The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 287: what you’re looking at

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274 very seriously, “it is impossible I can take asa wife a young lady whoee affections are engaged to another. It would be indelicate—cruel——” “Stuff and nonsense!” interrupted the Earl, vehemently. “I tell you it is already as good as settled !” “ Not exactly so,” rejoined Adolphus, with a firmness that was almost indignant: “for you have yet to obtain the consent of the two prin- cipal persons.” “Teabella will yield to my wishes,” said the Earl: “ indeed she seust—she is dependent upon me———that is to say, she believes herself so———” “And is she not?” inquired Adolphus, with astonishment. “Never mind!” rejoined the Earl tartly. “I tell you she will assent—and I reckon upon your compliance likewise.” “Deceive yourself not for a moment, my dear father,” said Adolphus: “I cannot—I will not marry my cousin Isabella!” “And I say you can and you shall!” re- joined the Earl: and he spoke with a decisivences that appeared to have something more in it than a mere whim or caprice. “YT see that this interview had better terminate at once,” said Adviphus coldly: and he was rising from his seat, when he was struck by the impe- | tien rious gesture with which the Earl bade him re- tain it. “Now, understand me well, Adolphus,” con- tinued the old nobleman; “I have set my mind on this match for more reasons than one—and I intend it to take place. You had better yield with a good countenance—or you will compel me to make revelations which will perhaps somewhat startle you.” These ambiguous words instantaneously sssoci- ated themselves in Lord Osmond’s mind with those former ones in reference to Isabella which had struck him as peculiar; and knowing how for sorta years—ever since the death of her mother—the Karl had kept her in such privacy that neither he nor tbe Countess had the slightest idea where she was until she was suddenly brought home in the manner already described,—a painful suspicion in respect to his father’s integrity arocee in the young nobleman’s mind. “Is it possible,” he asked, in a low and trem- bling voice, “that you have acted wrongfully towards that orphan daughter of your deceased sister P” “What! do you think I have robbed her out of a fortune,” ejaculated the Earl sneeringly, “ when sbe never had a penny-piece of herown? Not I indeed! , I never rubbed anybody in my life—not s0 much as an umbrella from a friend: and um- brellas, you know, have ever been considered legi- timate plunder.” “Then what revelations are these to which you so ambiguously refer?’ inquired Adolpbua, be- wildered what to think. “You had better not ask me,” responded the Earl; ‘‘ but like a good fellow, marry Isabella off hand. We'll have a sumptuous wedding; and I tell you what yes I positively will! Dll have it down at the Bloomfield estate—all the tenantry shall be invited—we'll have jumping in sacks, climbing up greasy poles, eating treacle-biscuits, and catching pigs with soapy tails. Unless in- deed you prefer to have the wedding here——_” THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “* My dear father,” interrupted Adolphus, “ once for all do let me beseech you to explain the grave and important reasons which you seem to have for wishing these nuptials to take place.” “ Well, if you are obstinate,” said the Earl, “the trath must be told:”—but he screwed up his face with the air of a man who had the pro- spect of no very agreeable task to perform. “What on earth ean it be P’ demanded Adol- phus, full of suspense: and yet this suspense was far from being so poignant as it would have been if he had a less frivolous and more stable-minded person to deal with. “Look you, Adolphus!” resumed the Earl: “ suppose that by any accident all my estates at my desth should pass away to your oousin Teabelia “ Bat, father, this us supposing an impossibility unless I riyself were also dead ; for of course I am awire that the entail descends upon the females as Well as tpon the males of th m ve _ * And'why ja jb eupposing an impossibility” demanded the Rerl. “There is nothing ia- possibie—as ¥ fally proved whied J rode the wild elephant iri Bfrica.” | Adolphus pave vent to an ejacdiation of imps- ce. “You wilful dog!” growled the old Wari; “you persevere in forcing me to tell you every- thing. Suppose, then—only suppose, J say—that some sudden exposure took place—and it became proved that you———But come! marry the girl and have done with it!” “Father, you sust out!” exclaimed Lord Osmond, row inch éxcited, and with a sus- pense that waé really poipnant. “ For heaven's sake tell me what you mean !” “J mean, Adolphus,” replied the Earl, bimeelf eonaiderably excited and painfaliy bewildered, “that though I have no doubt you are the son of your father and mother—nevertheless your father isn't your father and your mother wasn't your mother.” Adolphus gased upon the Earl as if he thought he was going mad: and yet even from that strange conglomeration of absurd contradictions and ridi- culous paradoxes, there seemed to be a certain idea to be eliminated—a startling deduction to be made. Adolphus was frightened: a cold shiver, like a presentiment of evil, ran through him: be eseayed to speak—but vainly gasped for utter- ance “There ie no harm in it if you marry the girl,” continued the old nobleman; “and the world need never be the wiser—at least I hope not. For even if the truth did some day transpire, you could but lose the title—you would have all the estates by right of your wife, to whom they would devolve by entail.” Adolphus sate upon his chair as if he were in the midst of adream. Ali the words which the Earl had just uttered appeared to confirm the wild —the startling—the almost impossible ilea which his former incoherent speech bad conjured up. The colour forsook the young man’s countenance: he felt as if he were about to faint :—there was fortunately a decanter of water upon the table: he filled a glass and drank a long draught. “You are saying all this to coerce me into a COMMIC DOO Col