The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 286: what you’re looking at

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

You perceive, therefore, Eleanor, that I am not in your power——" “One word more, then!” ejaculated the Countess, well nigh driven to the frenzy of despair: “ consum- mate the crowning infamy with regard to me— force 10¢ to surrender to your arms—and I swear by heaven that I will yet wreak a deadly vengeance upon you and yours! Prince of Wales,” added the unheppy lady, the yords hissing between her ashy lips, “your sister the Princess Sophia has become & mother—you know it-——and, as there is a God adove us, I will reveal that tremendous gecret if you dare to persist in your cowardly conduct to- wards me [” The heir-apparent was staggered: for this blow came as cruelly as it was unexpected. The Countess perceived the sudden effect which the menace had produced—and her features became animated with a joyous trimmph. It seemed as if all the fire of her beauty, which a moment before had paled and grown dim, blazed up resplendently in an instant;—and his Royal Highness, on re- covering from the shock that he had just expe- rienced, was seized with another and far different feeling. He beheld before him a woman who ap- peared suddenly to have changed and dilated into the glory of a goddess ;—and all at once was he maddened by the effect of that fiushing of her splendid countenance, that lighting up of her mag- nificent dark eyes, and that heaving of her half- naked bosom,—these being the evidences of the joyous triamph which had suddenly thrilled with & warm glow throughout her entire bei “ Eleanor, Eleanor,” he said, his voice trembling with ardent passion, “ let us be friends—let us not continue enemies! I love you—yes—lI love you— and I implore your pardon for the torture which I have inflicted upon your feelings. I was wrong— I was a coward—I performed an unmanly part: bat you will forgive me—you will forgive me! Oh! remember that there was once an occasion when you were even ready to crown my happiness—-when the appointment was made—and when your fervid kisees had given me s foretaste of the elysian joys which I was to experience in your arms. Why, then, have you since been cruel? If I can still long so ardently to possess you, acquainted as Iam with the secret of your frst love—can you not efface from your mind the impression which any untoward circumstances with regard to myself may made upon it? You became the victim of a felon: I took as a mistress the wife of a felon also. On your side, Philip Ramsey exists as the object of aversion and loathing: on mine, the hus- band of Mirs. Brace stands in a similar light. Now, Eleanor, are we not upon equal terms? Oh! I was wrong, I was wrong to cherish sentiments of vengeance against you—you, who are so grandly beautiful! Let us be friends, then, adorable crea- ture—let us be friends: for I would rather—Oh! ten thousand times rather receive you, yielding and fall of voluptuous warmth, to my arms, than compel you, struggling and battling, to submit to my will, Come, then, Eleanor—dearest Eleanor— and jet there be naaght save love and tenderness petween us I” The Countess of Desborough had sunk back upon the sofa while the Prince was thus appealing to her in an impassioned strain. The thought -{ Gashed to her mind that if she yielded to his suit, 275 all chances of exposure would be averted ;—and she felt that it were more prudent to establish peace at any sacrifice than be precipitated into open warfare with the Prince. Not that her aver- sion towards him was by any means mitigated: on the contrary, she abhorred and loathed him with a more intense detestation than ever ;—and neither his handsome person nor his honied words were now able to produce the slightest effect upon the sensuality of her temperament. But she saw that he was bent upon accomplishing his purpose : she felt that she was in his power ;—and she likewise comprehended too well that any vindictive mea- sures which she might subsequently adopt, would only involve her own exposure without changing the ineident of that triumph which he was this- night resolute in achieving. “Oh! I see that you are moved, Eleanor—yor. are not blind to the prudence of adopting a con- ciliatory eourse!” he exclaimed, his desires now- goaded to a positive frenzy. “Never did you ap- pear more magnificently beauteous in my eyes ;— and instead of henceforth being compelled to re- gard me as a remorseless, bitter, and uncompro- mising enemy, you will learn to look-upon me as an impassioned adorer and a staunch friend! Come, then, to my arms, thou adorable one—come, and. make me happy !” And placing himself by her side upon the sofa, he took her hand and pressed it fervently to his. lips. The action was unresisted on her part: indeed, she scarely appeared to notice it—for she was still absorbed in profound reflection, balancing the al- ternatives between which she had to choose. Emboldened by his success, the Prince panted all the more longingly for a consummation of his burning passion. He beheld the door at the farther end of the room; and it strack him that it opened into a bed-chamber. Rising gently but hastily from the sofa, he proceeded to satisfy his curiosity in this respect ;—and the result of his examination was in accordance with his prescient wishes. Then he carried the wax-candles into that apartment ;— and, all this being the work of a few moments, he onee more took the hand of the Countess and pressed it to his lips. “Oh! must I yield, then—must I yield?” she murmured in a faint and tremulous tone ;~—and, as if her senses were leaving her, did she abandon herself to the embrace in which her royal lover now folded her. He pressed his lips to hers—he strained her to his breast: but neither the ardent kisses which he bestowed upon her, nor the closeness of tuat con- tact in which he held her, excited any scintillation of the fires that on a former occasion he had ob- served, through the windows of her eyes, to burn so fariously in her soul. Drooping, yielding, and powerless as if it were a mere supple and pliant statue that he folded in his arms, shd suffered him to drag rather than lead her into the adjacent chamber. But scarcely was the threshold passed, wh2n she was recalled to herself by a sudden and thrilling sense of inexpressible hatred and disgust for the man who had that night exercised so cowardly and ferocious a tyranny over her. Had he pursued his advantage while yet she was seated upon the sofa, he would have trlumphed—and Eleanor Des- Ee a Re a ae rn nnn nnn eee eee ElOOO® SS