The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 293: what you’re looking at

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

EES asn te. nen ins TE ES MD ERNE aang eee Eien ES EEE SED aI PO Ee tly I, | a oS A, wing we Se ea =~" «mn so8ing rank—position—fortune P Did you not therefore say to yourself that you would for ever silence the lips that slone could tell the tale: for you knew that mine were already sealed by that guilty love which had subsisted between us !” “If I have listened to you in silence,” responded Adulphua, “1t is not that my blood has ceased to beil with indignant impatience. Ethel, Ethel, it is you who thus with a detestable dissimulation persevere in attributing the crime to me !-~it ip you, I gay, who hope to make me fancy that you really did not perpetrato that crime! You speak of motivea:—you had every motive! Think you that I comprehend not the terrific jealousy which swayed your heart when I spoke of wedding Isa- bella? Ab, contess that it was through love of me you did this dced!—confess it, Ethel, and I wil} pardon you-——-but for heaven’s sake perse- vere not in asembing it unto me !” “1 also, Adolphus, have curbed my impatience,” answered the Countess, “that I might give you a fuir chance for retractation, confession, and atane- mcnt:—but you are obstinate! Wow listen. We will not blind our eyes to the fact that the crinie rests between us two: for no other Hving being had a motive in porpetrating it. It was therefore I or you who committed it ——m- ANG you know, Adolphug, that it was yoursalf !"” “Ab, Ethel! you have indeed said truly,” he Sxcluimed, “that it lics batween us two: but you will nat logk me much longer in tho face and with such astounding dissimulation deny that all the guilt was wholly and solely yours !” The Counteas literally ground her teeth with rige; and then she muttored in a voice that was hoarse with the same feeling, “ Miscreant, you know that you are @ murderer !” “No, fend in fomalo abape! it is you who are a murderess !’—and having thue ppoken, the Earl of Luseclles walked abruptly forth from the roam, The Countess flung herself upon the sols, and ewe way to bitterest weeping and moat convulsing 80 Cl ‘ * CHAPTER LIT, ‘ CURIGTINA AND THE ATAT. TURER weeks had lapsed eince the visit which Micome Angelique paid to the Pringess Indora ;' and the oriental lady had not as yot carried her project into execution with regard to Onklands. The Duke of Marchmont. had been auddenly ealicd out of town on sume particular buainesa; aod thus Madame Anychque had found no epportunity of communicating with him. She had written a note to this eifect to the Princess Indora, at the same time that she rent home the European costumes ahich ber Highness hat ordered. Three weeks, tug, had elapsed manaa that visit vhich Christina paid to Zoo, and when she had avery reason ty believe jas thie amidble lady sus- pected the passion which her husband cherished dur our herome. Christina had been very un- happy since that date: bus she had ‘endeavoured to conceal her fechnga es much as possible from she Princess,—though the latter on three or four SE ORSAY SNe ate PE oes Sgr remit «, = THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. occasions kindly questioned her whetber she had not something which troubled her mind? Chris- tina gave evasive responses; and these tended to confirm Indora’s suspicion that her young fnend was not altogether happy. Accordingly, one day when they were seated to- gether in the elegantly furnished drawing-room, the Princess said in a gentle voice, and with a look of the most benevolent sympathy, “1am afraid, my dear Christina, that you have something which is preying upon your mind? lf it be so, tell me hesitate not to make a confidante of me. 1am your friend—I love you—and I wish you well.” “T am deeply grateful to your ladyship,” an- swored Christina, “ for the many, many kininesses which I experience at your hands: I have every reason to be happy beneath your roo ” “Perhaps you miss the society in which you were wont to mingle when at Lady Octuvian Meredith’s? Here it must be duil for youw~-——” “ Ob, no--far from it!” exclaimed Cliristina, hoping to divert tho conversation into some other channel, “I love the lite which I am leading here id “TI know that you always speak with sincerity," observed the Princess; “and therefore my mind ig at caso on that point. Indeod,” she added, with a amile, “ your time is well occupied—for you make occupation for yourself. It is exceedingly kind of you to take so much pains in teaching Sagvonnah to read English accurately : —but aro you surc that she does not take advantage of your kindness P” “Oh, no, my lady!” exclaimed the amiablo Christina. “Sagvonrh is so willing a pupil, that 1 experienct tho utmost dehght in instructing her. I had not been many days in your Iadysinp's house, before J saw that Sagoonah was uiost anxious to make herself thorough!, eequamte | with the English language. She had already # very tolerable idea of iny native tongue: but sha wished to be able to read it ~and your ladyship would be surprised, if you now heard her, at the progress she has made.” “1 fave no doubt of it,’ observed Indora; “for ahe js @ young woinan of remarkable intel- ligence,”” At this moment the object of the conversation entered the rvuom to make some announcement to ; her mistress; and those three females constitute! - a group which the eye of even an apnvhorite could not have surveyed with indifference. The Princess Indora, in her superbly picturesque garb, and with her magnificent charms, half-reclinng upon the velvot cushions of the sufa—the ayah, with her darker atylo of Jovelincss, standing before ber is that attitude of respectful attention which ashe was wont to adopt—and the youthful Chrastina, in- vested with that exquisite virginal beauty which reudered her a being so well calculated to excite the tendereat interest,—these three, we repeat, beng thus grouped, would have formed an a/- nuralle eubject for the pencil of the ortiat. Au hour after that conversation between thd Princess and Christina, we shail find the latter seated in another room, in company with Sagoonnh, who was engaged in the practice of her English | reading. Here wag another interesting spectucle, —that Hindoy woman, evidently exerting all her powers to render hcrself proficicat im the tasa ELOOO© | - Qe. Queaeetwe ee eee — —— —_—_—— oo on we LE LE TEETER, a rege EAE - ee © ee es ee ee eee re 2g SS CO