The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 393: what you’re looking at

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Jam department; and there, upon a humbie pallet, lay imprinted on her ceuntenance, from which the vital colouring had entirely fled: a dimness was visible ia the pupils of her eyes—her lips were al- most bloodless—aad her whole appearance was marked with an air of langour, weakness, and depression. A pang of remorse shot through the heart of Lerd Florimel as he entered that infirmary- chamber: for his conscience told him that his perfidy had ia the beginning led the young gir! sued innocently and happily, and placed her in the course which ‘was thus destined to terminate vio- lently and prematarely. Qa the other hand, an expression of penitence and reviving affection appeared apon the coun- tenance of the dyiug girl as Florimel, with an air of contrition and grief, approached the bed whereon she lay :—and he perceived at once that it was not to upbraid him with her last breath that Caroline had: sent to beseech his presence there. The chaplain who introduced the young nobleman to the chamber, and the nurse who was in atterfdance upon Caroline, now withdrew; and Lord Florime! remained alone with the dying girl. He glanced uneasily aroand the room, which a single candice lighted: it was naked, dull and cheer- less in aspeet—and a cold shudder passed over his form at the idea of any one’s last moments being ; expended there. Then having thus slowly made the circuit of the chamber with ite dingy walls and ; scanty farnitere, his looks settled upon the coun- tenance of Caroline Wailters—and he saw that ' her gaze was fixed earnestly and intently upon him. In that gaze there was a professed mourn- fulness mingled with a certain terderness which appeared to deprecate all angry feeling ;-— and | stretching out her hand towards the young noble- | man, she said in a faint low voice, “Sit down by _ my side—I have much to say to you ere I die !” |. The plaintiveness of the tone in which these words were uttered and the pathos of the words themselves, went to the very soul of Lord Florimel. | Bursting into tears, he took ,the proffered hand, and sank down on his knegs by the bed-side, éx- claiming, “Forgive me, Caroline— forgive me for the cruel wrongs which I have inflicted upon you !” “This is the time for mutual forgiveness, Ga. briel,” she murmured in her silver voice, that was low and tremulous with emotions profoundly stirred and with the attenuating effect of coming dissolution. “ Until within the last few hours [ have hated you as cordially as I once loved you: bat the appreach of death—the counsels and the con- solations of the kind-hearted chaplain—and the | whisperings of some secret, unknown voice which | appears to have arisen in my soul since the mo- ment that I found myself standing upon the thres- | hold of the grave,—all these influences have | werked a mighty change within me—and I feel | | Past ! e - ——— that I shall die more resignedly and more happily =a record a mutual pardon for the “ Heaven knows how cheerfully—how willingly -—how sincerely I forgive all and any injuries | which you have endeavoured to inflict upon me !” ‘| exclaimed Florimel. “But can you, Caroline, as | feadily and as unfeignedly pardon me for the first uuu Wo Te, Caroline Walters. The signs of death were already | yo astray frem that path which she might have pur-. THE MYSTERIES. anion won said I pecpounel tomas ua?” “Yes—I regia Oda be | edly forgive -you. Gabriel,” ed Caroline, her looks confirming her words. “Then may heaven forgive you also the misdeeds which weigh upon your soul!” exclaimed Flortmel, with a sacred fervour and a pious solemnity suck as he had never before expressed or felt, bet whith were not the less sincere. on that account: and having pressed the dying girl's hand to his lips for a moment, he rose frem itis knees and sate dewn on a chair by the side of the bed. “I despair not of the forgiveness of heaven, Gabriel,” said Caroline, in a firmer tone and with a flush of conscious mnocence wpon her cheeks : “for T have naught to answer forsave that frailty into which my ‘ove for you: betrayed-use, and that thirst after revenge whieh yeur .isf- delity engendered i my soul.” ° “ How ?—what mean you, Careline?” etclakmed Florimel, regarding her with mingled joy and as- tonishment. “The crime of which you are aceused —which has made you an inmate of this dreadful place——Oh! how happy should I be to learn that. you are innocent——” ‘I am innocent, Gabriel " said the young wo- man, in a tone and manner tirat were inbeaed with all the deep feeling and profvand solemnity of -an- questionable truth. “Yes—I anf innoeent—and my guilticssness will be shortly made clear to Whe . world. Oh! if God would only spare me endl that end shal] have been achieved, I should die re- signedly—nay, happily-——” “ But the real perpetrator of the deed P-—themer- derer of the midwife?” exclaimed Fiorimel, inter- regatively, and still under the influence of gn im- mense surprise, although he doubted net for a mo- ment the truth of all that the dyiag girl was telling him. “The Hon. Arthur Eaton, who is likewise the victim of circumstantial evidence, knows every- thing,” returned Caroline; “and he will make his own innocence and mine apparent at the same time. Let us not therefore dwell upon the subject: suffice it for you to be convinced that I am inneceat of the stupendous turpitude imputed to me:—and with- out a sensation of loathing and horror may you therefore remain at my bed-side to hear the oen- feesions which Iam anxious to pour forth in your ears.” “Even had yeu beén guilty of that oruna,” said the young nobleman, “I should have experienced no feeling of abhorrence towards you new: but I should rather have continued to look npon myself with additional upbraiding and reproach, masmuch, as I was the auther of your ruin, and every inci- dent that has since marked your career, whether misfortune or guilt, nrust have been regarded as the unavoidable associations of that destiny. which my condact shaped and foresed aa it were for your guidance. But these ‘ames whereof you have spoken, Caroline——” “Listen—and you shail hear,” said the dying girl. “Draw close to me, that ‘I may nat be cem- pelted to raise my veloe teo loud—and interzept me as little as you need. I shail surrender up my breath all the more happilyif I make a complete atonement for any injuries which I have sougbt to inflict upon yeu. For now,’ continued the young DOO AUC SS