The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

be Sea? money mee 62 suitable acknowledgments to her deliverer: but ; when she beard the libertine who had insulted hey, , using threatening terme, talking of satisfaction, | anit declaring that her defender shouldhear from him, the proceeding assuine:} a significancy which, | inexperienced as the young girl was in the ways of. the world, nevertheless sent the thouglt flashing | paregyeien mepega REE FEA Py memietieys und ype into her mind that a duc) would possibly be the | result of the occurrence. A mortal terror accord- ingly seized upon her: for to this innccent and pure-minded béing it scemed shocking to x degree that two human fives should be thus risked on hor account, and one of them the life of her gallant do- liverer. Lerd Octavian Meredith turned towards tho beautiful stranger, and expressed his hope that che was now recovering from tho terror into which the ingident had plunged her. | A thousand thanks to you, sir,” she answered, | in a tremulously murmuring voice, “fur your ge- merous behaviour. But did I rightly interpret the words which that rude person uttered? Oh, sir!” sho continued, an expression of more than grief—for it amounted to a positive anguish, ap- THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. of her band had cent with eloctrifying effect through his entire being, He comprehended all in a moment that his happiness was wrecked by the circumstance of having wedded anuther: aud in a paroyysin of irrepressible emotion, be raised his hand to his brow. “ Ah! you yourself, sir, are smitten with horror at the thought of being placed in a position to take the life of a fellow-creature!”—and the young irl, thus very naturally mistaking ethe cause of his excitement, clasped her haridé€netréatingly as she went on to exclaim, “Tell me that you will not accept that bad man’s defiance! Pardon this . importunity on my part—but believe me, it would make me very, very wretched indeed !” The nature of this colloguy—the ¢lée contact -! into which it brought Meredith and the lovely stranger—tho variations of feeling and emotion which the circumstances developed on her part,— all contributed to display her beauty in different lights, and to afford him a reading into the inno- cence, the generosity, and the kindness of her soul. If he had felt himself attracted towards her , on those few occasions when he had casually wee eee ee ee ee ee = - pearing upon her countenance as sho raised her} passed her im the street, when he had neither fino dark oyes towards Octavian Meredith,—“Ij| spoken to her nor heard the sound of her voice, beseech—-1 implore that no life may be risked~——’ | and had only obtained transient glimpses of her “Tranquillizy your fears,” mterrupted tho | charms,—how much more deeply was he interested oung nobleman, in the gentleat and most sonth-;in hor now that she was there close to him—that ing tones of his naturally barmonious vvice.| he could look into the depths of her fine dark eyas “The man who could thus insult such a one as|—that he beheld the pearly whiteness of ber teeth | you, must be in his heart # coward; and cven| —that he bad leisure to examiue’ every feature cf should he, through fear of the world’s scorn, dare | her beauteous face—and that a glanve rapidly me to a duel, rest assured that I will chastiso| wandering over her figure, confirmed his previous him.” impression of its exquisite symmetry, promising “Good heavens !” murmured the young girl. all | adinirabls devolupments —and when, too, her pure her worst fears being thus frigh(tully confirmed: | breath fanned his very cheek, as under the in- ® you will risk your lifo !” fluence of her feelings she besought him to abstain “Ys it tndeed a matter of interest to you that Ij from the threatened duel! Zoe was forgotten—~ should take heed of my own safety !”’—and in| or if not absolutely forgotten, remembered only putting this question, Octavian Mererlith was! as one to whom he had indissolubly linked bimeelf, irresistibly carried away by thuse fechinygs which | and who thus stood as a barrier in the way of the | he had originally experionced towards the lovely | crowning happiness of tho real love which he ex- — unknown, and which were new resuscitated moro | periencod. Then too flashed tu the mind of the vividly than ever. young man the sickening conviction that despite “Can you ask mo, sir,” she sail, still speaking all his suphistical reasonings at the time, he had murmurigly, and trémulously, and gvith affliction | literally and actually sold himeelf for Armytage’s in her louke,—*“ can you ask mo if it he a subject | wealth: whereas, on the other hand, he felt that | of consequence whether lives are to ba hazarded ? ; he could have been euntent lo inhabit the humblest — ~——— Oh! the baro thought os shucking !’e—/ residence, if it were shared by this beauteous dod under the influence of overpowering feel- ) being who was now before him. +, ings, sho laid her hand upon Meredith’s arm,| Such were the feelings and thoughts conjured gazing up entreatingly into his countenance as she | up a/l in a moment in the mind of Lord Octavian | exclaimed, “For hoaven’s sake, acevpt not tho} Meredith, as the charming stranger continued her — defiance of thaf man whose conduct has place! appeals. For an instant he had flattered himeclf | him utterly beneath your notice !” that these appealg arose from a tender interest The touch of that beautiful girl’s hand—light! which she herself experienced in him ¢gbut he had though it were, and gloved though the hand itsclf'! quickly seeu, by her answer to that question which was—sent a thrill of unknown pleasure through | he had put, that her entreaties arosp mérely from the entire form of Ovtavian Moredith. He ex-| a sonse of duty and gratitude towards o fellow- perienced feelings guch as he had never experionoed | creature who had behaved nobly on her behalf. in respect to Zoe; so that with the rapidity of; “ Will you not prowise me,” she said, “ that Nghtning did the conviction flash to his mind that: this menuced duel shall not take ps he had deceived himself as to his real eéntiments; ‘Yes, yes—-I promise youf’ he responded in reapeot to her Who had becomo his wife, and | quickly, in onder to tranquilliae foars—though that he loved her nwt as he now felt he loved | without having the intentio of Keeping tho who was before | pledgo if the threatened satisfastion should be de- | : the dark-eyeéd, raven-Kairdd being him. This —— ganeod Hirh fo oxperiende a | manded. . wi t strong sensation of Which instantaneously | “Ah, sir’? persigtid the young girl, who, artless followed upon the thrill, of ploamuresthe light touch | A : and unsophistimated though she were, was nover- { jo CRER rt APR = re Wen © Sa sat anes a, inane omen ae a a ae " is ah NOG SS