The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 355: what you’re looking at

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344 to write it; and now more forcibly than ever did I recollect my uncie’s imperious injunctions against following in my late father’s footeteps and marrying a penniless girl. But love has hope and faith amongst its elemente——~” “It has,” thought Christian Ashton to himself, as the image of the beauteous Isabella Vincent rose up in bis mind. “ And therefore,” continued Edgar Beverley, “ I flattered myself that my uncle would be moved on my behalf when I assured him in my letter that my happiness was centred in that fair being, who, though without a fortune, was a model of loveli- ness, amiability, and virtue. When the letter was finished, I sent it in an envelope to Mrs. Maxwell, that she might peruse its contente and then de- spatch it to the You may be sure, Mr. Ashton, that I waited the reply with a considerable degree of suspense, although I endeavoured to persuade myself that it would prove favourable. The return of post brought me the answer: it was singularly brief and laconio—and was to the effect that my uncle had an attack of the gout, or he would have come personally to Brighton to see into the matter and explain his views; but that he had other means of instituting inquiries, and that in the course of a few days I should hear from him again. Within an hour after the receipt of this letter, a note was handed to me by my servant at my quarters: it was from Mrs. Maxwell, request- ing that I wonld abstain from visiting at the house until I should hear from her again. This requi- sition struck me as singular, but did not fill me with despair. I remembered that Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell had been acquainted with my uncle: I thought therefore that they might have written to him by the same post which conveyed my own letter, and that they perhaps had received a reply in such a sense as to originate the request that was now conveyed to me. I persuaded myself that my uncle was taking time for reflection or perhaps waiting to ascertain ¢ h some channel or another whether Louisa was in reality all I had represented, and therefore worthy of becoming my wife. I said to myself that if these conjectures were right, my uncle was sure to give a favourable response, because he could only hear ing that was ~ estimation ; even thought he was acting a prudential part in taking time to make such in- quiries, inasmuch as though he had known the Maxwells, yet he had never seen Louisa herself, as she was at school at the time her sister and her brother-in-law were acquainted with my uncle in London. Still I was somewhat restless and uneasy at being debarred the pleasure of visiting Louisa for the present; and I penned a note to her for the purpose of conveying comfort during a separa- tion which I besought her to hope was only tem- porary. I did not however know precisely how to convey this note: but as I sauntered near the Maxwells’ dwelling—taking care not to be seen from the windows—I met the friendly servant- maid. From her I learnt that in consequence of . @ letter received in the morning, Mrs. Maxwell had suddenly set off on a journey, and that it was not known whither she had gone. I was like- wise told that Louisa was sitting with her old brother-in-law in the drawing-room; and he ap- THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. peared, from what I could gather, to have been instructed to keep a watch over her movements. Moreover the day was a rainy one; and there was no pretext for Louisa to issue forth. The maid undertook to deliver my note; and I returned to the barracks, wondering what this sudden journey on Mrs. Maxwell’s part could mean—but con- necting it with my own love-affair. On reaching the barracks, I strolled into the, mess-room, where four or five of my brother-officers were in conver- sation with a gentleman in plain clothes. This gentleman was an officer in the Guards, and had come down to Brighton on the previous day for s short trip. At the moment I entered, he was re- lating an anecdote, which speedily became vitally interesting to me.—‘I was up just now at the railway-station,’ he said, ‘to make some inquiry relative to a lost carpet-bag; and while I was lounging there, waiting to see a train go off, I fell in with an old flame of mine. I knew her imti- mately some nine or ten years ago: she was 4 lovely creature then—she is a splendidly handsome woman stil]. She passed from my hands into the keeping of a rich old Baronet. Stop a moment, and I shall remember his name !’—He reflected for a few instants; and then suddenly recalling to mind the name which he sought, he mentioned that of my own uncle. My brother-officers laughingly informed him that he was thus speak- ing in the ce of the nephew of the old Baronet whom he had just mentioned ; and he iz a similar laughing mood exclaimed, ‘ Well, I am sure that Mr. Beverley, if he happens to know tis lady, will admire his uncle’s taste. Let me see: she married afterwards, and turned quite steady, I believe. Who was it that she married? Ah, [ recollect! an old fellow with years enough to fit him to be her grandfather, but with some little property: and so she became Mre. Maxwell.’—I should here observe that my love for Louisa had been kept altogether a secret from my brother- officers; and thus they neither knew how interested nor how pained J. was by the startling disclosure that had just reached my ears. My endeavour to laugh and seem unconcerned was but a sickly one; and I sped to my own room, there to give way to my reflections. Could the tale be true?—bat dared I doubt it? Did it not corroborate the whispers that I had already heard in respect to Mrs. Maxwell’s character? and did it not fally account for her strange behaviour towards me while labouring under the idea that I all along knew of her former equivocal connexion with my uncle? ‘Nor less did it account for the strange language in which she had addressed me on morning when she had surprised Louisa myself together in the garden. I also com hended why she had so readily accepted my posal to show her the letter that I was to pen my uncle: she doubtless wished to be sure of terms in which I should speak of hereelf, so she might positively ascertain whether I sincere in professing my ignorance of her cedents. I was deeply grieved to think Louisa wes so closely connected with such woman ; and then I blamed myself for thi ing, inasmuch as I knew Louisa herself to be most immaculate of beings. While pursuing my reflections, methought that Mrs. Maxwell’s jour ney might now be explained ; and I conjectured cEOERE Ee IR —_ (GO) AACE DOO Col