The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 347: what you’re looking at

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

a a a 336 nanda, haughitily and flercely, the moment the foot- man had withdrawn: and her eyes shot forth light- nings at Carolire. “Did we not pledge an eternal friendship at Mrs. Lindley’s?” was the exclamation of her to whom the peremptory query was addressed. “ But do you imagine me to be ignorant of the fact that you are charged with the murder of that weman ?” cried Lady Holderness, now endeavour- ing to frighten and subdue Miss Walters by the as- sumption of a look of stern menace. “It may be so,” said Caroline, with a calmness that almost staggered Fernanda: “but I am inno- cent, nevertheless! Lady Holderness, I now know who you are— I know also that this is your hus- band: and if I have made any unpleasant allusion before him, it is your ladyship who has provoked it. Had you treated me with only ordinary kindness when I met your ladyship ere now at the door of your mansion, I should have been gratified—and not for asingle instant should I have thought of ob- trading myself farther upon your notice. A kind word, in recognition of former friendship, would have warmed my heart towards you: but your ladyship treated me with contumely—with insult ;—and my wounded pride prompted me to resent this un- gracious demeanour on your part.” “And would you have me apologise for what I have done?” demanded the patrician lady, in a tone of haughty defiance—though in her breast a certain misgiving, almost amounting to a positive uneasiness, had risen up while Caroline was speak- eg. "“ Apology!” ejaculated Miss Walters, with a contempt as bitter as any irony that Fernanda was capable of using. “No apology from your aristo- cratic lips to my plebeian self would be sincere— and therefore I should reject it with scorn. But listen to me for a few moments. Not a quarter of an hour has elapsed since the door of your mansion was closed in my face. All the blood boiled in my veins: my soul was fired with resentment. Away I aped to the nearest shop: and there, while purchasing some trifle, I asked who lived at such- -and-such a number in Cavendish Square. The shopkeeper was garrulous--and I learnt in a few minutes twenty times more than I could have pos- sibly expected to glean in so short a space con- cerning yeu.” “And what have you thus learnt!” demanded Lady Holderness, still maintaining a tone and manner of cool defiance—while her husband walked towards the window and back again to the farther extremity of the room, with an agitation and a nervousness that he could not conceal. “ What have you learnt, I ask?” repeated Fernanda, with | the affected indifference of a consciuus security, but really for the purpose of ascertaining how much Caroline knew, and whether she suspected anything more than what she had gleaned in the neighbourhood. - “I will answer your ladyship’s question,” re- THE MYSTERIES. “Is that all?” inguired the patrician lady, fixing her eyes intently upon the countenance of the dis- guised female. “ Not quite,” responded the latter. “Some time ago it was whispered that the Honourable Arthur Eaton, Lord Marchmont’s son, and Miss Fernanda Aylmer were engaged to be married—but the match was broken off—Mr. Eaton became a prey to what was deemed an incurable malady—and Miss Aylmer was reported to have gone upon the continent. But Miss Aylmer did noé visit a foreign clime,” proceeded Caroline, with emphasis: “ou the contrary, she retired to an establishment of mingled mystery and horror in Fore Street, Lam.- beth, where I formed her acquaintance. Ah! and she told me many, many things which were incom- prehensible then,—many, many things relative to her vengeance, which was progressing with a cer- tainty as terrible as its nature and its origin were alike unsuspected by its victim! But now, lady— now,” exclaimed Caroline Walters, “I am enabled to understand all that was incomprehensibie then / Having learnt who you are, and recalling to memory everything you told me at the midwife's house, I cannot possibly experience any difficulty in reading your history. It is clear to my mind as the noon-day sun is bright to the eye. Arthur Eaton seduced you—and he therefore was the vic- tim of your vengeance. He was perishing by a slow and mysterious malady that defied all the wisdom of the physician—all the skill of the sur- geon. That was the dark and deadly nature of your revenge! Bat he suddenly gets better—the spell is lifted from his existence—and in a short time he recovers altogether. Ah! lady, that was because you failed, for some reaso another, to carry out your vengeance to a fall consummation! But, behold! the invisible hand of an unrelenting and remorseless persecutionstill follows him: he recovers from that malady which appeared to be hurrying him to the grave—and he is plunged into Newgate for a crime which he was incapable of committing.” “ Who says that ?—who dares to prejudge——” And Fernanda stopped short in the exclama- tion which mingled apger and excitement was wringing from her lips. “Who says so?” cried Miss Walters, with a stern and implacable expression of countenance. “Tsay it! Oh! I am quick—marvellously quick in penetrating into the deepest mysteries, the mo- ment that I obtain a key to the decyphering of them! And what is more, proud lady,” added Ca- roline, with a withering bitterness of accent, “ I know that you are capable of anything and every- hid ‘“‘ What mean you?” asked Fernanda, her pre- sence of mind rapidly failing her, and yielding to | agitation of emotions and confusion of manner “T mean, lady,” continued Caroline Walters, ina tone that was solemn and sombre to a degree, so that Fernanda remained with the upheaved bosom turned Miss Walters. “From the communicative | of breathless suspense, and Lord Holderness stood shopkeeper I learnt that Lord and Lady Holder- | still, motionless as a statue, and with every linea- ness dwelt in this house—-that Lord Holderness , ment of his pale countenance indicating a profound has two daughters, the Honourable Misses Cla- | terror mingled witha poignant curiosity,—“ I mean,’ rendon, who do not live with him—and that Lady ‘ repeated the young woman whose ominous looks Holderness was the Honourable Miss Fernanda aud vice had thus powerfully enthralled the at- Aylmer, niece of the Earl and Countess of Des-_, tention of her patrician listeners,—“I mean that berough.” ;some months ago—on a night of storm and of te av GOH GOO SS