremony should have been perfurmod. Besides, f should have loathed myself if all in a mement I I therefuro speedily made up my uftnd toaccept tho | could have made up my mint to fall into tho cries offer. But having no very hizh opinion of Sir Johu Marston's integrity, I insisted upon recoiving*the | money before L would conclude the strange par- vain. He told inc that the moment the ceremony was over I should have to sign a certain paper without reading its contonts, and that the object which he had in view would not bo answered unless of a man whom I b&d nover seen belorce, and whom therefure I had not been led to love. “Well, to procead with my narrative. No pro- payiteons in the shapo of appaccl were mace fer this singular wedding.. The white veil, the virgin dress, the wrango blussoms, and the bouquet, were all wautings I ‘was woll but plainly attired, and I affixed my name to that document. He there- | with no* one single indication that ef was about to fore proposed that immediately after the ceremofy | become a bride. Indeed, the other inmates of the and previous to tho signing of the paper, the money | hotel remained in perfect ignorance that any such should be placed in my hands. Tothis I consented; ceremony was contemplated. Sir John and Lady end Sir John Marston then told me that ina couple | Marston) Mrs. Lloyd, tue Marquis of Villebelle, and of hours the bridezroom would bethere. IJ returned | mysclf, entered a carriaze hire.l for tho occasion, to my own chamber, and ho immediately issued ' and proceeded to the British Mtabassy, whoro my ee ee a ES ae a co SS | TS aes = from the hotel. | “When I was alone—the children being at the timo with their mother Mrs. Lioyd—I reficctcd upon the step I was about to tako. That Sir Jobn Marston had some dcop solfish purposo to serve, find was duly united «a marriaze to that of the French nobleman, The chaplain, who soleme-2ed the rite, gave mo a certifNate, which [ securec «bout ‘my person. We then returned tu the carricyé, ou drove back to the hotel. Tnere [ at once to. Jeavo there could be no doubt: but what it whs, seemed ' of the Marquis, an? ropairod to the room where Mz :mpossible for me to fathom. If I rejected ‘his pro- puerl, how should I bettor myself? If a largo sum of incncy were duc to me, and he only meant to ouy mea part, what measures could I take for ob- taining the whole? where was [ to louk for the source of such money? tu whom was I to address snyself for information or complaint?,, I was pro. foundly anxious tv escape from the thraldom of a governcss’s life; and here was alittle fortune within my reach. . All things considered, and all tho cir- cumstances being well weighed, I resolved to perse- vere. Thue making up my mind with coolness and firmness, I maintuincd a remarkable equanimity of mind,—expericncing no nervousness, nor anxiety, ' John Marston and I had hold the conversatiou. ~kr6a hours baak. In about twenty minutos he rind mo, accompanied by an elderly French geniteman, drossed 1@ black, and whoimehe intrstugea 40 mp as a Notary Public. This functionary produced several papers, and requested me to show him tna warriaze cortificate. I did so: whereupon he filled up a couple of papers atteatéer that this certificate bad been exhibited to him; and one of these duplicatus he handed to me, bidding mo keop it. Hv then produced another document, of which he likewise had a duplicate, and which sct forth that for certain reasons of a delicate character, known only to the _ persons interested, a separation had been agrevil nor excitement. I looked upof’ the whole affair as a upon betwéen my husband and myself, —I retaining puroly businessetransaction, and was prepared to go _ all rights over whatsoever property I might bo en- through wfth it in that sense. | titled to. Thoso papers I had to sign; and one of “It wes a little after nino o'clock in the'morning them was also left in my possession. Next the no- when the interview between me and Bir John Mars- , tary producet{a still more claborate document, and fon had occurred: it was about half-past eleven then Sir John Marston, interposing, said in Fronoh when Ludy Marston and Mrs. Lloyd entered my , that ‘the Maurchioness of Villebollo was airegdy chamber und bado me aszompany them to another | acquainted with its contents, and it was not nccos- room. They knew what was about to take place, sary to read it.’ I was very much inclined to demur to this; but Sir John thraw upon me a look which - ae, a ee er A Tatas, Mites cm wae and spoke to mo encouragingly on the subject. They wero evidently fearful that I should retract my promise: and they addressed me in terms sicken- invly fawning and coaxing. I gave them to un- derstand that I required no such show of -false friendship on their part—that I had made up my | i counted down the amount of five thousand pounds mind how to act, in ordor to serve my own viows — ‘geomed to say that I was completely in his powor as to the five thousand pounds; and not knowing but that I’ might have really boon so—and indeod more than half fancying I was—I held my peaco. Thereupon Sir John drew forth his pocket-book, and that if by so doing I served their's at the same ! in Fronch bank-notes, and placed them near ma I time, i¢ was through no love that I bore them. Soon | signed the document, over which a large piece of afterwards Sir John Marston made his appearance, j blutting-paper was thrown eo that I could not catoh OO eee COMIC OOS ier SS (CO)