The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 389: what you’re looking at

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

| | | | | | ) —— —~ - —_——S oe eee ee ee ee eee eee ee a EE - ea «| «= ee —_ ——— — = aes oe ee = Re wee hee ease meiner ane.o caine, cee ieee apa ay: I ate a-e Mune ees eA fo THR MYSTERIES OF THE COTET. Ee, week ers ger eae GE Oe ar (0 -Oee Ae Qe Page: - aE apie eete- ogni ay she said, “ Laura has yielded finally and com- ; cause I think they are due to you after all thnt in pletely. as I all along assured yuu that she | previous years hai taken place betwixt you and would.” “Then the may be coldbyated by the priest to-morrow F exolaiued Bir Foha, im a tone of hasty inquiry; “and wo cen wt aff igimediately afterwards t have the Protestant ooyetnony por- | ou acourding to | alster formed by apecial license in : our a plan “J fear that it cannot be sa," answored Mrs. Oxenden; “for you know that the priest had scruples in propouycing the nuptial blessing unless Laura gave her fullest and curupletest assont. This she hus only just done; ahe will require to-morrow to think ¢ell over it—for I am as intimately ac- quainted with her dieposition as it is possible to be. ut the day after-—--" “Ab, I understand you!” growled Gir John surlily. “You area women of the world—and you will have all the setilemeate aigued aud sealed before you give me your sister. Do you think 1 shall fly feam my word ? do you suppose I am not aincere in disinheriting a younker for whom I buve no moro jove nor affection than for the vericst etrauger—but whom on the contrary f aim inchmed to hate because ho shows bis father's independent spirit P or do yuu think that I shall fy away from the bargain which is to make over fen thousand pounds to you as the price for yoyr charming sister P” e “I wish you would not use such coarse blunt language, Str Jobn,” observed Mrs, Oxonden, as a flush appeared upon her handsome cuunte- Rhibraasgs, ‘“ oarse lanzuage, indeed!” he ejaculated: and then he gave a atitl conrscr laugh, “ Why, lovk me. You come accurdingly—and I then tell you in confidence that 1 mean to disinberit my nephew, oak a 7 me, 4 od ee the power to do ev—and that 1 mean | ta marry in the hope of baving an heir. Then | draw te such a picture of your beautiful that you make the blood thrill in my “ But why this reeapitylation,” exclaimed Mrs. Oxenden, “of all that is so well known to us both ?” ‘ Because IT am resolved,” returned Sir John, someehat grufly, “that the matter shall be esta- biwhed clearly between us in all its dotails. as | was saying, yoy straightway drew me auch a icture of your sister that I was quite ravished by t-and fancied myself altogether young again. Patienco!—do not interrupt me. IT told you at tho time that j¢ the original proved only half as charming as the portraiture, I would gladly make Well, | mo er we — os _ oe — ~~ —— » = -~ 2 =—w her Lady Steward. Now, I du not’ hesitate to | confess that skilful as you are in the art of wortl- painting, and vivid as your verbal delinuation was of Laura’s charma, you adhered strictly to the truth —you did uot exaggerate——” “Weil, 1 aw glad to bear that my promises and your hepea were complotely fulfilled,” interjected Mra. Oxenden. “Oh, you!” ejaculated Sir John: “T freely ad- mig that such was the case. But in another sense you deceiyed me somewhat.” “ Decoived you?” ejaculated Mrs. Oxenden. “Yoga,” rejoined the Buronet: “but yet Ido not think you did it wilfully. L fancied from whan you said that I should find her Jeas ooy—or ab all you, my dear fiend !— let us aot ahut our eyes to | events more susceptible of kind agaiduities an.l the true nature of the transaction—bheeause when ; ettentiaas——” woe have tu dehberato over it, it 19 inconvenient to : * Yau could aarcely agpect, Sir John,” observed blink the truth and go beating about the bush. | Mra. Oxenden, “that a young maiden on being Bendes, you and I have known cach other long | wtroduced to you for the first t) uu—ee enough and well enough to have no disyume be. tween us-——"’ “Well, my dear Sir John,” saul Mrs. Oxsendon deeming it expedient to cajote aud coaciliate the old man aginach as possible; “have it entirely your own way - and put the matter in whatsvever light you may think fit.” . “All L want is this,” continued the Baronot,~ “that you shall not flatter sourself 1’ am your dupe, cr that you have caught me as @ veritable ttutard in your meshies.” “dinod heavens, Sir John!" exclaimed Hrs, Oxenden, frightened leat thinge were about tu tale | a turn but hittle in ageordance with ber hupes and views; “how cas you think of talking in a@ stsuin | © uNnzenerous—so unkind ® “Yes, my dear friena,” nucrposed the Baronet. : “but during your juurney from Brighton tu Iains- gate, you bruke your mind to her—you told her that she must baniwh Edgar Beverley from her re- colleckiwn ~aud that she myst prepare hersclt to louk upon mv as her future husband.” “All this I cid, Sir John, as you are well aware,” answered Mrs. Qrenden impressively; “an though not remarkable for any peculiar nicety of fevlingsa, Iocan assure you it was o& taak which I should by no moans lke to have to execute over aval.” “ Wall, wail, I give you oredit for all goad in- tentions,” rawarked Sir Jolm: “but still you must nilow that my first moeting with yuur sister was but httle flattering to me. First she looked at mo “Well, well,” interrupted the Baronet, who was: in a sort of wild hewilderment as if she had not renily under the influence of this deep desgning wontan, but who wished to persunde himeell that it was otherwise and Bhat ho was altogether indo- pendent in his owu mode of action,—* we will not . get to angry words: but now that affairs are grow- ing towards a termyuation, it is just as well for us to understand cach other. Look you—how rests the matter? I receive communications from Brighton, from my nephew and yunrself, to the rightly comprehended whom I was; auyi then, when you furmally went ned my name, she puai- tively gave a shriek - * But you ahould make allowances, Sir John, for the ciivumsatences which attended our arriyal. The breaking down of the postchawe—and then you will admit tuo that your costume was not precisely that which becomes you beat,” ‘Ig isthe one thuugh that I Tike the best!” —_—— = A <r wee eee = =~ a rr — - ese oe aI, a SE RE ee eT eT lee ke SE Ee er ee le effect that he has falien desperately in love with | answered the Baronet: “it leaves me comfortable * , your sitar Laara, I at once send off fer you to/ and easy ;"--and he atretched himself out upon Come to me and receive pereonal explunatiana; be- | the ofp; for he was ell attired in the very same 6 @ , ° aera eee ee ElOOOKS