The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 241: what you’re looking at

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

ere Sn THE MYSTERIES. a 228 Suddenly a3 sound reached her ears—and she nalf started up in the couch. Her eyes were in- stinctively flung towards the door, upon the threshold of which she beheld her husband, the Prince of Wales. A deep blush instantaneously suffused her cheeks—and, with a natural modesty, she was about to veil her countenance behind the curtain, when it struck her all in a moment that she had caught a glimpse of another countenance in the door-way. An irresistible impulse caused the Princess to dart a second look in that direc- tion ere she shrank behind the drapery of the couch;—and her eyes met those of the Countess of Jersey just at the moment as her ladyship was actually pushing the heir-apparent into the cham- ber. Then, at that instant,—transitory as was. this meeting of their eyes,—it struck the Princess that the countenance of Lady Jersey wore an ex.s pression of fiendish triumph and diabolical joy that made her absolutely hideous for the instant, and carried a panic to the soul of the Princess. Asif experiencing the blow of a sudden couster- nation, the affrighted Caroline fell back upon the pillow—while a sensation at the heart and a bewil- derment in the brain sent the influence of a prophetic warniog thrillingly throughout her entire being. At the same moment that she had thus recoiled as it were from the serpent-look which had been flung upon her from the threshold of the bridal-chamber, the door was closed and fastened outside: for Lady Jersey was resolved that neither one of the royal couple should have a chance of escaping from the companionship of the other, until] it suited her pur- pose to allow such egress. Her object was to inspire them with a mutual disgust ;—and as she tripped lightly away from the door which she had just closed, unto the chamber which had been provided for her in Carlton House, she smiled with an infernal malignity which for a moment made her beauteous countenance resemble that of a fallen angel entering upon the threshold of hell! Meantime the Prince felt himself suddenly aban- doned to all the contingencies of a most awkward predicament, the instant that the door closed behiud him. Again did he become slightly sobered—enough to receive and understand the conviction that he was in reality at an advanced stage of intoxication ;—and, with that desperate energy which dranken men are sometimes enabled to call to their aid, he said to himself, “By God! I saust appear sober, at all events |” Assuming therefore as smiling and intelligent a look as he couid possibly command, and ateadying | himself upon his legs with all his might and main, | he advanced slowly and cautiously towards the couch | with the intention of saying something flattering and conciliatory to his bride. For the thought now uppermost in his mind was, that he must in any | case avert the ignominy, scandal, and shame of hav- ing his condition recoguised by her Royal Highness. But as he was traversing the room with a cautioa as gingerly as if he were proceeding along a tight- rope or walking upon eggs,-he suddenly encountered achair. All his ideas were thrown into confusion in amoment, Stopping short, he stood gazing at the ' chair ia the strangest bewilderment. He strove to collect himself—he had sense enough to make this effort—but he could not immediately succeed. The chair bethered him: he could not make it out~and to his topsy-turvy brain it assumed an appearance ae I a ol as sinister and as ominous as that of the windmills ‘to the fevered imagination of Cervantes’ hero. “ Well, Pll be damned if I know who you are, or how the devil—hic—you came here,” muttered the Prince at last, as he stood swaying to and fro in front of the high-backed crimson velvet chair which be thus inanely apostrophised. These words,—the soand of which, and not the sense, alone reached the eats of the Princess — startled her from that consternation into which the look of the Countess of Jersey had thrown her: and now, suddenly recollecting that her husband was in the room, she was seized with a strange fluttering of the heart,—mingled emotions of pain and pleasure, alarm and hope, anxiety and suspense, thus agitating io her bosom. ‘Oh! if he would love me,” she thought within herself, “I would strive hard to love him in return —notwithstanding——” But she could not allow the secret silent voice which was speaking in her soul, to finish the senti- ment: for the image of the young, the handsome, the absent Bergami rose up in her mind, as if to warn her that she could no¢ love another under any cir- cumstances. Then again the reminiscence flashed to her brain that her husband was in the room: but she dared not move—scarcely breathe—much less draw back the curtain which separated him from her viow “ This is singular—damnation singular!” growled the Prince, after a pause of nearly a minute: then, plucking up a desperate spirit, he extended his arms towards the chair in order to ascertain who or what the object of his bewilderment really could be:—buet ‘overbalancing himself, he fell forward—upsetting the chair, and rolling ignominiously upou the carpet. The Princess now gave vent to an ejaculation of alarm—started up—and drew back the curtain. She perceived her royal husband making desperate at- tempts to regain his legs; but it did not for an in- staut strike ber that he was overcome by liguor. Her immediate and very natural impression was that he had fallen accidentally and had received some serious injury which prevented him from rising. The natural modesty of her sex forbade her from has- tening forth to his assistance—for, though his wife according to ecclesiastical ceremony, she was as yet virgin of his embrace ;—and still it became more and more evident to her that the Prince could not recover his legs unaided. “Oh! what can I dof—shall I ring the bell?” she exclaimed, clutching at the cord of silk and gold which hung within reach. “ No—no—I—I’m all right — hic!” stammered forth the Prince, as he renewed his desperate at- tempts to raise himself up by means of the over- turned chair. . “But you are injured—seriously injured, I fear,” said the kind-hearted Caroline, as far as ever from suspecting the real condition of the bridegroom. “Don’t be—hic-uneasy,” faultered his Royal Highness, getting up as far as a kneeling posture. “I’m overcome by—hic—my fee—ee—lings——”’ And as he spoke he made another tremendous effort to recover hia legs. It was completely suc- cesaful: but the impetus given to his locomotive in- clination, sent him staggering on for a few paces— and a heavy Jurch brought him in violent contact with the bed. He had sense enough at the time to feel that he would give worlds to be enabled -to save ElOOO® SS