The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 233: what you’re looking at

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

a -» Sd thing ng in the circumstance of het husband having given such an invitation, yet the fact that the Pritice had accepted it—nay, she felt assured, must have thrown out some hint which elicited it-—was too signifreant not to be understood by the lady: Then—Oh! then, how violent was the struggle which had taken place between her virtue and her inclinations: how tamultdous was the agitation which filled‘her heart,-as:her physical and her moral nature watred together;—how dire was the conflict between the fiesh and the spirit! There wap a woman imploring Heaven to keep her chesté—clasping: her hands‘and beseeching her God to preservé her in the- path of duty-—exerting every energy to nnintain Rer footing in the ways of reetitude,—-but yielding —bend- ing~-sucoumbing beneath’ the weight of indomitable patdione—burning with the fiercest desires! The battle was maddening—the strife was exerucigsing. Oh1 hoy'she prayed for etreagth—for suceour: and yet her strength failed her fast—and suocour' cane: mot: She resolved to retreat te her own chambet=-to send by a servantan apology for her ubsence with a plea of indispotition : but scareely had she thus: de tertamed, whea-voices on the landing without met- her eate-—-and: she had‘ barely time to seat hervelf or the eofe before: the Prince and -her husband made their appearance. No wonder, then, that her cliveks were flushéd— that hereyes shone with a brillianty that was wild and feverish: no wonder that her-heast: palpitated vio-~ lently and she gave a sudden convulaive'statt; ae the berr-appareat placed ‘himeelf by her side upord the sofa, : And he noticed her emotions, but divined net the true cause: his heentious, prefiigatd,and demoralised nature led him té mistake the: results of: that’ severe internal wrestling for the evidences of a passion as |’ heated, as inflamed, and asiongitg as‘hie own. The Ear, having thrown one rapid glance apon ‘his wife, examined some new Chins -omarionts whtith: had that day been ‘placed ‘uport the mantel- pidde = it wal therefore clear fo Eleanor thad he either did not per cerve anything strange'in her appeafaticé, or that if berdid it engendered no unplessatit suspicion in ‘his min Retieved and conscled ‘by the circamstance that her excitement had thus again eseaped the observa- tion of her hasband~and summoning all het forti- tude to her aid;~the Countess.of Desboréugh 29- sumed @ coth posure, alnost verging to a gaicty, which: she did not entirely feel; and in the endeavour to sedm ‘chéerful, contented, and free from any cause of annoyance of é:nbarvasement, she evemplayed her past. The consequence: was' that her manne ap- peared so supremely happy —her discoursé sparkled wily such gems of wit and flashes of ‘inteltect— her laught was so‘melodiously hearty—and ‘her ‘smit-s were so enchamiligly radiant, that it was inrpessidie: for-her to prove more The coffee was handed roun?—the Prinee andthe Earl each took « small glass of exquisite liywenr— and the conversition was p - in the sante: brifliane style as befote, when his Royal Higimess,in queting-a line of poetry, attributed it to the wrong author: Eleanor corrected him: bat he declared that he was tight.' Thereupon the Earl, starting from his seat, volumteered to fetch from the hbraty a velume which would set the matter at rests aud ‘he ici ‘the coom. But scarcely had the door closed behitd him, 2. auuweEee «ee owe ee — drive the no to TRE MYSTERIES.’ when the Prince, scising the‘hands of the Coudsttem. pretsed them to hits ‘lips, coveriig thei witly kisutd, “Oh! you are detetmnined to rttin' me, body asd soul!” murmured ‘Eleandr, allowing ‘her head te droop upon his shotilder,'so that her hai? with hid und her: soft watm chebk: lay ‘agaiet his own. “ Ruin you, my angel f” cried the Prints; thréwing hi artns absot her neek and straining her to his bosom : “I world die to promote your fieppiness? O Eleanordearest Eleanor—I' love—I adore you: yr" And, tinwinditig his arme, he raised’ her head with his handd, and imprinted‘a thousand kisses upon her lipe,—burning kisses:whick she returted—yed, she —for she was now borne headlong on the torrent: of voluptuous feelings into whiolt' her. fase appeared to plunge her. ' “ Denrest'~ dearest’ Bleaner?” whtepered the Prinée; “ you ‘cannot’ fail: to suspeet wherefore I have remained here tonighh. Again, therefore, I eay—duo fit drive me to despait Mtrmer in my eaté a singte:word—an’ instructidn te guide- mete your dhamber—-—” And onée more he strained her to his bréam:s ence more he covered: her charming, ‘blashing, berning countenaitee with kisees ;}~-enil, in the delivium of the momertin the intoxication of ihefikble feelings: —in the whirl of all ‘the tenderest emetions whiek woman's heatt can knéw; the yidding Kieaner did: tourmer the few words of instrustion which: her daring compathion craved. Then, tearing heteelf from- his: etsbrace, - alvd emoothed her hair and ber dress, and strove 4 tran-~ quillive- herseneations and eompése herfeatares ere her husband retumed tothe room. Fortunately on her aceoant, severnd neimutes yet elapsed before he ntade his appekrance : othetwite he could riot have failed to observe the: thrilishg’ ex- citement whieh pessessed: hie wif and.wkeabe she: found it so difivalt to recover. Apologising' for his prdlonged: absened: on: the ground that he could not immediately find the-boek which. he ‘sought, the Earl ef Desboredgh:o the-volame ‘he ‘catried in'‘hts hand;‘ané thd Prthes of Wales was conrpelidd to acknowledge that he'wae wrong’ in his opinion: aud ‘that the Oeumtess was This point being settled, the conversation was: putseed ‘until near twelte; when Eleaskor rove 10 withdraws The Prince ‘took ber haid;: and; as he: pressed it wamhiy but rapidly, he dartdd upot her a glance se full of meaning that she wis fereod to turn away' immediately ia érdér-to corztesal : the burwing: blash ‘which that look éalled tip te her feathres. The moment the Countess had quidled the reor; 3 deep aad‘ sudden ‘sadness ‘fell npon -the:- Eari—e sadness so profuund, so strange, so irtesistible, that the hteit-apparent ‘could not ttelp observing it. The vobleman complained thet indisposition had thus: abruptly seized on him; and; endédvedriig to susie, ‘he declared it to be nothing4-a mere trifle gud alréaly passing away. Bat that bmife— oh | it was #0 ‘ghastly — so death:like—~so positively hideous, that the ‘Prince was: alarmed; and, ims- gining that <he Earl was about te fakn, he rushed towards the bell. Lord Desborough started up~-cétght the hand of his Royal Highness: just as it towehed the bell - - =<. _ — - » — -— oo oS <—— — EE! COMME MOO SS ae A a A a a ae tc ee eee Sm tga a a a a eC ra tcrge co —eE————_