The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

ee. WEapeay tenn GG ears ay ee irines. mag arte aie aE JG CHE MYSTERING OF THR COURT. "An elderly Jady,f presume? Perhaps a widow) “And you were preesat P —or an old coal = = “The whole time. He-only remained § ae “No, my lord,” responded Christiah, flattering | while; and that very same evening we remove? himself, in the {ngenuousness of his mind, that the | other lodgings. We never saw Lord Octavien Duke was demonstrating considerable interest— | again. What a singular coincidence that my ster and that of « very kind nature too—in the affairs | should have obtained a situation with his lordship’s of himself and his sister. ‘‘ Christina bas become | wife!” the companion of a young lady——-Lady Octavian! “ Yery singular,” observed the Duke, convinced Meredith ” | that the lad was speaking in the genuine sincerity The Duke could scarcely repress a start at this | of his unsophisticated heart, . . announcement: for being convinced in his own! A little more conversation tod’: place ; and by mind thet Christian's sister was Lord Octavien’s! means of farther questioning-——but ell conducted in fair unknown, it at once elruck him that Octavian such a way aa to prevent Christian frem suspect- himeelf bad manquvred in some way or another ing that the Duke had aay ulterior object in view to get the young girl beneath his own roof. He ,—hie Grace obtained a aufliciess insight imto the even suspected for an instant that there must ebaracter of Obristina and the resent mode of life already be some sort of an understanding between of the twins, as to bring him to the conclusion thet Christian's sister and Octavian Moeredith,—an un- | Mise Ashton was really a most yirtyous and well- derstanding which the young lady had perhaps | conducted girl, and that it was through no secret kept altogether unknown from her artless-miuded ; understanding on her own part thet she bad en- ) brother: for it needed but a glance on the part of | tered Lord QOotavian’s houschold. On the con- auch a thorough maf of the world as the Duke of | teary, Marchmont felt convineed that up to the Marchmont, to discern how really ansophisticated | very moment of her proceeding thither, she had. his young secretary was. no idea of the identity of Lord Octavian and Mr. “And pray,” he inquired, “how was your sister | Percival. | fortunate enough to obtain that situation P” “ Should you happen toe fall in with Lord Octa- “Through the recommendation of the landlady with whom we lived, my lord, and whose daughter is in service at Lady Octavian Meredith’s,” The Duke of Marchmont now felt more end more assured that it was all a coneocted arrange- ment on Meredith’s part to get Miss Ashton into his house—and that the landlady just alluded to, had lent herself to the scheme, even if Christina heracif had not. “Cunning dog, that Octavian!” he thought to himself; “put perheps [ will outwit him yet.” And then he said, speaking aloud, “I am well ac- quainted with Lord Octavian Merodith——-Ah, by the bye, now I bethink me, it was on account of a Miss Ashton that he fought a duel sume little time back—and I was his second on the occasion.” vian,” said the Duke, “you bad better not tell him that it was from my lips you learnt the little ecoret that the name of Percival was an assumed one. Of course your sister will tell you—and you need not appear to have knowg it in amy other way.” lowed,”’ anewered Christian, who sew no harm and suspected no evil in all these things. ‘““We have no letters to writo to-day,” remarked the Duke presently : “and therefore you may amuse | yourself in becoming better acquainted with your new home.” With these words, the Duke rose and sauntered out of the library,—fully determined to eall in the | course of the afternoon at Lord Octavian Mero- “Lord Octavian Meredith!” ejaculated Chris- | dith’s, and obtain a glimpse, if possible, of the tinn, opening wide his tine dark cyes in bewildered | beautiful Miss Ashton. That this design was car- astonishment a6 this intelligence. “No, my | ried into effact the reader has already scen; and lord-+ there is somo mistake—-it was a Mr. Percival.” | the result of the interview was that the Dyke of “Cunning dog, that Octavian!” again thought | Marchmont felt himself as much enamoured of tho the Duke to bimeelf; for w& immediately struck | charming girl as such a dissipated individual sould him that the young nobleman had concealed his | possibly be. aristocratic rank under a feigned name, and per- ; haps ropresented kimeclf as an unmarried man, | course of the afterncon, Christian encountered an the better to carry on a love siege against the | the starve beautiful lady, attended by a maid, and heart of the beautiful Christina. Thon again, whom ho at once cuncsived to be the Duchess. speaking aloud, Murchmont said, “1 am efraid I She waa ia her thirty-second year—ta]l—finely have lot out a secret: for it assuredly was Lord ' formed—and with huatrous masses of auburn heir Octavian Meredith who fought oa your sister's | floating over ber shoulders. There was something behalf. About twenty-two or twenty-three yoars more than beautiful in her countenshee,—a touch- While ascending to his owa chamber in the | of age—very good-looking--ender and moustache-——-" shape brown ing pensiveness bordering upon melaneholy, whieh | rendered her eminently interesting ; andeas Chris- “The same, my lord!” cried Christan, more and | tian stood respectfully aside to make way for her, more bewHdored. | and bowed courteously as he did eo, she stopped ‘Don’t look eo astonished,” ssid the Duke, ; and epoke. emiting: “it is perfectly intalligible thas Lord | in a eof mussel voice, and with her benuant Octavinn should have taken a feigned name By the bye, I recollect that he totd ma sp, and | look, “ whem his Grace has engaged ag hia private that his reason waa the feay that your sister would | sccretary ?” go and take steps to prevent the dual. But [ sup- pose he called upon you afterwards P “Once, my Christian. (A Ntereennen PEER gITbAinaTianemis -tramTaTnitiaineaeenmnertpe elem. e . ee LE A pee nay pgneincupenetsassnep anil only ones,” responded q Christian bowed again, and replied in the affirm. ative. “I hope yeu willbe happy and consfartable as Marchmont Hoyse,” proceeded her ladyship: ang CONMUC NOG SS