The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 352: what you’re looking at

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

eee 7 eifeeet, WH Pe te age Genesee CE we Oe ne TE EE Gage ) = = Sees et ee we er ee oe Se ee ee ee ee a Ee oe ewe i ri iE i i eel eget re ey aul emerald rm ‘the neihbourbood of the Pavihun, when I en- THE MYSTERIES OF THE wWOURT. S41 ee ill apt ew & O8ke © lotr, “OyeeetE Pe nt eee leg > AMBA oamret. ¥ eh eS wheweqem oo syes SLU we eh a egllepp RaswU had already beon sacrificed, or was aLout to be | family dwellAig at Brighton, and on being intro- sacrificed, to @ man old ———_ to be her grard- | duced to the drawing-room, 1] speedily singled father. I presently turned that I might meet | out that fair creature who was seated next them sgam: but 1 did not see them any more that | to her aged companion whom we aro valling Mz. day. At length wandering away from the King’s | Maxwell. Now I was resulved tov make some in Road, I was walking in another part of Brighton, {| quiries concerning her; and on speaking to the when in my distracted mood I came in somewhat | lady of the house, was ifurmed that the old yeh rude contust againat a lady whu was just issuing | tleman who sato next to her was her brother-in-law, forth from a linen-draper’s shop. Asa matter of {he having married hor elder sister. You euanot sourse I lifted my cap and mado the sincerest | imagine the relief which this iitelligence imparted apolugies. ° They were accepted with what ap-/ to my mind: nor can you concoive how happy | peared to be a degree of familiar courtesy that | felt when in a few minutes | found myself untro- strack me as strange on the part of the lady whom | duced to Louisa Noville—which is the name by I thus beheld for tho first time. She scemed im | which I muat now call her. I was her partner in clined to keep me in conversation—and yet with | the first quadrille: 1 danced with her three or four an air of so much politeness that it would have | other sets in the course of that evening: | escorted omouuted to actual rudeness on wy part to hurry | her to the aupper-room,—her old brothemin-law at once away. Methought that her dark oyes| appearing to be pleased rather than otherwise by were fixed upon me with a somewhat peouliar ex- | my attentions tuwards his witc’s beautiful sister. pressiun—a certain degree of languishing buldness, | I asked Miss Neville, iu the cuurse af the which yradyally in my @atimation assumed the e@j evening, how it bappened that Mra. Max- pressivn of an overture. Do not think mo vam, | well beraclf was nut at the parby; and shu Mr. Ashton: 1 never was conceited—much less was 1 a boaster 1p respect to the other sex.” “Pray do not think it neceasary to give me any such assurance,” said Christian. “ Doubtless this lady was smitten with your appearance: for if I understand you rightly, you were in your uniform —and the fair sex are ever inclined to be capti- vated by officers.” “I was in wy undress-uniform,” responded Edgnr Beverley; “and I ought perhaps tu have informed you that the lady of whom I am speaking was exceedingly handsome, but some few years older than myself. Sbe was ao very fine woman: but the longer I contemplated her, the more did her looks nopress me with the conviction that she was not altogether ag modostly or as vir- tugusly inclined as she ought to have been. ILad I chosen ut that instant to havo initiated a little uffuir of gallantry, I migbt have succeeded : but though I du not mean fur an instant to affect that I am more immaculate than other young meu upon the point, I certaiuly hed no inchnation for an amour at that tame, as wy thoughts wore otherwise engaged. I therefure, alter sujae little conversation, made my bow and walked away, On the following dav, betwoun two and three in the afternoon, I was passing alung in guiety—but that on the other hand Mr, Maxwell himaclf was exceedingly fond of sociaty. On thy following day I met Mr. Maxwell and Louisa out walking : I joined them—-and in the course of gon- vorsation learnt that Mrs. Maxwell had that day gone to Louden on a visit to some friends, with whom sho purposed to pass four or fivo weeks. During this interval I saw Mr. Maxwell and hu sister-in-law nearly overy day, and becamo more and more enamoured of tho beautiful girl, On ono ocvasion 1 happened tu mention my unele’s name,—when it appeared that-Mr. and Mrs. Max- woll were exceedingly well acquainted with him: but it also transpired that Louisa knew him not, and had nevor secn him. I must hero inform you, Mr. Ashton, of something [I ought to have men- tivned before,—which is, that my uncle does gat bear tho name of Beverley, he having adopted gn- other name many years ago, by Royal permission, on account of inheriting a certain property from a distant malo relative whu cxprossed in his will a desire that thos change of name should take plare Thus it was vot until? L happened specifically to bemg my unck, that Mr. Maxwell became Awara of it. *You nuust bear all this in mind, inasmuch as it has something tu do with another part of tho countered this lady again; and her recognition of | narrative.” me was 80 punted that 1 was compelled to stop| “1 shall not forget at,” observed Christian. and converse with her. She gave me to auder-?" Pray proceed : fur your tale interests me stard by her looks—as eluquentiy as looks could | much.” . speak—that she wished vur acquaintance to assume; “ My acquaintance with the beautiful Louisa a more intimate fuoting: but handsome though|and her brother-in-law had lasted about six she were, there was something about her which | weeks,” cuntinuod Beverley, “ when tho latter, failed #9 inspire a feeling sufficient tu induce me | remarking that bis wite was to return humo from to avail myself of the opportumty to enter upon | London in the course of that day, invited mo to an awour. She did not mention who she was;(|diuner 1 the evening. I joyfully accepted the nor at the time wasshe acquainted with my name. | engagoment. IL had not as yet visited Mr. Max. She gave mé as much encouragement as & woman | well’s residence: but now 1 was in hope w obtain possibly could: but I affected nut to perceive it.!a fouting there. IF had learnt that he was tulere At length I observed that her countenauee flushed , ably well off, and that he hved an genteel though with a sense of spite and mortification; aud with | by nv megne splendid atyle at oa house in Kemp a cold buw she’pussed on her way. A few minutes JVown. Thither at six in the ovening did 1 pro- afterwards I had ceased to think of her,—all my , ceed; and on being ushered to the drawing-room, thoughts being again concentrated on the :mwage of | was cordially weleomed by Mr. Maxwell--who the beautiful Louisa. That same evening I was; with all the uxorious pride of an old hushard pos- engaged for a ball given at the huuse uf a wealthy | sussing & comparafively young and gerteinly very e a re. ent rrtereaatenys amen onl rot Le Lay i ee pelt legen 12 i ies +> guest =tneoninias Gre eS ye a Oe ee 8 oi eed OG@eemt wa Wars @=2 4a wom +6 ECONNIC I OOO© infurmed me that her sister had no taate for such. mention the sact of the old Barenvot alluded to ° NTS Gere Daye ON: AD: SO nase ART: “SUA ONL TNS APTI ther WERE SUG NORE. A Ss PEI i RR RRR, Ne ee re ee Ser Rs eee gegen oer ne ge cy a ‘ = - 7 edie LT A I CCT aaa: SS