The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 371: what you’re looking at

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

~~ ay EE Daa, i a a a a a cd o $60 TRE ammenities aaaaacaacaaaaaaaaiaaaasasasasasaiaca saccadic upon the gué vive; and during the whole day she had been making preparations to receive the illus- trious guest. In this task she had been duly assisted by her son and daughter—the former a young man ef two or three-and-twenty, and the latter a girl of eighteen or nineteen. The comely matron and her two good-looking, sun-barnt, healthy auxiliaries presented a picture of domestic cordiality and love such as the eye does not often contemplate beneath the roof of rich men’s dwellings. Sincere and honest was the welcome which the Marchioness therefore experienced at Malden Farm; and finding that so much pains had been oestowed upon the repast which was just ready to be served up, she did not choose to give any offence or wound sensitive feelings by not partaking of it atonce. &he accordingly resolved to postpone until the morning her walk to the bridge which was being constructed;—and having laid aside her ponnet ond scarf, she sate down to table, in company with the farmor’s family and Margaret, ali of whom sho insisted on making hor companions for the time, and not her serviters. “IT am sure, my lady,” sald Farmer Brools, éuring a pause in the progress of the feativities, “Tam more honoured and much than I can well express in words, on account of this visit which your ladyship has condescended to pay my humble abode. I know that your ladyship’s steward and housekeeper up at the Hall will be much annoyed that your ladyship did not put up at your own house instead of stopping at mine— I mean, that your ladyship did not proceed direct to your own seat instead of tarrying at Malden Farm, which certainly is your own likewise though tenanted by me. And I can add with trath and sincerity that although young Lord Raymond did lodge at our house for a considerable time, and not only behave munificiently but also in a most friendly manner towards us,—yet I unfeignedly hope that your ladyship will beat the Montgomerys and the Aylmers in the Jong run and continue our mistress and our landlady.” ‘‘T am sure we should never get a better,” ex- claimed Mrs. Brooks, in a tone of unaffected fervour. “But I hope your ladyship was not offended with us for letting Lord Raymond come to lodge at the Farm——”_ - “Tf I had been offended, my good woman,” inter- rupted the Marchioneas, “shonld I have visited you this evening, thereby preferring for the time your dwelling to my own country-seat which is so near at hand? Besides, when Lord Raymond first applied to you for permission toestablish himeelf as a lodger in the peaceful seclusion of Malden Farm, you wrote to me frankly and ingenuously upon the subject.” “ And your ladyship replied that you had no per- sonal animosity against your cousin Lord Raymond Montgomery,” observed Farmer Brooks, “and that you therefore entertained not the slightest objection to his becoming a lodger beneath this roof.” “I think that J said even something more than thie,” remarked Lady Bellenden: “forif my memory serves me truly, I stated in my reply to your letter, Mr. Brooks, that I entertuined the deepest sympathy end compassion for my cousin Raymond, to whom however I have not spoken for so many vears. But I had heard of his hopeless passion for the beautiful Fernanda Aylmer, now Lady Holderness, —I hed | beard of the enthusiastic devotion with which he Qe “egep ee tte eee, —_ = a & e qe > rae eee ies ee eee eee ee eee - - gp ene ote epee ober @eibi=wee 46 eS MYSTERIES. worshipped that splendid creature,—I had heard of the heartless coquetry which she practised towarus him, giving him encouragement at one time, and then jilting him for the Honourable Mr. Eston, whom she did not marry after all,—I had heard these various particulars, I say, and I was teuched with.pity for the young noble. Indeed, I expressed myself in those terms when writing the reply te your letter.” “I remember it well, my lady,” said Brooks; “aod the kind, the handsome, the friendly tone of your letter decided me and my wife in receiving Lord Raymond into our house, agreeably to his request.” “I suppose that being weil nigh heart-broken by his disappointed love,” oleerved the Marchio- ness, “he courted solitude as the only condition of existence whioh could possibly accord with a mind so wounded snd a spirit so broised as his own. Poor youth} I had heard much of his amiability— his goodness of beart—his generosity towards the poorg—and [ pitied him—sincerely pitisd hin And %o toll you the uth, it was partially with tho desire of meeting my unfortunate consin, whom [ have not seen since his childhood, that I resolved to tarry at your abodo, good people, doriag my few hours’ visit to this neighbourhood. Is Ray. mond at home? she inguired, lowering her voice as if she fancied that the young nobleman himself might possibly overhear the question which she had jast put. “At home !—here! my lady? cried Farmer Brooks, astonished at the question. “ But I recol- lect,” he added, ia a calmer tone as he recovered from his amasement: “you may not have heard of what kas happenod-—” “Has anything disagreenably ooourrod &’ do- manded Lady Soliunden, with all the appearance of intense surprise and painful . “Three months have elapsed, my lady,” ro- sponded the farmer, in a solemn tone, “ since Lord Raymond fled from Malden—yes—ljeft us with a cruel abruptness that savoured even of ingrati. tude afcer all the attention we showed him and the endeavours we made to comfort and cheer him.” “Lord Raymond left you thus!” oried the Mar. chioness. “ How extraordinary that he sheuld have acted in such a manner!” “Perhaps, my lady,” suggested Margaret, in a deferential tone, “the poor young nobleman is scarcely respousibic for his actions—and he may have obeyed some sudden impulse——” “That is what I and my wife have said to each other a thousand times since his lordship’s disap- pearance,” exclaimed Farmer Brooks. “ Besides, he was often subjected to wild freaks of fancy and strange humours, which were wont to yield to fits of the deepest despondency. More than once has he said to me, ‘My good friend, if I should euddenly tahe it inte my hea ‘to leave your abode and set out on a pedes- trian tour through the North of England, do not be surprised. J sometimes feel as if nothing bet violent exercise aad a continuous change of scent will save me from going mad.'~And yet, although we were thus warned by Lord Raymond, we were alarmed and vexed when he disappeared so sud- denly: but finding that letters soon afterwards arrived here addressed to him as usual, we felt reassured by the belief that his friends and re- latives knew that he was safe——”" - ee ee eee eee eo eee eee ee ElOOO® SS