The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 323: what you’re looking at

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

SS SSS rae nr > Ss sh Sst his afferents - 6g 812 SHE MYISTERIBS. “ To- morrow evening, if possible,” replied Rao : ‘‘and in this house, if you have no objection.” “Oertainly not!” exclaimed the milliner, who was now considerably interested in a proceeding which promised a handsome recompense. “Bat wherefore all this mystery—this privacy ?—why should not the eeremony take place at Lord Florimel’s own man- gion ?” “Simply because the world must not know that any of that extyaordinary mystery and privacy has characterised the affair,” returned the sable page. “When once it is all over and the necessity for that secrecy shall have ceased to exist, Lord Florimel may bear home his splendid bride; and the facet that they are married will be sufficient for society to learn, without suffering any of the contingeni circumstances to transpire. Now do you comprehend the motives for pushing the observance of the darkest mystery up to the very last instant that such mystery is absolutely necessary to the circumstances in which the lady is placed ?” “TI understand your explanations well enough,” re- plied Mrs. Brace. “But how is it possible for Lord Florimel to espouse a lady without previously be- coming acquainted with her name? The officiating clergyman must know it—it must likewise appear in the special license——” “Not at all, madam.” interrupted Rao. “A feigned name may be used for the purpose—and the marriage is not invalidated thereby. To-morrow morning I shall procure the license for Lord Fiorimel ; and a por- tion of the services required at your hands is to secure the attendance of some clergyman who in considera- tion of a handsome fee will do what he is told with- out asking any questions.” “ Yes—I am acquainted with a minister who will answer the purpose in all respects,” said Mrs. Brace, Ster a few moments’ reflection. &e * Lord Fiorimel was certain that you would not be at a loss in this matter,” remarked the sable youth. “ And now, madam, if you will andertake to secure the attendance of a clergyman at nine o'clock to- morrow evening, the remainder of the assistance re- quired at your hands is comparatively nothing: for all you will have to do is to place a suite of apart- ments in your other house at Lord Florimel’s disposal —I mean in your establishment that looks upon Saint James's Square——" “Ah! I see that his lordship has been tolerably explicit with you relative to my houses and so fosth,” observed Mrs. Brace, once more smiling with the archness and gaiety of happier times. “Yes, madam—I know all about your establish- ment and yourself,” said Rao: and the glance which he threw upon the milliner seemed to flash with the vividness of lightning. * But enough on that head,” he instantaneously added. “I think that we now understand each other relative to the business——_—” But Rao suddenly stopped short: for Mrs. Brace started nervously from her seat as aring at the street- door bell met her ears. “Excuse my absence for a few momonts,” she said, immediately recovering herself. “The servants are all gone to bed, and I must answer that sum- mons———” “Do not hurry yourself, madam, on my account,” interrupted Rao. Mrs. Brace «smiled an acknowledgment of the youth's courtesy, and then hastily quitted the room. CHAPTER COIV. a THE EBEAVES-DEOPPER “How changed is this weman—how fearfully altered !” said the black page to himeelf, the instant that he was alone. “And how nervously she started when the tinkling of the bell reached her ears! Ah! crime—crime has done all this! Yes—it is clear as day-light: guilt has changed her thas—and guilt in- spires her with sudden terrors! Care alone would be incapable of producing these effects upon the person and the mind of such a woman! Oh! if I could but penetrate into Aer secrets also and wreak a revenge as terrible as that which will soon overtake Aim———” Then suddenly stopping short in his musings, Reo rose from his seat—glided nolselessly to the parieur- door—and listened with a breathless attention. For it had struck him that he not only heard the footsteps of several persons traversing the passage outside, but likewise that the hissing of the word “ Hush !* had mingled with the other sounds. And therefore was it that he had suddenly become an eaves-dropper; and he now distinctly heard Mrs. Brace say in a whispered tone of entreaty, “Come into this room—and for heaven's sake epeak not unti]——_—” The remainder of the sentence was lost to Rao’s ear. “Until-you are all alone together and the door is carefully shut, I sappose?” he however said to him- self, thus finishing in imagination the earnest appeal which the milliner had addressed to the persons whom she had just admitted into the house. But Rao suddenly returned to his seat: for his ear had caught the rustie of a silk gown and the tread of footsteps approaching the parloar door. Nor was he mistaken : for the milliner almost immediately re-ap- peared ;—and the rapid glance which the black page threw upon her, showed him that she was labouring under a profound agitation, despite of all her efforts to conceal! it. “My young friend,” said Mrs. Brase, in a tone penetrated with the nervousness of mingled terror and vexation,—*“ a person has just stepped in upon some very important business—and I was thinking that if you could return in the morning——" “Madam,” interrupted the sable youth, “do not put yourself out of the way on my account. Trans- act your busincses—and I will cheerfully await your pleasure, even if it be an hour or two hours. But we must make our arrangements definitively this night, inasmuch as I shall be fully engaged to-morrow until the moment wiien my presence will be needed here.” “Then if you have no objection to wait a little,” said Mrs. Brace, “I will rejoin you in as short a time as possible. Perhaps you will take some refresh- ment———” ‘Nothing, I thank you, madam,” said Rao. “This book, he added, as he took up a small volume of poems from a side-table, “will amuse me until you return." Mrs. Brace accordingly withdrew once more: and the instant that she had quitted the room, Rao flang down the book and glided back to his post at the door. “Ah! I know which apartment she has entered,” he said to himself: “I can tell by the direction that her footsteps took. Oh! is not every nook and cor- ner of this accursed dwelling as familiar to me ase if ElOOO® SS (COLUM