The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 394: what you’re looking at

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

= 0 wee ee es ee ee eee eee lO a ee oe? ee OO ee = ee ee ee Ee ee ee = ee eee eee eee eee eee A _ eee ee See Game - > 2-8 “st 2 ene THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. the slightest, zlimpe of its contents: for Bhave no scorned J3l and hatod the murriave, oa acc unt of the doubt tat the notury was secretly in the Barouet’s ! circumstauces attendiag it; and I duspised aristoe pay, bribed to manage the business thuS cautiously. cratic distinetions. I tnercfure resolved to remain J should observe that all the ducumnents were in the . a plain civilinag; and LT dehborated what na.ne [ French languago, with which | am perfectly ac- ; Should take: for if passing as a wmacriod wuinin, I quainted, The notary then took his departure; and: could not of courso retain my maiden nemo of .I possessed myself of*my five thousand pounds. Paton. On the table in my rvom at the hotel to ‘“T now intimated to Sir John Marston that [| which [ had removed, were sumo Knish novels, was about to quit his family at once—to which he,! placed thero fur tho uso of those guests who chose made no objection. But he ,bade mo wait a few ; to avail themsclves of such reading. [ thouzht to ininutes whije he gave me 4 word of cautiva. This was to the ellect that if I consulted my own interests I should do wo’ not to mention to any persons myself that 1 would leave my future namo to a sort of lottery ; and takinz up one of the volumes, [ de- termined to adopt the first name that should mect whose .ffiendship I might thereatter form, the pe- | my eye, if it were not an ugly one. . In this wanner cular circumstances, under which my marriage avas , did I come to dub myself Mrs. Chandos. [t wae contracted; and he ev6n hinted that somo fraud ! by this namo that 1 nuoW had my passport mide had been committed, in which ,{ was more or less ' out; and on tho fullowing morning, at aie o’el-ck, an accomplice. I began to grow frightened: for it did not occur to we at the tiime-that this might be merely a device on his part to intimidate nme into secrecy. Ie however assured me that | shoul? bo perfectly safe, provided I*kept my own counsel; and he farther intimated that if ever [° wished to communicate with hima, and should be unacquainted with his address, a letter directed to him through his English attorney, Mr. Kobson, of Saville Row, London, would roach him. Le told me that he head changed his mind about ‘settling bimeelf in Paris, and that he purposed to travel about on the Continent for soiye time to come. Itgok my place in the cowpé of the dilizence for - Havre. Thidcompartinont of a French stage-coach is r€ade fur three persuns ; and my two companions wero elderly French ladics who were also going ty Havre. I was well pleased with their companion- tip; for they were very agrocable persous ;—ana the dayspassed quickly enough, notwithstanding the tediousness of travelling by diligence on the Contie nent. “It was in the middle of tio night, and while x5 were still at a considerable distance from Havre-cie- Grace, that the diligence #as suddenly attacked vy I now tvvk leave | & budy of armod robbers, who were s» numerous ui him. He gave uie hig hand at parting, agd | and so formidable that resistance on the part of the hoped that I experienced nu lingering ill-wiil to- inale passenzers, the guard, OF tho pustilions, was wards him. J said frankly enough that I had little ; out of the question, It was in a lonely spot whero eausé to entertain a frivndly feeling, but that as for, & permanent raucour, mimo was not a disposition w cherish it. On leaving Sir dohn, I proceeded to m7 own chamber to finish my arrangements for do- parture; and while | was thus occupied, Lad y Mars- ton and Mrs, iuloyd came to bid me farewell. I treated them epreciscly as I had Sir qphn; and having taken leave of the two girls, I entered a hackney-coach, ordering the driver to take me to another hoetel. I bewever purposed that my stay there should bo bricf, inagmuch as I gosolved to sct off on tho following’ day on my return to England : for 1 louged tu embrace my brother: Frank. “ T have already stated that ‘sthoe Lleft Southamp- ton, I regularly corresponded with him. A year had now clapsed sinco I lett hima there; and by tho last letter I received, I knew he was still at the seminary. I sent to make inguirics relative to the heur at which the diligence started for Havre on the following morning; and while the porter of the hotel was pone, I began to ruwinate serivusly upon my position. There was I, a young ang unprotected woman — only twenty-ono years *of age, and just launched, so to speak, upon the wide world! I could not marry, even if I should mect with any one to gain my affections ; and I felt that at my age, and not being particularly bad- looking, I should find myself exposed to offers and overtures alike honourable and dishonourable. I | the doed took glace ; and the banditti went to work ina most deliberate manner. They unpacked all the boxesto soarch for mehey, jewellery, or other valuables; and my fivo thousand pounds, which I had dvposited inside ny trunk, was appropriated by the plunderers. In short they carried off overythin:: worth taking from all the passengers - purses, watches, oven to the vory car-rinza of the tonaics. The two clilerly lajies who were my companions, were terribly frizhtencd ; but I retained my pre- sence of wand; for although deeply annoved and afflicted by tho loss of my muncy, yet [ saw that no altumpt would be made upon our lives. When the robbers had dono their work, they suffured the dili- gence to proceed; and in the morning I thus arrived absolutely ponuiless at Havre.” _ =e S CHAPTER LXXXJ. a CONSINUATION OF LADY BkS3'S HISTORY. “ I Took up fny quarters at an hotel, and retlocted upon what course [ should now pursue. .T learnt on inquiry that there would be no steam-packet for Suuthampton for the next two days ; but even if thero were, and if by parting wth some of my clothes I could raiso money enough to pay my fape, what was tho usc of presenting » was prepared to accept neither; but.I naturally mnysclf in @ pauperized condition to my poor shrank from the chance of encountering them, lt | brother? I knew that he had Bo funds wherowith therefure occurred to me that if I passed asa mar. | t0 assist me: and moreover, I shrank from the ried woman, there would bo in that title a cortadin | ‘protection for mysclf and a safeguartl fur my repu- tation. But ldid not chovse to adopt my husband's wane, or receive the reflection of his rank.. I | outed. Gero are eS idea of afflictiog him by an accuunt of my misfor- tunes. What was Ito do? My position was most embarrassing. I did not bhowover suffer myself to be completely cast down: the same spirit which had op SP a A Ae et Sane e Oe ei, Re a —_ . __ — se = oe tow © @amep SE a ee ee | | _—_— eee, - eee ee ee af Re Se ee a ee ee * eee a Geis ese me ee COMMUC OOO) SS