The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 277: what you’re looking at

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

| | ees Cee eet Genesee Cetiiews seqmemew a ery. a elle teen aR a ie el a LL Ae PT ttt a ek 24 THE. ness of a summer's eve. An artist whom my hus- band had patronised brought a picture to exhibit —and that picture was the portrait of Philip Ram- sey! Oh! what words can be found to describe the agony that seized upon meallina moment? The collected tortures of ten thousand racks would have been a comparative elysium. How I survived that terrible day, I know not!” “And what followed?” inquired the Duchess, profoundly interested in this strange narrative. “Ramsey's immediate exile to America—and my husband’s forgiveness generously vouchsafed to- wards myself,” responded the Countess of Des- borough. * And do you love him still—I mean that man ?” asked the Duchess. “Love him!” cried Eleanor, with the sudden start and changing manner of a disdainful as- tonishment: then with the words hissing through her ashy lips, she added in a tone of indescribable bitterness, amounting almost to a ferocious hatred, “I abhor and detest him.” “ And since he quitted England you have heard nothing of him ?—he has not sought to communi- cate with you?” said the Duchess, inquiringly. “ God forbid?” ejaculated Eleanor. “I hope he is dead—and yet I am not naturally ungenerous nor cruelly inclined.” | “You will pardon me for asking one more ques- tion,” said Georgiana, with some little degree of hesitation. “Have you not endeavoured to console yourself with another lover ?” “ No—on my soul no ™ exclaimed the Countess, the blood now rushing back to her cheeks. “ There was a time,” she continued more calmly and slowly, “when I experienced towards my husband sen- timents that bordered even upon aversion: but if he were guilty of a wrong towards me in making me his wife, the outrage which my amour consti- tated towards himself was ten thousand times more flagrant. Our positions therefore changed; and instead of it being for me to pardon, ’twas for me to implore his forgiveness. And that forgiveness he gave even before it was sought: spontaneously it flowed from his really generous and lofty soul. Think you, then, Georgiana, that I am ungrateful for such conduct as this?—think you that I would prove an ingrate for so much noble-mindedness evinced towards myself? No—Oh! no—it were impossible! I have learnt to restrain my desires —to put acurb upon the longings of an ardent temperament—and to do my duty asa wife. There- fore was it that I felt annoyed and vexed when your thoughtlessness might have so seriously compro- mised me with Lord Florimel.” “But was it not strange that the Earl should have become the purchaser of Stamford Manor?” inquired the Duchess,—“ knowing, as he must have done, that it was a scene so peculiarly associated with the misdeeds of Philip Ramsey ?” “ He was already in treaty for the property be- fore the tremendous exposure took place,” an- swered the Countess: “and he had even paid a deposit as an earnest of the bargain. After the ‘fatal discovery, he consulted me upon the subject, and offered to forego the transaction. But I was anxious to give him a proof of that strength of mind which should regulate and influence my future actions; and I therefore not only urged him to NYSTURIPS. cluded I was the first to propose that we shotl@ visit our new property.” In this manner did the Duchess of Devonshire and the Countess of Desborough continue to dis- course upon the various subjects that engrossed their interest ;—- and after having remained for nearly three hours with her friend, the brilliant Georgiana took her leave. Not ten minutes had elapsed from the moment that her Grace’s carriage drove away from the door, when a servant entered the apartment, bear- ing aletter. Having presented it to the Countess, the footman retired, and Eleanor, whgm the inci- dent had aroused from a reverie of deep and pain- ful thought, glanced at the superscription. Were it possible for an arrow suddenly to tra- verse the btain, inflicting only a poignant tortare without killing its victim upon the spot, we might readily canceive its effect to be that which the first glimpse of the handwriting of this letter’s address pruduced upon Lady Desborough. She started violently —she was thrilled with the spasm of a mortal terror that shot through her entire frame from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet. Then, as if suspense were worse than even the realization of the appalling suspicion that had flashed up into vivid vitality ia her mind, she tore the letter franticly open. But one glance at its contents was sufficient: her fingers relaxed their hold upon the paper—her brain was seized witha sudden reeling —her sight became dizzy — and, covering her face with her hands, she groaned murmuringly, “My God! my God! what will be- come of me ?” CHAPTER CLAXXIX. THE REUNITED FRIENDS. WE must now introduce our readers to the abode of Lady Lade in King Street, St. James's. It was in the evening of the same day on which the incidents just related took place, and the Amazon was seated in her dining-room, with ber old friend and paramour Tim Meagles. The dessert and wine were upon the table: but they re- mained almost entirely untouched—for the couple, thus reunited, were fully absorbed in the discus- sion of the many topics which interested them. The beautiful huntress was now apparelled in widow’s weeds. Her magnificent hair no longer fell in a thousand ringlets over her shoulders: it was arranged in the simple style suitable to her mourning garb, and was nearly altogether con- cealed by the snowy cap which she was compelled to wear. The sable dress set off her fine shape to a somewhat Jess advantage than the male attire which was wont to develop her well.formed limbs in a manner so comparatively undisguised and ex- citing: but still the admirer of the sex who had never seen her in her Amazonian garb, would not have been very willing to admit that she could pos- sibly have improved by any change of raiment that appearance which she presented'in her costume of widowhood. For the fashion of the day allowed the body of the dress to be so low and open in front that it revealed the luxuriant richness of that complete the business, but so soon as it was con- i bust which the tight-fitting frock-coat had oon- @Q{ibrars” ~eeeeeee “We... @—ewe — < en ae => «eae woe ElOOO® Qa SS