The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 346: what you’re looking at

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

TRE MYevruntés. " anguish was blended with terror and dismay. “ Nothing now is unknown to me—not a secret is hidden !’’ she continued, with rapid utterance and fierce gesticulation—while ber hair, dishevelled asain and flowing over her shoulders, gave her the air of a Pythoness. “A film has fallen from my eyes —a veil has been withdrawn from my mind. I | can read my own heart—aud I understand yours. I am the victim—and you triumph——” “Octavia! Octavia!” ejaculated the Prince, seiz- ing her in his arms and endeavouring to stifle her Maniac words with kisses. “ Release me |” she screamed, struggling violently. “Your breath is hot—’tis a serpent’s venom——” * Silence!—in the name of God, silence!” cried bis Royal Highness, still retaining her in his arma. “You will alarm the house ——” “I care not!” screamed the wretched girl. “Re. lease me, I say———” “Suffer me to bear you to the sofa—tie down and compose yourself———"”__- “ No—ten thousand times no ™ she shrieked, her voice becoming frantic aud her struggles desperate. “My God! do you think that I will hurt vou?” exclaimed the Prince, driven to despair. “ Yes—you are a serpent—your coils environ me !"—aud a piercing, rending, thrilling scream burst from her lips, as she broke away from his Royal Highness. Madly she rushed towards the door—-tt opened _ Violently just as she was within three paces of it— , and several of the Prince's dependants burst into ' the room, “Let me go!—let me pass!” shrieked Octavia, . Possessed by heaven only kuows what dreadful " hallucination. “ Stop her !” thundered the Prince: “I command . vou to stop her !” The door was closed instantaneously—and QOo- ‘ ' ( *. Err. = @ a ba ee at o aus ., 7 @e2.-treu~—w fer eeepD 4258s SOK) See tavia was seized upon by the servants. For a few moments she stood still and mute as a statue—and it seemed as if the large blue eyes that now gazed so vacantly upon his Royal Highness, were fixed for ever: but the instant that he began to approach in order to soath and tranguillise her, she gave a sudden start—burst from the dependants _ who held her—and threw up her arms wiidly. { The menjals seized upon her again; her counte- , Rance grew abruptly distarted with a frantic ex. , pression—and a terrible laugh which pealed from her lips spoke out the appalling truth. Octavia Clarendon was a mayiac4 CHAPTER XCV. THE LOVES OF THE PRINCESSES. , Warce this painful scene was occuring at Carlton House, a conversation of an interesting character was taking place at Windsor Castle between two of the daughters of George IIL Tn a maguificently-furnished apartment, about which were all the scattered evidences of female tastes, the Princesses Sophia and Amelia were seated together in a window recess. A shade of pensive- hess was upon the countenance of each royal lady ; and in the amiable spirit of sisterly reliance and Pe , gazing upon Octavia Clarendon with looks wherein | confidence, they retained each other’s hand in. a fond clasp. We have already described their personal ap- pearance; and the reader is therefore awave that they possessed a beauty of no erdinary character. Complexions more dazalingly fair~eyes more deli- ciensly melting—charms more luxuriant and vo- luptuous, it would be impossible to conceive. They were the true sypes of the female portion of the fa- mily of’ Branswiek—precocieus in-the development of their forms—their countenances lodicating the strength of the desires which warmed their --thelr lips especially evincing the sensuality o their temperament—and their.cyes.usually swim- ming in a soft languur, but susceptible of being lighted up with the fires of the most impassioned ‘ardour. Of the two, the Prinoess Sophia was ‘mere essen- tially gross in her feelings and more thoroughly sensuous in her foagings than the Prineess Amelia. To the former, Love wasa passion in which the appetite for gratification was.stronger than the pure affection for the object : to the latter, it was a more eweet and agroeable emotion, though atill volup- tnous-even in its refinement. But then the Princess Sophia had lost her chastity and had plunged head. long ito the enjoyments of fruition— whereas the Princess Amelia was still in the possession of her virgin innocence, although her imagination was in- flamed even to pruriency. And they both loved: yes—these royal ladles experienced the influence of the tender passion as well as the meanest of mortals: but less happy, less fortunate than even the humblest, and lowest, and poorest of the eans and daughters of toil, they knew that their hands could never be bestowed where their hearte had already been given { But let us listen to the discourse which is now taking piace between them; and we shail acquire a deeper insight into the secrets which, in the con- fidence ofa true sisterly love, they were now £e- vealing to-cach ether. “fT am gied, my beloved Sophie,” sald the Princess Amelia, who was a year younger than her sister,O—-“T am giad that some secret and unae- countadie impulse prompted us to open our hearts to each other this morning.” “The impulse is not unaccountable,” observed the Princess Sophia, in a soft and subdaed tone. “The truth is, Amelia, we yearned to exchange a muteal confidence—we felt that it would relieve our minds of a weight were we to enbosom our. selves to each other—and we have acted in obedi. ence te the inspiration.” “Yes—you have preperly defined the motive which led to all that has this morning passed be. tween us,” returned the Princess Amelia. “ Alas! my poor Sophia, you are far‘uore unhappy than | —for he whom you love is already your husband fn the sight af heaven, and the father of your chiid——”_- “Hush, dearest Amelia! murmured the elder sister: “for heaven's sake aubdue your ae to ae lowest possible whisper when you e to that tremendous secret. Qh! with burning cheeks— ® In order to mut the purposes of our narrative, we have taken a slight liberty with the age of the Princess Amelia, by making ber a little older than she ready wae at the period (A.D. 1795) of which we are writing. a COnnICloOolks.com