The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 386: what you’re looking at

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SL SOs PSP fs eas egyuspeesivmsanses “Since that: period,” said Metmoth, after a long pense and in a solemn tone, while he fixed his eyes with a strange expression of dogged resolition and desperate decision upon Moagies,—“since that period I have certainly experienced no return of the horrible mania—the frightful hallueination— which urged me on to the fary of a ghole and: the atrocities of a vampyre: but I still continue my warfare against the world! You observe that my appearance denotes not penury : and yet I labour not honestly to procere raiment, food, and lodging for myself and children. No—there is nota chanee for honest industry in ‘thiscountry! I have cense- quently become a thief—a professional thief-—and I am training my children to be thieves——" - “Good God! is this possible, Melmoth?” ex- claimed Tim Meagles, prefoundly excited. “To be sure it is cried the unhappy man, en- deavouring to smother all compunetion beneath a forced and ferocious glee. “And why not? Of what use is virtue?—what recommendation is character? None at all! And do you forget that our acquaintance first began by means of robbery? Did I not plunder you in St. James's Square?” “Yes—and how deeply you regretted the action afterwards,” said Meagies, in an carnesé tone. “Because you were a good man—and beacause Y was only young in tite ways of crime ¢hen,” re. sponded Melmoth. “ But now I am as inveterately bent upor a career of what the world calls wrong, and plunder, and spoliation, and violence, as F once was resolute in maintaining my charaeter pure and my name spotiess. “In sooth,” he exclaimed, rising abruptly from his seat,—“I have a missien to fulfil—a destiny to aceomplish ;—and when once. all my work is done, I care not how soon I leave. this earthly scene of wretohedness and troeble. I am now—yes, even now for a. gmaud campaign—and you will speedily hear-ef the enact» mentof dreadful deeds. There is the surgeon who atole the corpse of my child—there are the inmates of the West End house on the threshold:of which my wife sank down and died—and there is the Prinee whose tyranny first of all tore me away from: my family—there are all these, I say, to pupish;—ard'none of them:will I spare!” The man spoke with a terrible concentration. of bitterness: and for a few moments he paused as he bent hisveyes fixedly upon Meagies. “My good friend;” said Tim, in an. imploring tone, “ you —" “Nothiag: you can urge, Mr, Maagles,” inter. |. rupted Melmoth, calmly bat firmly, “will induce. metn deviate from: my purpose. Ret with:regard to. yousself,—-with regard also to that. sngel -of beanty. and inmocence, Rose Foster,—-may heaxen bless you beth --may God-save each: of you from supls miseries‘as I have known and snoh torturing theaghte as I have experienced !” With these werds Melmoth rushed abreptly. to the door and sped from the. ream. Meagles, plored him.te remain a few minutes longer: Bunt the moneter-mea, heeding him not, hastened pre- cipitately down the stairs;~—and just: si the mo- ment that Meagles reached the threshold of the daon opening into the street, the unbappy being round the commer of, a narvow laze oa. the onposite side. of the-Biugeware Road, 345 CHAPTER CCEXL THE EARLS LAST ACT OF BEFARATION, Or the same day and at about the same hour when the preeeding incidents occurred, an event of a most serious nature took place at St2mford. Manor in the vicinage of Aylesbury. The weather was remarkably fine—indeed it was the most splendid day which had yet giaddened. the Spring of 1795. All around the Manor th8 scenery was beautiful beyond description, exhibit. ing every diversity of floral colouring in the gar- dena, and every varied, shade of green in the fields. There were the bright meadows of emerald hae— and there were the woodiands of a deeper tinge: while the dark hedges stfetched out their tracery like veins upon the ample surface of the sunny pasture lands. There, like a bread riband of glittering silver, meandered the pellucid stream; and the fields, densely stadded with butteroupe, appeared like a green carpet all shining with an embroidery of gold. The feathered choristers filled the warm sunny air with their tuneful netes: the iambs frisked in the meadows ;—-and all nature, animate or inanimate, wag full of cheerfulness, freshness, and beauty. Mane Oe a anne the Earl and Countess of were walking. They were not. arm-in-arm: but side by side did they slowly thread the bright gravel-paths that were bordered by beds of shining foliage and by par. terres of flowera. Nor did they look at each other: but their eyes were bent down ward—and everything a painful reserve and coustraint. which hung moet oppreasively about the.or-nner, the regards, the: demeanour, and the very gait and gestures of both. duee.a misunderstandiag. Not so hasty word had fallen fren either lip—not an angry look had been exchanged: nothing, in fact, had transpired of an itritable or unpleasant. nature between them in their relative capacity of mea and wife. Neither was taelady now tortured by unsatisfied desires and tantalising passions—nor the nobleman shamed and goaded by a sense of humiliation and despair on that aecount. No: far different thoughts racked their brains and agitated their souls! The trath wes that they experienced a secret and insuperable loathing for each other,—a mingled iagpat aad horror againat which they vainly strove, but whioh. proved streager than themselves: for the taint of an atmosphere poisoned by the san- guine exhalation of murder had destreyed all pos-. sible sympathy in their hearts! Deeply, fondly, madly, devotedly as the Earl had loved his beautiful Countess, he now regarded her as a murderess ;— and her presence, even as she walked in all the glory of her loveliness, produced upen him a shuddering sensation as if a loathsome serpent, with a charming woman’ head, were in reality concealed beneath that rustling silk and that snowy, lines. I¢ seemed to him as if there wore poilutian. in her very touch—venom.in herbreath—the bale- fu) fascination of a basilisk, in her looke;—and a cold. tremor, like a presentiment of coming danger was wont to creep slowly. over him whenever che. | AOOLK (CO