The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 245: what you’re looking at

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

232 kneeling to kiss the hand of Royalty—and while returning again to the mansion at Kensington,— - there was one image which was never absent from the charming maiden’s mind ——nd this was the image of Christian Ashton. The Earl of Lascelles was again completely out i i Lord Osmond was too deeply fascinating—so sweetly beautiful—so match- leasly c ing. He knew that she loved him: but yet he felt that to complete his happiness, he must obtain the avowal from her lips. At once did he take the resolve to seise the first opportu- PIERES ui 4 m to behold Isabella appareiled in a way to set off her loveliness to ite utmost advantage—and of it forced upon him the conviction as he was, it seemed presumptuous to a degree, if not absolutely hopeless, for him to to the hand of one who be to the cir- cle of Aristocracy and was enabled to enter within of Royalty. And this strain of thought led him on to re- fiect for the hundredth—perhaps the thousandth time, on those mysterious circumstances which had recently enveloped Isabella as with a veil of mys- From being ignored by her relatives, she was suddenly transferred into their very midst : from occupying a humble lodging in the house of coarse vulgar peopie, she was all in a moment re- moved to a palatial mansion. What could be the signification of all this?—wherefore had Make- peace assumed the name of Gibson when calling at the Chubbe’ to liquidate the stipend for Isabella’s board? Christian was bewildered: he knew not what to conjecture walking with Isabella in the grounds, and when having the opportunity of private conversation, he had not ventured to touch upon those subjects: nor had she of her own accord ever in the slightest way alluded to them. Bat from the contemplation of these mysteries, Christian’s mind reverted to that of Isabella’s love- liness, the amiability of her disposition, and the elegant sweetness of her manners. Despondency on account of the difference of their social positions, seek an opportunity to avow his love and to elicit @ reciprocal confession from her own lips. That opportunity presented itself in the evening after Isabella’s return from Court. Christian was invited to dinner at the Earl’s mansion; and after the dessert, Lord Osmond a stroll in the garden. The Earl refused to be of the party: for he was inwardly chuckling at the idea that his last grand stroke of policy was producing its j THE MYSTERIES OF THE OOURT. effect, and that Isabelia’s appearance of that day was now certain to elicit something decisive from his son’s lips towards her :—hence his refusal to join the party; for he concluded that Adolphus would take care to stray apart with Isabella, while Christian kept the Countess company. So the Kari eat over his wine,—partly chuckling at what he fancied was going on—and partly sketching forth in his imagination some ing adven- ture for the literary lucubrations of the morrow. Little did he suspect that while Lord Osmond and the Countess were seated together with hands fondly clasped, in an arbour situated in the most secluded part of the grounds, Christian and Isabella were walking in a shady avenue quite on the other side of the enclosure. And Christian told the tale which he had resolved to tell—and obtained the avowal which he had hoped to elicit. The hearts of that young pair were confessed the dne to the other: and both were happy. Would the reader have us enter into the minutest details, and chronicle every word that passed between them ?— would he have us extend our narrative into the fullest particulars descriptive of this love scene? And, yet we might do so: for the tale of love is the oldest known to human beings, and commenced in Paradise iteelf before the Fall,— yet is it ever new, and therefore ever interesting. The forms of speech which convey it, may be infi- nitely varied—vet are the end and purpose ever the same; and countless though the world's les- be—different too in the richness or the poverty of idioms, figures, and phrases,—yet have they each and all a iency—aye, even & copicus- ness of words wherewith to form that tale. Bat it is sot our to record the converss- tion which then took place between Christian and Isabella. Suffice it to say that after hesitating, and trembling, and falling into confusion,—the youth, in the very midst of his bewilderment, at length found himeelf breathing the avowal which he had so much longed to make; and in Isabella’s blash- ing cheeks and downcast looks, he read the thrilling to each other’s touch. The maiden spoke but little—the youth not much more—-when once vowals were made; and the little with therr that they loved each other, and that for sent they were together ! It was not until the following day that Christian their first acquaintance at the parish clerk’s house: and now it was that our hero received the following narrative from Miss Vincent’s lips :— “My mother, Lady Isabella, was the sister of the Earl of Lascelles, and many years younge than himself. Were she alive now, she would be ecarcely forty. She was young therefore when she first learnt to love my father, Mr. Vincent, who generous quality of the heart. Lady Isabella, who (SOL (C DOO Col