The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 97: what you’re looking at

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calm defiance, but which was really that of de- spair. “No—you cannot mean to perpetrate such an outrage? Besides—even if you should attempt it—I will resist until the very death—I will alarm the house— my screams shall arouse the neigh- bourhood—or, as a last resource, I will leap from the window——" And as she attered these words in a voice which had risen from the dull tone of despair to the excitement of an hysterical frenzy, she sprang towards the casement—tore aside the curtains— and rushed into the recess to throw open the window. But her hands only encountered the shutters—and she felt that the iron bar which went across them, was fastened with a padlock ! Staggering back into the room, baffled, disa)- pointed, and with an increasing terror gaining upon her, the unhappy Pauline vaioly endeavoured to recall her self-possession: the langh of the Prinoe rang half triumphantly, balf mockingly in her ears—and a voice seemed to whisper in her soul that she was uodune! “ My dear girl,” said his Royal Highness, who was still lounging negligently before the fire and had net moved a step to retain her when she flew so wildly towards the window,—*“ you must think me very foolish indeed, if you imagine that the smallest avenue of escape is left for you. No— no: though ignorant that I had to deal with a stubborn and obstinate prude, yet I came hither with all imaginable speed to make preparations Cor your arrival, the moment I saw you safely en- soonced in the hackney-coach and my faithful Germain mounted on the box.” “Ah! ejaculated Pauline: “methought that man’s face was not unfamiliar to me. But, O God! bave mercy upon me,” she cried, clasping her hands in despair: “for the wickedness of my persecutors is triamphing in every point !” “And the conquest will be speedily achieved, dearest Pauline,” exclaimed the Prince,—" despite of your screains— your entreaties— your resistance ! Bat rather—Oh! much rather would I that you should come a willing sacrifice to my arms—tender, yielding, and submissive—obedient to that destiny which you cannot resist— making a merit of neces- sity, and abandoning yourself to the full enjoyment of those ecstatic pleasures——” “Q horror!” moaned the unhappy girl, sinking upon her knees and still clasping her hands with the wildness of despair. “ What! will no one come to my assistance ?—is it possible that these walls can beat back my screams—my cries for hel ” “ Pauline, you must be mad to hope for succour in this house,” interrupted the Prince, with a smile of almost fiendish satisfaction: “for if you have not already guessed that you are an inmate of the hospitable dwelling of Mrs. Brace——” “ Mrs. Brace i” repeated the wretched Pauliue, springing from her knees to her feet as if she were suddenly electrified: for well she knew thai fatal aame in connexion with her beloved sister's rain. “OQ God! have mercy upon me!” she excluimed— and then, obedient to the impulse of feelings worked up to apitch of the most excruciating aaguish, she burst forth into soreams which would Lave pierced through the thickest dungeon-wall. “ Peace, silly fool !” cried the Prince, now rushing (oeward and winding his arms around her form: THE MYSTERIES. then, straining her with a species of maddening and ferocious violence to his breast, he exclaimed, “I will stifle thy shrieks with kisses f” And as he glued his lips, hot and parched with the fever of burning lust, to her delicious mouth, her senses abandoned her —and she remeined pewerless and inanimate in his arms! CHAPTER CXLVI. THE HACKNEY COACH AND THE PRIVATE CARBIAGE. GRIEVED as we are to leave the reader in a state of suspense relative to the issue of the adventare of Pauline Clarendon and the Prince of Wales, we must nevertheless break the thread of that episode for a short space and return to Covent Garden Theatre. We left Lord Montgomery and the Circassian Slave at the moment when having issued from the scene of the masquerade, they stopped in a cor- ridor to enable the lady to breathe the fresh air which circulated in that place. Speedily recovering, and no longer requiring any beverage to quench a thirst that had for a moment seemed intolerable, the Circassian Slave took Mont- gomery’s arm again; and they now proceeded to quit the theatre. Down the grand staircase they went—that man wrapped im the mystery of the bine domino, and that woman whose splendid form was set off to such brilliant advantage by the oriental garb that she wore! And Lord Montgomery felt proud as well as happy in the companionship of this superb creature, the flexible grace and soft volap- tuousneas of whose entire figure attracted the gaze of the loungers upon the stairs and in the vestibule ; —and ashe felt her bosom press gently againet his shoulder, he hastened his pace—her own of course at the same time—in order to be alone with her as speedily as possible. “Is your carriage in attendance, dear lady?” he asked, iu the same low and assumed tene which he had all along adopted. “Not here, Gabriel,” was the softly uitered re- sponse. “ We must take a hackney-coach in the first instance——” “Be it so, dear lady,” observed the nobleman. “ But have you no cloak to protect yourself against the cold P” “ Ah! I forgot—'tis upon the landing above,” said the Circassian Slave, stopping short at the foot of the staircase as she thus spoke. “ Here is the dupli- cate-ticket which I received from the woman who takes charge of the cloaks.” “One moment and [| will retarn,” said Ler: Montgomery ; and, taking the little piece of paste- board, he hastened up the staircase. The next instant a tall footman in dark livery accosted the Circassian Siave, and with a respectful salutation, said, “Is the carriage to take up your ladyship here ?” “No, Mason,” immediately replied the Circassian Slave. “You will wait for me in Great Russell Street, close by the British Museqm; and you will be upon the watch for a hackney-cosch. I shall not be alone—and you will adopt with promptitude all the necessary precautions.” The lady spoke with a peculiar siguificancy whiet a TT aS Ta Eg gf fe ate ElOOO® i a i a i OO OO eV SS