The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 326: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIE®@ keeping him waiting so long, she opened a writing- desk—took something out of it ~and then quitted the parlour once more, but with an intimation that she should return again in a few minutes. The sable page did not choose to follow her upon this ocsasion: he had no difficulty in understanding thas, yielding to the threats of the extortioners, she had come to fetch the requisite amount from her desk to appease their rapacity ;—and he had already gleaned enough to place the wretched woman completely in his power. “I knew that she was tortured by a sense of guilt and its accompanying fears,” said Rao to himself: “but such guilt as that—my God! such guilt — who would have expected it?” And then, with his eyes still fixed upon the volume which he held in his hand, he fell into a profound reverie,—from which he was startled by the return of Mrs. Brace ta the parlour. “I have a thousand apologies to offer you, my young friend,” she observed, in a voice which she vainly endeavoured to divest of the accents of deep oppression that penetrated it: “but the person who called, and who is an excellent customer of | mine,” she added, with a sickly attempt at a smile, “kept me talking longer than I had expected.” “ Well, madam,” observed Rao, without turning his head, “ I sincerely wish you a hundred of such customers—and I can assure you that I should not grow impatient while you were attending to them all.” “ Thank you for your kindness,” said Mrs. Brace: and as she returned to her seat, she endeavoured to conceal a sob under a short cough. “ Now, I think we have but little more to say to each other, after all,” continued the black page. “You fally. comprehend, madam, the services and the assistance that are required at your hands: namely, a complaisant parson who will ask no questions and even perform ébe marriage cere- mony in the dark if needs be—and a suite of apartments in your o¢ker establishment.” “ Your noble master shall be fully accommodated in every way,’ returned Mrs. Brace. “At nine o'clock to-morrow evening, all the arrangements shall be completed so far as I am concerned.” “Then I will not intrude longer upon your time, madam,” said Rao, rising from his seat: “for it is already late.” The black page accordingly took his departure ; —and the milliner was left.alone to reflect upon all thas had occurred daring the last hour. CHAPTER CCV. PLANS AND INTBIGUBS. Ar about eight o’clock on the following evening Rao made his appearance again at Mrs. Brace’s house; and this time he carried a large band-box in his hand. The milliner informed him that she had secured the services of a clergyman, who would be in attendance svon after nine; and Rao then requested her to conduct him to the suite of apart- ments which she had prepared for the reception of the bridal party. Mrs. Brace accordingly led the black page into the house which looked into St. James's Square; and escorting him through the «Saloons and bed-chambers upon the first and | (pene eee eee 315 second floors, she told him that any or all of those apartments were at the service of Lord Florimel. “Good!” observed Rao. “And now, madam, you will be kind enough to inform your domestics that they need not trouble themselves to answer any knock or ring at the front-door, as I will un- dertake that duty myself.” “ Be it so,” said Mrs. Brace. “And if you re- quire my-assistance for any purpose, you can come to me in the parlour where you have already seen me.” “ Your services will be needed to give away the bride, madam,” said Rao: “ but I will fetch you at the proper moment—or else request the clergy- man to doso. Perhaps you will hold yourself in readiness about half-past nine o’clock ?” “ Certainly—with much pleasure,” responded the milliner. ‘*One word more, madam,” added Rao: then, in a solemn and mysterious tone, he said, “ The cere- mony will take place in the dark, for reasons which Icannot explain now. But I give you this warning, in order that you may not be taken by surprise.” “{ am glad that you have mentioned the subject,” observed Mra. Brace, “for it otherwise would have produced a disagreeable impression on my mind.” The milliner then quitted Rao, who, the moment he was alone, proceeded to make a close inspection of the various apartments; and having selected those which he dggmed most suitable, he took pos- session of a bed-chamber for his own accommoda- tion. There he opened the band-box which he had brought with him: and taking out a white dress, a beautiful veil, and all the usual appurtenances to the complete apparel of a bride, he placed them carefully upon the bed. Then, surveying them with an indescribable earnestness, Rao murmured the monosyllables, “ At last !"—and an expression of mingled triumph and ferocious vindictiveness swept over his countenance. Scarcely had his features settled down into their natural placidity, when a double knock at the front-door echoed through the house; and the sable page hurried to answer the summons. The arrival was Lord Florimel, who came in a post- chaise which had brought him direct from Dover. He was unattended by any of his valets, having travelled alone in order that his movementa might remain unknown and his proceedings unobserved by thase whose prying curiosity he was so anxious to avoid. Hao lifted his lordship’s portmanteau into the hall—paid the postilions and dismissed the vehicle—and then escorted his noble master to a “Are all thé arrangements completed, Rao ?” inquired the young nobleman, who was evidently labouring under much agitation and excitement mingled with a painful nervousness. “ All—everything, my lord,” was the answer. ‘ Then hasten and assist me to dress, Rao,” said Florimel. “The roads were dusty; and as the day was hot I was compelled to have the windows of the post-chaise open. Pat me out clean linen and such apparel as becomes a bridegroom,” he added, endeavouring to speak cheerfully : but the last words of his sentence were rendered tremulous with a sigh that rose from his breast and almost deepened into a sob. “Does not your lordship feel well?” inquired a ae a > — i Sr fh ao i et tr SR. PS es ey. en = —— eee ee ElOOO® SS