The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

TUE MYSTERIES. a Por about four hours did I there enjoy the companion- ship of the mysterious genias of the place. Oh! those four hoars of intoxicating passion and elysimn ecutasy! Often and often have [ since asked myself whether ft was a deficious dream or a bewildering reulity. And that it was the latter I am well assare:: for who that had experienced the raptures which it was my blessed fortane to enjoy, could possibly attribute them to a delusion? No—the fthnilling ecstasy of those devouring kisses which were lavished upon me—the delicious contact of that full and vo- taptuous form which, naked and palpitating with the frenzied desires ofa Bacchanal,1 clasped in my arms —the burning moments of pleasure which I tasted on the embrace of that woman who imparted ali the electricity of her own maddening passions to the sou! of her lover,—Oh! these were not the phantasies of a vision, bat the never.to-be-forgotten experiences of such a night of love, and mystery, and voluptuousness as only occurs once im the Hfe-time of a man!’ *¥ wonld give ten years of my own 4xzistence to have been the hero of this adveutare,” said Lord Montgomery, survoying his friend with the must enfeigned envy. “ But let me hear the resuit—for I see hat you have more yet to tell me.” “fodeed the narrative is nearly broaght to a close,” retarned Lord Flortmel: “for at the ex- piration of fire four hours, which glided away as if chey were only as many minotes———* * Bat how could you teil what time it was?” de- manded Sfoutgomery. “ Because a clock, apparently belonging to some adjacent church or chapel, chimed the half-hour,” said Florimel, in explanatiou ; “and then my fair companion marmored in a plaintive voice that it was haif.past six and that we must separate. L'terafly tearing myself from her arm, I rose aud put on my apparel in the dark, while she herself &kewise resumed her clothiag in a hurried manner. She then blindfolded me once more—cundueted me afong the passage back to the staircase, which we descended—and thence led me forth into the en- closure, the gravel-walk of which we threaded in a profuund silence. But she held both my hands clasped in her own; and I guessed that her motive was to prevent me from raising the haudkerchief sarreptitiously from my eyes and thereby ohtalising even that indistinct view of surrounding objects which may be sometimes procured between siz and seven o'clock on a morning in the middle of winter. Bat I should not have attempted to psnetrate her secret or solve the mystery of who she mizht be and where I was—no, I slrou!d not have moved the handkerchief a hair’s-breadth from my eyes, even if my hands had been free. For I experienced at the moment a boundless gratitude towards that lady who had ehosen mo as the object of her semsaal phantasy aud who had thereby led me to pass four hours and upwards in the paradise of her socivty! Therefore was it that when we passed out of the gate of the enclosure and I knew by the sounds of horses champing their bits that a carriage was in attendance,—therefore was it, I say, that ! implored her in a deep and fervid whisper to grant me an early repetition of the pleasure which I had evjoyed.—‘ Yes, dear Florimel, she murmured, also in a voice tremulous with the reminiscences of re- cent delights, ‘we will soon meet again. I shall not fail to adopt measures to bring you fo my arms once more /— And then she pressed both oy hands qith ineffable tenderness; and in the next moment ! was lifted an it were into the carriage, I neva no doabt by the saute vigoroos arm which had per- formed a like feat at the yate of Devonshire Huase: the steps were raised rapidty—the door was closed wich equal haste—and away, away was 1 whirled from the scene of that paradise of four hours’ en- joymeat !” “ And then you tore off the bandage— you looked out of the carriage winduw——” exclaimed Mont- gomery, actually exciting himseif by the strength uf the interest wherewith he allowed his frienu’s narrative to carry him awzy. “Indeed, I did no sach thing,” laterrupted Fie- rimel: “and even if i had so lngtantaneously torn off the handkerchief, the proceeding would have been useless, as Jou shall presently learn. But the trath is that the monrent I was thrown as it were upon the soft cushions of the carriage by that powerful arm whick I had no doubt belonged to the tall lacquey who had previousfy served me in the same manner,—I felt into a deep but delicious reverie, in which £ feasted my imagination with all the delihts that £ bad jast been enjoying in such blessed reality. At lemyth I bethonght myself that ft was bitndfolded ; and starting from my profound meditations, f took off the handkerchief. The in- terior of the vehicle was of pitchy darkness; and I therefore knew that the wooden blinds must be drawn up. I endeavoured to open the one nearest to me: but it was fastened in its setting. I tried the one belonging to the other door—and my at- tempt was equally ineffectnal. I felt in front af the carriage: but it was a baroache and had no windows there at all. Thue, my dear friend, do you perceive how completely bzffled 1 slvould have been, had I obeyed any sudden impulse of the kind which you imagined to have seized cpon me the moment [ entered the vehicle. Youu likewise see how couiplete—how effectual—and yet how siorple were the precautions adopted by that lady to ~creen herself from the knowledge of the man whom her phantasy had made she partner of her bed fur four short hours f” “The whole narrative is a perfect romamnee,” ex. cisimed Montgomeryc “ f mean, hr tire intensity of its interest.” “ Yes—and that intere-t is the more aheerbing,” said Florimel, “because the renrauce itself is one of real Hfe. But I was guing to bring my tale to a couctusion-—and tis ean now be dune in s few words. Forin about twenty minutes from the time that [ re-entered the carriage in the manuer | have described, it stopped—and the door was opened by a tall man. Bat he was dressed in plain clothes—and the broad brim of his hat complete!y straded his countenance ; so that in facet ne was not recoguisable in the dim twilight of the misty winter- moruing. A sudden impalse prompted me to re tain posscesion of the handkerchief which had biindfotded my eyes and which might serve as a clue: but scarcely was the hea formed than & was discarded as mean, pakry, snd contemptible to a degree. Moreover I experienced an instinctive feeling that by leaving it behind me iu the vehicle, it would be regarded with all the significancy of a guarantee to the lady that I did nut seek any un- fair menus of penetrating into that secret around which she had thrown the defences of so many pre- cautions. These thoughts passed racidlv as ght ES GL GOH GOO SS