The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 253: what you’re looking at

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

240 “nor did I, when leaving you in the morning, think that I should see you again until the even- ing. But my father was called into the country on unforeseen business scarcely an hour ere I arrived; and.then I received a message requesting me to postpone my visit till the day after to- morrow.” “I hope it is nothing unpleasant?” said Zoe, with that amiable placidity and soft mournfulness which had characterised her tone and manner ever since the accident that led to her illness. “No—nothing of any great consequence,” an- swered Octavian,“ merely a suddenly discovered defalcation in the accounts of his bailiff: but it is to no serious amount.” The young nobleman then proceeded, with weill- bred facility, to glide into a conversation on topics,—and in which Zoe bore her part, if not with cheerfulness, at least with an apparent in- terest: though Christina could not help thinking it was really to prevent the discourse from and thereby causing embarrassment to perhaps all three. The young maiden herself spoke but little: the mere necessity of keeping continuously on her guard, so as not to betray that sense of awkward- ness that she inwardly and strongly felt, was at times hurrying her to the very brink of confusion. She sat with her eyes bent down, or else with her looks averted in another direction from the spot where Lord Octavian was seated. She did not choose to meet his regards. Not that she in this respect mistrusted herself: -it was impossible for not how Octavian might gaze upon her, or into what increased embarrassment and awkwardness he might plunge her. Thus half-an-hour passed: Christina glanced at the time-piece—still two more hours must elapse ere the carriage would come! Did Lord Octavian intend to remain in the drawing-room the whole time? It appeared so. All of a sudden Zoe directed Christina’s attention to a portfolio of new and splendid prints which lay upon the table; and the young maiden, infinitely relieved—and half suspecting that Zoe meant purposely thus to relieve her—hastened to look over them. In ing this, she seated herself in such a way that without absolutely turning her back in rudeness towards Octavian, she nevertheless could without restraint avoid meeting his looks. By these means another hour was passed; and then Zoe requested Perntins to favor ber with an ait mpon the piano. The young maiden was compelled to advance towards the instrument: but she did so with a visible embarrassment; and Lady Octavian sud- denly exclaimed, “No, my dear Christina: it is too bed that I should thas task you when you come to visit me out of friendship—and we have so short a time to be together !” “I sce,” said Lord Octavian, from his seat, and endea onli thot the at. tempt was but a sickly one after all—“ that I am one too many bere: but I know that you ladies have your little secrete. I shall bid you farewell, Mise Ashton.” Again he presented his hand: again hers was given hesitatingly: he held it but for a moment— and then somewhat hurriedly gquitted the room. Christina resumed her seat close by Zoe; and it struck her at the moment that the amiable lady was forcing herself to suppress a sigh. At that same instant, too, our heroine’s gentle bosom was so full of emotion that she could have thrown her- self into her friend’s arms and given vent to her feelings with a gush of tears. But by a mighty effort shé conquered this weakness. Zoe at ance glided into conversation again; and her manner was, if possible, more kind and more sweetly affable than ever towards Christina. At length the carriage came; and when the two friends was about to part, Zoo said, “I am in hope, dearest Christina, to be enabled to return this visit in a very short time” but she did sot add that if this hope were disap- pointed, she should expect our heroine to renew her own visit to the Regent's Park. They embraced warmly, and se Chris- tina was half afraid of finding Octavian down stairs in order to hand her to the carriage: but he was not there—and she took her way back towards Bayswater. While seated m the vehicle, she re- viewed every incident which had occurred withia the last four hours. Scaroely a doubt remained in her mind as to the fact that Zoe had penetrated her husband’s secret: and now a reminiscence suddenly flitted into Christina's brain. She won- dered that she had not thought of it before! For, on that day when the accident with the phaeton occurred, it had struck her for an instant that she beheld Zoe's eyes suddenly close as she turned to- wards her immediately after those ex: clamations had burst from Octavian’s lips. Ah! doubtless Zoe’s ear had caught them ! had revealed to her the secret of her husband’s love for another !—and if Zoe had really thus known it all struck a fatal blow to her happiness. “ Good heavens!”’ thought Christina to herself, shuddering and shivering at the bare idea that her surmise was correct; “what a sacrifice of feeling is the how unwittingly, am its object—and yet she does not hate me! No: she is too magnanimoas' And she will not make her husband blush her presence by suffering him to perceive that she has penetrated his secret. Perhaps she pitie him,—perhaps she feels for him, making al- lowances for a heart that has no over ite own volition? And now she is cherishizg the belief that she suspects it not! Zoe! Ah, no wonder that there is sadness in be tone—soft plaintiveness in her looks: for these it is impossible she can altogether control !” And then, while still seated in the carriage which was bearing her homewards, Christina wept scalding tears of anguish,—wept as if she herself were a wilfully guilty destructrix of the amiable Zoe's happiness ! COMMIC DOO Col