The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 299: what you’re looking at

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

N were only just audible. A sickening sensation seized upon Christina, What if Zoe had been listening? Rapid as the lightning casts ite blaze epon the entire canopy of heaven, did the damsel review her own conduct during the wildly agitating scene with Octavian Meredith; and she saw that she had not given utterance to a single word that she could now wish unspoken. On the contrary, every syllable that had issued from her own lips} she was precisely such as she would hava uttered if able at the time deliberately to ponder what she was about to say. With this consciousness of perfect rectitude of behaviour, her presence af mind was completely neguined her trength of purpose was recovered ; to Zoe’s ohamber. She found Lady Ostavian Meredith seated in an easy chair, with a languid and enfechled appegr- ance—but otherwise with en air of serene gom- posure. _ “Ié must have been a servant whose footsteps I heard,” was the thought which rapidly traversed Christina’s brain: “for if Zoe had been listening, she could not possibly thus dissemble |” “Pardon me, my dearest friend,” said Lady Octavian, in that sweetly soft plaintive voice which for some time past had been to her: “ pardon me for having thus long left you to your- self—but I was seised with such a sense of ox- haustion that I was compelled to sit down and reat. Here, Christina! scoept this trifle from ane who loves you;”—and she presented our heroine with a locket of choicest workmanship, and con- taining some of her own hair. Christina pressed it to her lips; and then obey. ing some strong impulse, she sank upon her knees | I was +—-took Zoe’s hand—gnd covered it with her kisses and her tears. She sobbed audibly—but spoke not -—and yet there was a world of eloquence in tha whole proceeding on hor part: far not more plainly | s could the meaning of her almost involuntary con- Guct have been expressed if she had exclaimed, “ Pardan me, dearest Zoo! I know that I am the cause—though heaven can attest how innocently — of all you suffer !” Yet those words were sot spoken; and whethes Zoe comprehended the silent eloquence of the weeping and kneeling maiden’s proceeding, must be left for the reader to conjecture. Certain it is that Octavian woynd her arms around Christina’s neck—strained hes te her bosom— sobbed and wept hkewise: and thus were their merase supreme! When Christina again found herself in the ear- riage, as it bore her homeward, she could scareely recollest how she had reached i¢ after that parting scene with the amiable ledy whom she feared that she should nevar behold again. Profoynd was the tfiliction whieh Ohristina experienesd; and on Yegaining the villa, she hastened up fo her own shamber, where she once more gave way to the ‘wild outpouring of her gngnish. ae CHAPTER LIV. THE EXPLANAPION OF A PLOT. Iz was evening; and Madame Angeliqne was seated ip her elegantly furnished reom,—the table well spread with dessert and wine. It was evident expected samebady; for she frequently con- sulted her weld —marmane © to herself, “This te specified nine punctually, and it is consider- ad At length the door opened, and 9 domestic an- nounced the Duke of Marchmont. “I know it is shameful to keep o lady waiting,” ssid his Grace, with a sort of forced -humoured jocularity ; “but I was detained at the Club where I dined.” “Better late than neyer, my lord,” vespanded ere ae w ur me by a wine, I will explsin how I have pogroed in etna mai in which your Grace is “Is it that of the Indian gone inquired the Dake, ae he helped himself ta gome wine. “By heaven! I hope your answer wi be in the affirms, tive--though I care not even if j§ should be to tell ma that the hopa points towards that ayah of her's: for the magnificent beanty of the ane i equalled by the darker glory of the othes’s.” “Ab! then you hava seen them, mg lord?” qjaculated Madame Angelique, with q smile of eatisfaction. “You had sq piqued my curjasity a few weeks ago, when you renewed the subject one night that here——” «Phat your Grace wenf and laid wait 9t Bays- water to catch a glimpse of them in their carriage ? a my lord ”’ said the millingr with an arch wr Presiesly a,” responded Marchmont : “and J was so interested that I went second time. On the first occasion I bebeld the lady and Fer ayah; and, good heavens! what wondrous beauty oa the part of each} The seepnd time J saw the ledy with a young English giz], whom to my astonishment [ at once recognised. She is Migs Ashtan—the elater of that very identieal young dog who pont my game in respect to Stanhope and m She was at first with the Merediths—and to “al you the truth, I had marked her out ag my prey.” “¢ And why, my load, should you not honour her with your favour in her turn?” inquired Madame. Augelique. “I have never seen her—at leat aoe te, ny Snowiedge hut if she be worth sny troybie-—— Worth any trouble?” exelaimed Maerchmont : “she ig worth as mych trouble as either the eastern lady or the syah! She ig of o ravishing beauty; and those three together must form 5 group sueh a¢ you, Madame Angelique, never had in the ssloon adjqming —beautiful sa [ admit your houris are. But eome—tell me what ig this eatistactory intelligenep which you have to im- t 3 “The eastern lady, my lord, will be in your power,” replied the safansous women, “ whenever you think fi¢ to say theword. I took the business in hand myself—and fortune favoured me, I CO IMUC DOO <Sr Col