The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

ee -@ UE as- Corea. apc above the head of her mistress. Of Lavinia’s guilt she entertained not the slightest doubt :— how could she after al} she had seen ehd heard? | But etill, with ber babicual caution and cold reserve, she said nothing,—quielly. awaiting the moment when she would be ealled upon to testify to all that hed come to het knowledge, or until) ing! the tremendous trath (as she supposed it to be) should explode from auother quarter. At the time that the Hoa. Wilson Stanhope was taking his departure in the manner just described, Lavinis was engaged in ber own private sitting- room adjoining her bed-chamber. Bhe was reading | a book, and dreeming of no evil. All of » sudden the Duke entered the room; and she perceived in | honoured &@ moment that there was something wrong. He ’ had tutored his looks to. assume an air of ill. subdued rage 5 and walking straight up to ber as she rose in affright from the sofa, he ssid, “ Madam, you are faithless!” . “Good heavens; Hugh! what fearful miscon- ception is this?” cried the atartled Duchess, be- coming pale as death. “T repeat, madam,” responded her husband sternly and vehemently, “ you have violated your duties asa wife—you have dishonoured me !” Now it was that the countenance of the Duchess became crimson with indignation—while her whole form trembled violently: and she exclaimed, “ No, my lord! Never was accusation more foul—zoore false |" “Every woman who is thus detected, speaks in a similar strain,” retorted the Duke, “Here, madam, is one proof —s others have likewise vome to my knowledge.” “Oh, this is going too far!” cried Lavinia, the tears gushing forth from her beautiful blue eyes, aud her bosom heaving with convulsive violence. “The proof, madam, I say!” thundered forth the Duke of Merchmont: and he produced a letter, which he hastily unfolded and displayed to her view. “* Whatever that letter may be, I know not,” exclaimed the Duchew: and raising her clas innocent !”” * Tnavnestt P” eghoed Marohmont, him- self to look and to speak as if he were boiling with rage. “ Whaé! innocent in the face.of such damning evidence as this? Bosides, your paramour has admitted his guilt. Thie letter, intended for your haads, but sccidentally dropped by the villain who has dishonoured me——” “ Hugb,” cried the Duchaas, almoat wild with mingled indignation, frenay, and deapeir, “it is « horrible mistake—a frightful error! God is my witness rye never by word or thought bave I dix Me aLt Jon ma dare persist in this impudent denial ?” exclaimed the Duke. “ Why, wowastl here is the letter in which your paramour addresses you in the language of love—speaks of the favours you have bestowed upon him, and entreats their re- newal |” “Hugh, thie is dreadful!” murmured the mi- eerable Duchess, sitiking upon the sofa, covering her face with her banda, and burstidg forth into an agony of weeping. “Ob, there are other proufs yet to come!” con- Ginued the Duke. “Sinet Saturday night has Paley Gy ~ LI. Gy Ly =—= -_ arabe Sih eviekg oe « ee ee Sena area wo ~ THE MY6TERIZ.. OF THE COURT. your frailty been known to me: but I have dis- simulated—I have endeavoured to blind myself against my own convictions. Too merciful per- haps, and too confiding—-or rather too slow to he convinced ~—I waited for other evidence—— Aad it is here-~unmistakable, irrefutable, damn- Ths the Duke held forth the letter with one. band, he dashed the other against it while be thus spoke with every appearance of infuriate passion. vient though having not the'slightest legitimate the. reader well knows, for the presout prosaicg he had nevertheless literally lashed jimeelf up into etage. Bathe was for a moment somewhat when the Duchess —suddenly becoming eakmn,’ and acquiring a degnoe of firmness at which evon sho herself was astonished—advanced + tg end ssid, “I cas look you in the face, without blushing! This is a matter which cannot and must not be disposed of amidst a tor- rent of passion. I court and demand the com- | pletest investigation. There has been no circum- stance in my life to justify eo foul a calumny: there bas never even been the faintest levity on my part to give colour to such an accusation. “But this letter?” cried the Duke, holding it up before her. “ A letter might be found addressed to yourself,” responded ‘Lavinia, “and obarging you with all conceivable iniquities : but it nevertheless would not prove your guilt.” “I tell you there are other proofs f’ vociferated Marchmont: and he rang the bell violently. The Duchess resumed her seat; and being now fortified with a calm dignity, as well as being up- held by the consciousness of her own innocence, she serenely awaited tho next phase, whatsoever it might be, in this extraordinary drama. Not but that the whole proceeding was intensely painful for her :~—~still she felt certain that the issue must be in her favour, as she was very far from suspect- ing the dark villany plotted by her own husband. As it was the bell of har Grace’s private sitting- ped | room which bad been rung, it had to be answered hands, she cried, * Heaven is my witgeas that I am. Sutton who in.a. few moments mado ber appear- ance. The fiewt glance which the lady’s-maid flung upon ber matress and the Duke, showed her that the explosion had taken place: but she was by one of her female dependants ; and it was Amy madam, | nevertholess somewhat amazed to perceive the comparatively calm and dignified look which Lavi- nia wore, and which bespoke outraged innocence far more than conscious guilt. “ Ah! it is you?” ssid the Duke, as Amy en- tered the room: “and it is fortunate—for you are tha vory person I at the moment wanted.” Now indeed the Duchess gave oe half-start of surprise and curiosity; and thei her regards acttled upon Amy's countenance, to gather thence if possible what part she was about to play in the present proceedings. Pure-minded and kind- hearted as the Duchess herself was, she revolted againet the idea which for an instant struck her that Amy could bave been treacherously and wickedly calumniating her: but when she beheld a certain confusion os ek amounting to distress in the young woman's was bewildered what to think. “Amy Sutton,” said the Duke, who now thought fit to speak in a mure sulemn and sub- ook and manner, Lavinia CO