The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 327: what you’re looking at

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

316 Rae, in a tone expressive of an affectionate sympathy. : “ Yes—no—or rather I should say that I scarcely know how I do feel, my boy,” answered the young nobleman. “It seems to me as if I were about to take a very desperate step: and now that the supreme moment draws near, I ask myself a thousand different questions in a minute—I am tortured by anxieties strangely blending with fond hopes and glowing thoughts of bliss——” = “But your lordship loves this lady whom you are about to espouse” said Rao, looking from beneath his darkly fringed lids with a strange in- tentness at his noble master, though all the while affecting to be busied in atranging upon the bed : the, clean linen and other apparel which he was taking from the valise. “TI love her—yes, I love her—I have already told you so, boy, when I took you into my confidence,” exclaimed Florimel, with all the pettishness of one who is agitated by a thousand conflicting ideas and antagonistic feelings. “And yet—and yet,” he added in a more measured tone, “I could almost have wished that it were Pauline Claren- don to whom I am about to bind myself for ever! You are certain, boy,” cried the nobleman, turning with feverish abruptness towards the sable page, “that the intelligence you gave me relative to Pauline was correct ?” “TI merely told your lordship what I had read in @ newspaper ten days ago, when you sent me up to London from Dover in order to transact a little business for your lordship,” said Rao. “On re- joining your lordship again at Dover, I deemed it my duty to inform you that I had read of Miss Clarendon’s marriage in the paper——” “Ah! enough—enough!” ejaculated Florimel, in atone of bitterness. “I deserved to lose her! Yes—I deserved it! Nevertheless, had she re- mained single—had she continued to love me— and had I been assured that it was only necessary for us to meet in order to be reconciled, I do not think that my Unknown would have sustained her empire over me. But it is done—Pauline is another's,” added the young nobleman, in alow musing tone: “and I may as well save my peerage and my fortune by giving my hand to this myste- rieus being who promises to raise me above all the perils and all the difficulties which now en- viron me. Rao fixed his eyes intently upon his noble master as he thus mused in an audible tone; and again did that singular expression of triumph and vindictiveness sweep rapidly over the features of the sable page. "Twas but as the ghadow which the wing of a bird might throw in its flight—as transitory and as evanescent:—and that counte- nance resumed its placidity again! Another double knock now echoed through the house :—and Florime! started nervously as he ex- claimed, “Tis she !” Rao instantaneously quitted the room and de- scended the stairs to open the street door. The Unknewn, closely veiled, alighted from a hackney- coach, which immediately drove away. She too came unattended and alone; and in her hand she carried a large band-bex, which Rao took from her and bore into the hall. Then, without saying a single word, he conducted her up stairs to a chumber, on the threshold of which he paused. ‘@agered with such ineffable pleasure. Sa a tS Se SSeS THE MYSTERIES. “If you require female attendance, madam ,” he said, “Mrs. Brace—the mistress of the house— will cheerfully wait upon you.” * No—I can manage by myself, Rao,” returned the lady, in that musical voice which was endowed with such syren charms: and, taking the band-box from the sable page, she closed the door of the apartment. Rao now returned to his master, who inquired anxiously if it were the Unknown that had just ar- rived. The respoase was of course in the affirma- tive ;—and Lord Florimel heaved a profound sigh, but said nothing more. In about twenty minutes his toilette was eom- pleted; and Rao then conducted him to the saloon where the ceremony was to take place. “You have procured the special license, boy ” said Florimel, as he flung himself upon a sofa. “Here it is, my lord,” answered the page, draw- ing the paper from his pocket. “What name have you had filled in for the bride?” demanded the nobleman. “Some fictitious one, of course, as I did not know the real one, my lord,” replied Rao: “I gave the first that came into my head—buf I really for. get what it was at this noment——”" The page was interrupted by another knock at the front door: and thrusting back the specia! license into his pocket, he hastened to answer this third summons. But as he descended the stairs, he said to himself, “The interruption was fortu- nate—and now bya little good management I shall avoid any farther questioning relative te this license.” Upon opening the front door, Rao beheld an elderly man whose clerical style of dress at once convinced him that this was the accommodating parson mentioned by Mrs. Brace. A certain sanctimoniousness of look and a rubicund counte- nance denoted the admixture of hypocrisy and dis- sipation which constituted the character ef the man; and Rao perceived at a glance that he was in every way a suitable instrument for his purposes. “One word with you, reverend sir,” whispered the youth, as he led the clergyman into a parlour opening from the hall: then, closing the door of the room, he said, “ Will you favour me with your name ?” “Tobias Colwell,” was the response: “ Tobias Colwell, at the service of whomsoever I have been invited hither to aid or assist——” “ Well, reverend sir,” interrupted Rao, “I pre- sume that Mrs. Brace has already given you some idea of the nature of the business for which year presence is needed 2” “To perform the marriage ceremony for a noble lord and some lady whom he loves—is it not so said Mr. Zobias Colwell. “ Precisely,” answered Rao, “ And yeu must be pleased to Jook upon me as the master of the cere- monies, having full power to regulate the same. As @ proof of this, I bey to tender your reverence a fee, which shall be doubled if you implicitly and accurately follow out the instructions which I am about to give you :”—and the sable youth counted twenty sovereigns inte the parson's hand. “You can command my services in any way,” observed Mr. Colwell, his rubicund countenance growing brighter than even the gold that he “Be ita DOO (C eee Ss SS