The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 285: what you’re looking at

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

| tell you what—--- yes I positively will! iia 274 yee tees SESS vory seriously, “it is impossible I can tako os a wife & young lady whose affections are engaged to another, It would be indelicate—eruel ” “Stuff and nonsense!” interrupted the Earl, vehemently. “I tell you it is already as good as settled !” “ Not exactly so,” rejoined Adolphus, with a firmness that was almost indignant: “for you have yet to obtain the consent of the two prin- cipal persons.” “Isabella will yield to my wishes,” said the Earl: “ indeed she mugt—she is fagensent upon Ino that is to say, slie believes Herself so ? “And is she not?” inquired Ads phus, with astonishment. “Never mind!” rejuined thio Earl tartly. “I t&il you she will aasent—dnd J reckon upon your compliange likewise.” - “ Deccive yourself ioe for a momont, my dear father,” said Adolphus: “T cannot—I will not marry my pousin Isabolla |” 2 « An spy you caw and you shall!” re- joined the Earl: and he spoke with # devisiveness | ‘that "Ppeared to have sutcthing more in it than a mata whim or caprice. “T soo that thie inlerview had better terminato at once,” said Adulphus coldly: and he was rising from fia seat, wher lie was struck bg. the linpe- rigs gesturo with which the Earl $adé him ro- tain it. 7 . “Now, understand mo well, Adolphus,” con- tinued the uld nobleman; “I have set my mind on this match for more reasons than one—and I intend it to take place. You had better yield with a gov vountenance-—-or you will compel mo to make revelations which will perhaps somewhat startle you.” These ambiguous words instantaneously associ- ated themselves in Lord Osmond’s mind wit: those formner onea in reference to Isobelln which had struck him as peculiar; and knew tig how for some years-~ever sinco the death of her mothor ~—the Earl had kept her in such privacy that neither he vor the Countess had the slihtest idea where she was until she was suddenly brought home in tho manner already describod,—a painful suspicion in respect to his father's integrity arose in the young nobleman’s inind. “Ta it possible,” ho asked, in a low and trem- bling vuice, ‘that you have acted wrongfully towards that orphan daughter of your deccased sister P” “What! do you think 1 have robbed ber out of a fortune,” ejaculated the Earl sneeringly, “ wher. ehe nevor had a penny-piece of herownP Nut I indeed! I never robbed anybody in my life—not so intigh as an umbrella from a friend: and um- brellas, you know, have over been considered lesi. timate plunder.” “Then what revelations are these to which jou a ambiguously refer P” inquired Adolphus, be- wildered what to think, “You had better nut osk me,” responded the Batl; “but hike a wood fellow, marry Isabella ctf hand. We'll have @ sumptuous wedding; and | I'll have it down at the Bludmfield estate—all the tenantry shall be invited—@e'lf have jumping in sacks, Gimbing up greasy poles, eating treacle-bisouits, and catching pie with wonpy tails. Unless ii- Wedd you prefor to have the weddiug here——” ™ Vonrmnearie \— ie GO OS ee ee ey ee, a *~ THE MYSTERI“S OF THE COURT. ——— EE “My dear father,” interrupted Adolphus, “ once for all do let me beseech you to explain the brave and important reasons which yoy seem to have for wishing these nuptials to take place.” Well, if you are obstinate,” said the Earl, “the trith must be told :”’—but he screwed up his faee with the dir of a man who had the pro- spect of no wey Aprenaiie task to perform. “What oh earth can it be?” demanded Adol- phus, full of suspense: and yet this suspense was fur from being so poignant ag, it would have been if he had a less frivolous sind more stable-minded person to deal with. | “Look you, Adolphus!” resumed the Earl: “ suppose that by any accident all my estates at my déath should pass away to your cousin Isabella P” “ But, father, this 18 supposing an impossibility Unless Lrnysclf were also dead; for of course I am aware that the entdil descends upon tho feriales as well os upon the niales of the fataily.” “And why ig, jt eupporing an impossibility ?” demanded the old Earl, “There ig nothing mm- possible—as I fully proved when T rode the wild elephant in Africa.” a Adolphus pave vent to an ejacdiation of impa- tiehce. “You wilful dog!” growled the old Jéarl; “you persevere in forcing me to ftll you every- thing. Suppose, ther-—ouly suppose, Eo say~ that some gudden exposure tuck place—dnd it became proved thet you But come! marry the girl and have dono with it!” “Father, you must speak out!” exclaimed Lord Osmond, now miueli escited, and with a sus- pense that was teally poignant. © For heaven’s sake tell me what you mean !” “I moari, Adolphus,” replied the Earl, himself considerably, excited and painfully bewildered, “that though { Lave no doubt you are tho son of vour father and mother—neverthelesa your father isn’t your fathek and your mother wasn’t your mother.” Adolphus gaged upon the Earl ns if he thought he was going mad: and yet even from that stranze convlomeration of absurd contradictions and ridi- culous paradoxes, there seemed to be a certain idea to be climinated—a etartling deduction to bu made. Adolphus was frightened: a cold shiver, like a presentiment of evil, ran through him: he essayed to speak—but vainly pasped for utter- ance. “There is no hari in if if you marry the girl,” continued the old nobleman; “and the world need never be the wiser—at !enst I hope not. For even if the truth did some day transpire, you could but losa the title—you would have all the eatates by right of vour wife, tu whom they would devolve by entail.” Adolphus sate upon his chair as if he were in the midst of a dream. Aub the worde which the Earl had just uttered app-cared to cuntira the wild —the startling~ the xlmost impossille idea which his former i.coherent speech b&d coniurod up. The colour fcrsook the foung man’s vountenance: he felt as if h® were about to faint :—there was fortunately a decanter of water upon the table: he filled a glase and drank a long draught. “You are saying all this to coerce me into a a. Wer qe! OF yg Sie qua Wi trensever ae Sen he (C NOG SS CO