The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

instantaneously assuming the calm demeanour of courage and self- possession, she said, “ Nevertheless, bad as you are, I can scarcely suppose you capable of persevering if an evil intention towards one who turns out to be the sister of your unhappy vic- tim ?” “Candidly speaking, my dear Pauline,” answered the Prince, whose desires were excited almost to madness by the charms of the young lady,—* I fell in love with you at the masquerade, solely from the contemplation of your beauteous figure and the indescribable graces of your person; and now that your countenance beams upon me in all its glory, I am not likely to abandon the enchanting hope of possessing you—even though the removal of that mask has revealed to me the features of Pauline Clarendon [” “This language—to me!” exclaimed the young lady, once more becoming crimson with indignation -—while her whole form shook as if with a strong spasm passing through it. “ Yes—to yau—Pauline,” cried the Prince, his libidinous looks gicating upon the charms that were ect off so ravishingly by the pictureeque costume which displayed rather than concealed them. “ And now, witheut hypocrisy—without subterfuge—with- out circumloeution—let me tell you frankly and re- solutely, that your beauty has excited me to a frenetic pitch, and that you shall be mine, be the uenees what they may !”’ “ Villain !” ejaculated Pauline, now seriously alarmed: and she flew to the door. “The bird escapes me not thus easily |” cried the Prince, in a triumphant tone, as the young maiden fruitleesly endeavoured to open the door, which had been locked on the other side. “ Come, Pauline— you are a being endowed with good sense and a strong intelleet—and you can listen to reason. May I crave your patience for a few moments!” Aad his Royal Highness leant againat the chim- aey-piece with the cool complacency of a man who « certain of achieving a victory, or who bas the game in his own hands. * Reason f” ejaculated Pauline, sammoning to her aid all the courage and self-possession which she now felt to be requisite to mest the dangers and dif- ficulties of her position: and, moving slowly away from the door, she advanced towards the Prince with an air of confidence which she did not however in reality feel. “ Yes—I can listen to reason: but Pim at a loss to conceive how anything which you may have to say to me, can deserve that denomination.” “We shall see,” said the heir-apparent. “ And let me begin by informing you that I watched all your movements and proceedings ere now at the mas- querade; and { saw efongh to convince me that you have no reason to be satisfied with the conduct of the Blue Domino. So long as I remained in igno- France who the fair Flower Girl could be, I was of course unable to penetrate entirely into the mystery of thoes ings ;—but now that I know her to be the beautiful Miss Pauline Clarendon, I come te the very natural conclusion that the Blue Domino must have been her fickle, inconstant, and faithless lover, the young Lord Florimel. Ah! I see by your countenance that my surmise is correct——” “ And witerefore do you thus torture me with these allusions ’—wherefore do you seek to probe the an- guish which so much‘perfidy has excited in my breast?” exclaimed Pauline, in an impassioned tone —and the tears started forth apon her long lashes, while her bosom heaved and fell convulsively. “I was about to observe, my dear Pauline,” re- sumed the Prince, “ that——" “Your Royal Highness will be pleased to forbear from addressing me with a familiarity not warranted by circumstances,” said the young lady, in a reeo- lute tone. “ Well, then—I wil] call you the Hon. Miss Pau- line Clarendon, your father being a peer,” observed the Prince, with a satirical smile “ Proceed—proceed,” oried the young maiden im- patiently: “I am anxious to depart hence. What more has your Royal Highness to say to me ?—for as yet I have heard none of the reason to whiob you requested me to listen.” “ Because you have interrupted me,” rejoined the Prince. “For I was about to observe that as Lord Florimel has evidently proved faithless to you, and as his conduct was positively outrageous and cruel to a degree, it is impossible that you—a young lady of high spirit and independent disposition — can tamely submit to so gross an insult asto behold your rival, whoever she might be, preferred before your very face—aye, and in defiance of anything that you may have said to the young nobleman when you accosted him so abruptly and then quitted him in such evident anger. What, then, should you do to be avenged upon the perfidious Florimel?—and which species of vengeance would be the most complete f Can you not understand me, Pauline? If not, I must speak more plainiy—and in measured words and intelligible language must I recommend that you retaliate in the same spirit and after the same fashion. Become my mistress—aceept my protec- tion—and then, when dashing round the Park in your splendid equipage, or seated in your box at the Opera, you may look scorn, defianoe, and oon- tempt at the faithless Florimel.” “ Wretch !* exclaimed Pauline in a tone vibrat- ing with the terrible indignation which convulsed her entire form and made her face, her neck, and her bosom turn the hue of a peony all in a moment: “wretch! is it possible that you can hold such language to the sister of the too con- fiding girl whom your villany has robbed alike of her virtue and her intellects? Oh! if I did not interrupt you ere the sentence which contained the odious proposition was completed,—if I did not burst forth at once in all the fury of my outraged and insulted spirit,—it was that amazement para- lysed my tongue! Almighty God, is it possible -——Oh! is it possible that this man shall one day reign over the people of England ?” “ Yea—by heavens, will I—for you and all the people of England together were made to become my slaves,” exclaimed the Prince, yielding to a sudden acoess of rage. “ And now, Miss Pauline Sp eeepeeemeeneneeeeen_ THE MYSTERIES. Clarendon—the prade—the pattern-maiden—the — chaste damsel par excellence, I will teach you that what I have said is true and that you were bora to be subservient to my desires. No more of your sentimental trash concerning your sister: for your father has reaped his reward! Yes—and even as a Barony sufficed as an atonement for Octavia’s defoliated virtue, an Earldom will be clutched by him as ample recompense for Pauline’s honour.” “ Ah! you throw off the mask completely, Prince ? —you proclaim yourself a villain” cried Pauline, speaking in a tone which sounded like that of AUC DOO SS