The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

homo iene sammenea tial en tht enn TET TT ee al 30 anguish in her tones, * you know not all the arta, to the eve, appear to exhale pursons , and methinks that were adopted to enmesh me in this web which . thataf E stretch forth my hand to pluck one, & Fep- is inextricable. God forgive mo that I should. tile would start forth from amidst the fuliage ane thus have to allude to my own father: but it 19‘ fix its venomed fangs upon my flesh! Yes —every- so! As I have a soul to be saved, £ Bnew not: thing is changed to me. The world appears to be that my husband was your uncle unlil tho know. ! made up of deceits, with a gloss over all: the pare ledge came too late. Never had I heard that the: terres of rosea are but hidden pitfalls for the feet. Marquisate of Viviandale bad been changed into | Is it not dreadful, Eliza, that une so young as I, the Dukedom of Marchmont—-—” | should have his heart thus seared—thus warped — “One word, Elizn!"” ejaculated Bertram, who / thus devastated, so that everything I behold “er during the first portion of her speech had become | reflect upun is viewed with suspicion and mis- all confidence and trustfulness im her sinecrity,— | trust #” but in whose heart the reptile of suspicion sud-|; “It is dreadful—dreadful, Bertram !” murmured denly lifted up its head again: “19 it possible that , the unhappy young lady, quivering from head to during the months of courtahip my uncle never | foot. “ tut for heaven's sake, talk no mere once alluded to myself?” thus !”" ,o “Bever once!” responded Eliza emphatically. * What would you have me talk of?” cried Ber- “He never spoke of his relations--iourh lesa} train, with increasing bitterness. “Would you named them. And my father was careful that the | have me speak of happiness P—it is gone for ever. name of Vivian should vever be mentioned in my , Of hope ?—there is nune fur me. What induce- THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. wi hearing, in connexion with the Duke of March- mont. Are you not aware that the nuptials were private P”’ ment have I to prosecute a career which would havo led me on to fame and fortune P—she on whose brow it would have been the proudest mo- ment of my life to place the laurels wun by intel- “Ah, private! I understand !" cjaculated Ber- | tram bitterly; “tho batter to exclude the members! lect, or the coronet to be gained in the service of of the family! But ox you have mentioned the} my gountry, has beeome another's, Ab, Elisa!” nuptials, Hliza,” he went on to say—and now bis: he ejaculated abruptly, as a fresh suspicion flushed eyes were riveted upon her with all the serutie; to ma mina: * you eaid just now that you bad nising keeaness of fresh suspicion, fresh distrast,— | some knowledge of those letters which I wrote to “when the minister was performing the coremony, | your father 7 did he not ask you if you would take John Ferd:-! ““ 1 found them in his desk after bis decease,” nand Henry Vivian, Duke of Murchmont, as your! interruprea the Duchess. “Then—and not till husband? And you said yes!” then - did U learn that you were alive. Then too “ Bertram,” responded Ehza, steadily meetinz ; —and not till then did U learn that Limght have his gaze with looks that were all ingenuous sad- been sour’s. No mortal eyes, Bertram, beheld ness and imournful imnocence,—“ that marriage, my rending anguish om tnat cecasion. But Gud -efromeny wns fo me a dream at the tine: if ap- | saw it!—-and beheve me, that never did the heart pears tome @ dream now. L beheld everything of womau tbrob with such throes—never did bo- through a mist; and if Fo olook back upon it from: man eyes shed such tears — never did living crea- the preseut moment, it still appears a someting ture kneel for a while in such profound, dark, aoe shrouded in obscurity and gloom. Yes, it was a utterable despair! And yet there was one thing, dream —a waking dream, in which L slaumbered Bertram, for which I thanked God—and ouly one with my eyes open. Lo beheld naught f€ heard thing! Tt was that you had not perished in the naught -— 7 felt naught. the marniage-ring was placed apon my tinger; and snatched away if I responded yes to the question (hat was put to 9 * Would to heaven that T had eo died, Eliza!” me, it was either mechanically, or else because ejaculated Bertram bitterly. “ But those letters of there was some one uigh, to whisper the word i mine-- these two letters did your father leave my ear. Had the neme of him whom T was taking them that you night become acquainted with his ag a husband, been that of Lumier fimeself) J gute?” should not have heard it—-{ should not have per- “No,"’ she responded. “Perhaps you have Deen ceived it'in that paralysis of the senses: I} should. toid that he died suddenly —that he was atricken have unconsciously becume the bmde of Satan! down,all in an fostant " Oh, Bertram! it is not the least cruel of all the: “Ave, as if by the blasting lightning!” inter- phases of the ordeal uf torture through which my jeeted Bertram, with a fierce sardonic bitterness. Jorn and desolate existence has been dragged,-- “ Perhaps there was heaven's retribution in that!” it is not the least cruel, 1 say, that Dam compelled = “spare me, spare me!’ moaned the wretched to give theso oxplanations- these sel{-vindicatiuns Eliza, clasping her hands in agony. ‘ Remember now (” ‘that itis to the daughter of that depdktad father "Oh! wretch that I am, it is I who torture you are now speaking !” you!” exclaimed Bertram, literally shivering from! “God help me, Eliza!’ exclaimed Bertram, head to foot in the wildness of t13 excitement and ‘nee more pressing his hand to his brow, and stag- the frensy of his feelings: 1 who love you eo gering back a few pacea: “I tell you that [ am madly, am tortaring you thus hurribly! Butagain going mad. But thoes letters—wherefore had he I declare to you, Blisa, that [ au not master of not destroyed them P” myself! God knows Ff xtrive te lodk ppou the “Lt is & mystery which I egnnot explain,” re- world in the aumd light that Fused to reward it— pled the Duchess, in a low murmuriag Totes. wa one of sunshige avd of flowers: but the sua- "Perhaps an unknewn-—~ ap unacbountable j oF im Shine turns into.s dark Awsome mist enveloping Muence led hing to preserve them:—or perhaps + me in « pedtilential hage—the flowers, so beautiful was an overdight-———" 8 ? # CO NOG a een emia heen say AE ee : memennnes - s + «. eo ee PS oe ee eo NEE ee gree ESS Qe eee No- felt not even when deep waters -that your young lite had net been SS CO