The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 392: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTRRIES OF THE COURT. with other sentiments is made up of contradio- tions: but as the river receives all confluent streamletsand absorbs those varied and insignifi- cant-waters in its own rolling volume—so does the tide of love’s passion flow onward and onward, amalgamating in one flood the different feelings and discrepant emotions which become its under- currents, and with their conflicting elements serve to swell and give a forward impetus to the whole. And then, too, this river which we are metaphori- cally taking as an illustration of love's progress, pursues ite colrse at one time amidat dark frown- ing rocks, blackening ite surface with their shadows, and shutting out the sun of hope: but at another time i¢ meanders through emiling meads, where its banke are garlanded with flowers, and where its transparent waters shine brilliantly, with the sunbeams playing upon its bosom and kissing all its gentle ripples. For well has the poet said that “the course of true love never did run smooth ;”’ and if woe take the passion from its firat inception in the human breast—trace its progresa—and study ite track, until i¢ at length bears Hymen’s bark exultingly upon its bosom— we shall find that there 18 no more appropriate sinilitude than that which is furnmehed by the course of some of earth's proudest rivers. For is not love at first like a little silver stream in tho profundities of a wilderncas—always flowing and ewelling onward, though not always seen—then widening and deepoving—now diverted from its course by some ubstacle, now dammed up until the weight of ite waters break down the impedi- ment—thus sometimes freo and aomotimes checked, though never altogether subdued, untii its channel becomes broad and deep and its waters expand into a glorious flood. Oh! wherefure have novelista and poets ever taken love as their most favourite theme P why has the minstrel made it the subject of his harmony, and the limner illus- trated ita episodes upon his canvaes? Is it not because it is the most important passion which the human heart can posmbly know—a source alike of the sublimest happiness and the profoundest misery—sometimes a blessing, at others a curso— aud often proving the pivot upon which turn the mightiest deeds as well as the gravest occur- rences ever beholden upon the theatro of the world ? What reader, therefore, will ever quarrol with his author if for a space he digress to dis- ‘¢ourse upon the varied clemente which form the compound of love, or to expatiate upon the im- mensity of its influence over the hearts as well as the transactions of human beings ? But we aet out by observing that if love at one time feed itself upon the purest manna of hupe— so at another does it voluntarily distil drops of bit- terness into the cup which it drinks. Nor was the love of Edgar Beverley an excoption to this rule. At first Laura's letter bad inspired him with enthusiastic hope : but subsequently—during the hours which elapsed ere it was time to enter upon the execution of the scttled plan—the young lieutenant gave way to a thousand torturing fears. Christian did all he could to soothe and tranquil- lise his friend, and to make him revert tw the belief that everything would go right: but Chris- tian himself, if similarly situated at the moment in respect to Isabella, would have been harrassed by precisely the same apprehensions. We will @ Girne 60d leg ED Eales ase, $81 Tus op not therefore unnecessarily extend this portion of our narratives but without further prefece we will procoed to a description of the scenes which oo- curred in the evening of that memorable day. At about twenty minutes past nine o’sloek, a postcheise-and-four advanced at « slow pace into the neighbourbood of Verner House—the posti- hons thus gently walking their horses in order a much as possible to avoid the chance of the sounds of the equipage being heard within the walle of tho habitation. The chaise oon- tained three persons—Edgar Beverley, Christian Ashton, and the friendly mountebank—this laat- mentioned individual being, as a matter of course, attired in his plain clothes. The equipage halted at a distance of barely a hundred yards from the house,—it being deemed expedient to have it thus close to the scene of action in case of the principal actors themaclves being pressed hard by pursuit. Mareover, the apot chosen for the halting-place of the vehicle, was cofppletely embowered by the treen skirting both sides of the road, and the boughs of which interlacingly joined overhead. Beverley, Ashton, and the mountebank alighted from the chaise; the postilions, already well instructed, and likewise hiborally remunerated, retained their seats upon their horsea; and the three individuals ad- vanced cautiously, like a reoonnoitring party, to- wards the house. They however soon stopped by the side of a thick hedge; and thence they drew forth a la@der which the mountebank and one of his companions had procured and concealed there in the course of the evoning, according to the instruc- tions given by the lieutenant and Christian. But scarcely had they thus possessed thomeelves of this ueceasary implement for the ecaling of the fortress, —when, through the deop gidom of the evening, a female form was all in an instant descried advanc- ing rapidly towarde them. The wowan had just passed by the equipage: she had therefore seon it —sho was proceeding in the same dircotion as themselves—and if she belonged to Verner House, she would of course give tho slarm. All this struck Edgar and his coadjuture in a moment: but just as the jieutenant was about to whisper some rapid words of consultation, our young bero’s lips sent forth an ejaculation of “ The nogrees!” At th~ same momont he sprang forward and caught be. by the arm, He had recognised-her at once; her hideous countenance, as well as her apparel, puinted ber out aa the same whom he hed seen ip the garden, and to whum Laura Hall had specially alluded in hor letter to Kdgar Beverley. ‘The woman, on being thus seized upon, gave vent to asbriek of terror: but Christian, vehemently bidding ber remain ailent, assured her that she had nothing to fear if she held ber peace. Sho wus much alarmed, and tremblingly besought that no mischiet might be done ber. “Be milent,” reiterated Christian, “and you have no ground for apprebension. Proceed! pro. ceed!’ he instantaneously added, tlius addressing himself to Baverley: “you must leave me to tuke charge of this woman until-———” But having spoken this last word significently, he stopped suddenly short ; and Beverley hastened away with the mountebank,—the last-meationed individual carrying tho ladder over his shoulder. Christian had seen at a single mental glamee thet as it was absolutely necessary to keep the negross (C NOG SS