The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 272: what you’re looking at

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course certain that you were well aware who it really was all the time.” “Yes—but at that moment I did not know that Lady Lade was in the secret,” returned the Duchess. “ However, I admit that it was impru- dent and foolish on my part: but really I did it more as a joke than with any other motive—and you are well aware, dear Eleanor, that I could not have had a sinister or malignant reason with re- gard to yourself. Llove you too wel, as my best and dearest friend, to injure a hair of your head,” added the generous-hearted though gay, giddy, and profligate Duchess. “TI believe you, Georgiana,” said Eleanor, taking her friend’s hand and pressing it warmly. ‘ Any- thing more, then, that I may remark upon the sub- ject will not be in anger: indeed, that is a senti- ment which I have not entertained all along. It was merely a little annoyance—nothing more. But figure to yourself the embarrassments into which the incident plunged me, when I assure you that, fally believing the beautifal and well-bchaved Miss Plantagenet to be precisely what she chose to re- present herself, I innocently and ingenuously made her my companion in a visit to the serious-minded, secluded, and retirement-loving Marchioness of Bellenden. The Marchioness, you know, is a par- ticular friend of mine; and I respect as much as I love and esteem her. Not for worlds, theh, would I have been the instrument of carrying vexation, scandal, and annoyance into her house. But, be- hold! some evil spirit must have prompted me to take the false Miss Plantagenet with me to Bellen- den Priory on that occasion; and the same un- lucky train of circumstances led to the exposure of the cheat——” “J suppose that the Marchioness of Bellenden was horrified,” exclaimed Georgiana, laughing heartily. “But she could not have imagined that you had knowingly and wilfully taken a disguised lover to her house ?” “Fortunately an explanation had already been given showing how Miss Plantagenet—or rather Lord Florimel—became my companion,” continued Lady Desborough: “but that explanation had likewise revealed to the Marchioncss the fact that the young nobleman had shared Mrs. Fitzherbert’s Ded at the house in Chancery Lane. Thus, although I was completely exonerated, the reputation of Mrs. Fitzherbert was as totally sacrificed in the esteem of Lady Bellenden.” “But her ladyship, with her retired habits and truly Christian charity, will not make the delicate incident a topic of conversation elsewhere 2” ob- served the Duchess interrogatively. “ Assuredly not,” answered the Countess. “ Be- sides, she was too much alarmed at the exposure which took place in her own drawing-room not to be anxious to hush it up as fully as possible. There is a young lady of the name of Foster stay- ing with her; and this charming girl—for lovely and amiable she assuredly is—was once thrown in Lord Florimel’s way in some manner that left no very agreeable impression upon her mind. Ac- cordingly, upon entering the room where your ecapegrace cousin and myself were seated with the Efarchioness, that young lady Mstantaneously re- cognised him and proclaimed who he was. His lordship fled from the apartment in a state of con- fusion and dismay which you can perhaps more enw «ane we 2» oa» wo ee THE MYSTERIES, 259 readily conceive than I can describe: but in pre- cipitating himself down the stairs—for a headlong flight it assuredly must have been—his foot slipped and he fell with a violent concussion against a portelain vase or some such ornament. He was taken up senseless—and Lam bound to declare that the Marchioness, suddenly forgetting all her re- sentment, was profoundiy afflicted atan accident which we all at first believed to have proved fatal. Without alarming the household, we raised him in our arms—bore him between us into the room whence he had just before fled so precipitately— and bestowed upon him all the attentions which our fears in his behalf could possibly suggest. He rallied in a short time: but it was evident that his reason was temporarily—if not altogether—im. paired. Nevertheless, our grief at the accident was mitigated on finding that it had not proved fatal upon the spot.” “ And then, I suppose, came the question of what you were to do with him?” said the Duchess of Devonshire inquiringly. “ Precisely so,” responded Eleanor. “The Mar- chioness began to perceive all the inconvenience and the probable scandal that might arise from giving the injured nobleman an asylum beneath her roof ;—and it was therefure suggested by myself that his lordship should be removed as speedily and also as privately as possible to his own resi- dence in Piccadilly. But then arose the embarrass- ing question, how was he to be conveyed thither? If Itook him in my carriage, his servants would naturally conceive the most injurious suspicions relative to myself;—and if the Marchioness sent him in her own carriage, her own domestics ac- companying the vehicle could not fail to learn who the disguised invalid was. In either case the most unpleasant impressions would be made concerning the Marchioness or myself.” “It was indeed a bewildering affair—a perfect dilemma,” observed the Duchess of Devonshire. “ And how did you extricate yourselves from the difficulty at last ?” “The Marchioness resolved to take two of her servants into her confidence and explain to them that the young nobleman, after assuming female apparel in pursuance of some silly freak, had im- posed alike upon herself and me. In fine,” added the Countess of Desborough, “Lady Bellenden bade me return home and leave her to manage the affair in the best way she could. I called upon her next day and found that she had contrived to ex- tricate herself from the perplexity in a way sufii- ciently satisfactory to herself: for in order that Lord Florimel’s domestics should not ascertain at whose house their master had met with the acci- dent while disguised in female apparel, the Mar- chioness had him removed to the abode of her own medical man, to whom she sent a note explaining the circumstauces of the case.” * Admirably contrived!” exclaimed the Duchess. “I presuine that you are aware that the young scapegrace has quitted London for a few weeks and repaired to the sea-side ?” ‘¢No—-I had not learnt this circumstance,” ob- served Eleanor. “I suppose that, on recoverin:r from the effects of the accident, he was recom- mended to seek a change of air?” “Something of that kind does he tell me ina note which I received from him a few doy< 279, \ ogee ee, age ne ElOOO® SS i(GQ mn