The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 387: what you’re looking at

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

$78 THE MYSTERIES. approached him. Ah! how different were his feelings now from what they were when he used to worship the very ground upon which she trod— when he was never wearied of gazing upon her as the goddess of his idolatry—and when her touch thrilled him with ecstacy and her beaming looks transfixed him with delight! But as an ungenial rain showers down myriads of poisonous insects upon the germinating plants and the nascent flowers of Spring,—so had murder sprinkled its crimson drops upon all the brightest feelings and purest affections that had ever flourished in the heart of that nobleman ;—and as a blight suddenly falls upon the loveliest blossoms and the greenest leaves, tarning the delicate beauty of the former into cankered rottenness and the verdare of the latter into discoloured sereness,—so had crime shed its corroding, blasting mildew upon the holiest sentiments and the finest einotions that ever har- boured in the mortal breast. , On the other hand, if with the Countess of Des - borough there were not the same fervid love to be crushed—the same enthusiastic affections to be blighted—and the same worship to be overthrown, there was at all events an equal amount of sensi- bility to be shocked and a similar delicacy to be hart: and when Eleanor thought of her husband or beheld him approach her, she could only re- gard him as her accomplice in a murder! The very circumstance that he possessed all the grand- est mental qualities which could inspire admira- tion,—that his principles were the mast noble and the most exalted which could possibly ensure re- spect,—and that his public character as a man was the most elevated and the most enviable that could exist,—the knowledge of all this, we say, Only increased the horror snd augmented the dis- gust wherewith the Countess now regarded him. For to her contemplation the mask was torn from his countenance: she saw him as ke was, her ac- complice in a murder—and not as he seemed to the world, a stainless man. Althoogh it was her hand which had perpetrated the deed, aud he was merely an accessary before and after the fact, yet was not his share of the deed absorbed in the conscious- ness of her own transcendently superior iniquity : por did that very chivalrous nature on his part which had ied him thus to become her accomplice, —nor did an appreciation of such boundless love, we say, have any effect in nentralising or diminish- ing the disgust and horror which she felt towards the partner in her crime after that crime was ac- complished. Thus was it that the noble couple experienced a routaal loathing and abhorrence ; and inasmuch as they coulc not possibly conquer or mitigate these feelings, so neither could they coneeal them from each other. Restraint and embsrrassment, co)d- ness and reserve rapidly infused themselves into their manners—their looks—their language: so that they became afraid to exchange a glanee— afraid to be left alone together—afraid to allow their very hands to come in contact ! On the present occasion they had met by acci- dent in the garden—neither being previously aware that the other was walking in the charming enclo- sure at the time. And on thus meeting they had started as if each one had come suddenly face to face with a horrible spectre: then, instantaneously dropping their looks, they ha? proceeded together ee be ee side by side along the gravel-walk, exchanging a few commonplace observations to which they gave utterance with an effort and the cold meaningless natare of which only rendered their embarrassment the more crue]—their perplexity the more painfal. “ Eleanor,” said the Earl, after a long pause the chill silence of which became intolerable, —“ there must be an end to all this !” “My lord!” ejaculated the Countess, with a start, as if she did rot comprehend her husband's meaning: and the hurried glangs which she threw upon bim was instantancously averted. “'Yes—all this must have an end some how or another,” cried the Earl, in a volce of decision: “it is impossible that we can lead such a terrible existence much longer.” “A terrible existence, my lord?” said the Coun- tess, with a sort of cold astonishment. “Ob! do not affect inability to comprehend me, Eleanor exclaimed the unhappy nobleman : “your heart tells you bat too well what I mean. Look you, Eleacor—we are acoursed in each other's eyes,” he continued, in a low, deep, hollow tone; “and until this moment we have not dared confess in words those feelings which nevertheless speak out in all our looks and all oar actions. Crime, Eleanor, has opened a tremendous guif between us —and we are not fitted to dwell together any longer.” “But if we separate,” said the Countess, hang- ing down her head and speaking in a tone that was scarcely andible,—for sae no longer affected not to comprehend her husband’s mesaaing,—“ if we separate, what will the world say ?—what scan- dal will be created?—what suspicions may be engendered ?” “Troe!” murmured the Earl. “And therefore it is apparent that we must not separate—eb ?” he said inquiringly. “No-—we must not separate,” responded the Countess. “Nor can we continue to live together thus f° added the Earl. “No—we cannot live together thus,” she rejoined. And a long pause ensued, daring which they walked slowly towards the house, not once glancing at each other—no, not even furtively. “*Tis a heavenly day—a giorious day,” suddenly exclaimed the Karl, as if all in a moment inspired by a joyouspess arising from a senee of the beauties and glories of Nature. “The prospect from the roof of the building.must be charming to a degree. Methinks that our bearts, Eleanor, may derive a balm feom the contemplation of the rich and varied banguet which the band of Spring has spread out on nature's table to feast the eye;—and it may be also that from the barwonious blending of sach varied shades, and tints, and hues, our minds may glean a lesson teaching us how to smooth off the asperities of our own feelings and lead them te commingle in friendly unison.” The Countess threw a look of amazement, curio- sity, and doubt upos her husband,—the longest and most earnest look which she had dared to fix him ever since the morder. At first she won what he meant by devating his thoughts to the beauties of nature when the stern realities of the world were pregnant with 06 fearfully absorbing ap interest for him as well as for herself: then she was seized with an anxiety to discover at what aim his re- ECONnniiclooolkKs