The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. "939 since that interview with the physician the result of which Clarine hed hoped would have a very different effect upon her friend. And now, as she glanced furtively at Zoe's countenance, while they were bending their way back to the Chateau, she could not help thinking there was something unnatural in the serenely sad and placidly mourn- fal air of pensive resignation whieh sat upon the features of Lady Octavian Meredith. CHAPTER CXXIX. Tz last beams of the setting sun, on that same September’ evening of which we have just been. writing, wert flickering in riaddy hues upon the western cutskirts af one of ‘those great forests which are still to be found ‘in the southern parts of France. The progress of civilization creates so many new wants for mankind, that it renders it needfal to redeem as mich territory as possible from its wild and savage primitive condition; and thus is it that the great foreste of al] well-populated. countries are gradually yielding to the axe; and the space which has been occupied by giant trees, whose growth indicated the lapse of centuries, has been progressively: brought into cultivation that the golden harvest might wave in ite juxuriance. But still, as we have just now said, there are many of the#é’grand old forests still remaining — and some in the south of France. We do not mean woods of limited extent, nor of puny growth —nor spaces with mere patches and isolated groups of stunted trees upon them—euch as in England we find dabbed by tle name of“ forests,” and rather indicating what ‘might have once been there than what now exists. But-we are spesking of forests in the true meaning of the térm;—miles and miles of uninlerrdpted mazes of stately tives, forming in the warmer seasons of-the year one vast canopy of verdure through which the sun- beams cannot penetrate. - It was upon such a ‘forest as‘ this that the last rays from the wést were flickering in ruddy hues as a postchaise-and-fotr entered tipon the road in- tersecting the vast maze of verdare. The horses had been charged at « viflage which ‘stool at the entrance of the forest: the two postilions cracked their whips to inspire the fresh animals, which appeared to be of somewhat slaggish disposition : a valet in plain clothes was seated on the bor; and a young man, of exceedingly handsome ap- pearance, was the sole occupant of the interior of the chaise. Not to obeerve any mystery, we may as well at once inform our reader that this was Lord Octavian Meredith, who was on his way to the Chateau where he knew that his wife resided,—that wife whom he was prepared to rejoin! With arms folded across his chest, and in a profoundly meditative mood, was Lord Octavian lying back in the vehicle. The forest was planged in obscurity, though not 60 complete as to render the road difficult to be followed, or to entail the | mecessity of having the lamps lighted. Besides, as there are always the same postilions for the same stages, these men were perfectly conversant with tho route, and could pursuo it blindfold, | Yet the forest was obscure, as we have said; and inside the vehicle it was quite dark. If, how. ever, it had been possible to study Octavian’s countenance under such circumstances, it would have been perceived that though exceedingly pale and bearing the traces of a strong mental conflict of very recent date, it wore an expression of firmest resolve. Yes—he had determined to re- join Zoe: he believed that Christina loved him not—that she had trifled coquotishly with his feel- ings—that her heart was not so thoroughly good and ingenuous as he had originally deemed it to be; and thus every hope being destroyed in that quarter, it warwith a species of desperation that he had plunged headlong as it were into the per- formance of the duty which he owed t» his wife. ‘Deeper into the forest did the equip g - ptoceed : the stage was'an unueually long obe- vr she ane broken maze of trees stretched onward for a dis- tance of thirteen or fourteen miled; and in the interval‘there occurred no post-house for relays. The chaise had accomplished about half that dis- tance — the obscurity had ndw deepened into almost total darkness—when on a sudden the equipage camie to a stop, but with a jerking abruptness that threw Meredith forward from his etut. The next momett he heard the plunging of horses —ejatulatioie of tertor mingled with others’ of ‘thréfts=the~‘trainplitiy~ of {eet—the sonnds of blows—aud then the report of‘ fird-arms. All these: alarming’ nvises were so ‘rapid in sac- edssion—or indedd* might almost ba described as so biended—that * Octevian found’ the conflict bver by the time hi féaped forth from thé vehicle. Fok a’ conflict it really ‘was, thougt’ fie ‘scarcely éom- prehented its ‘cirotinstancty, and ‘knew nothing at all of its results until a little while afterwards. And this was the ‘reason,—thiat’ to soonbr' had he - sprong'forth, than’ & desperite blow was dealt him, either by a bludgeon or the butt-érid of a pistol ; and he was stricken dawn senseties.” As Lord’ Octavitin - dfuwly came back! to ‘con- sciousness, lie ’pridually grow aware that he was lying by the sitle of thé road’: and the beams of a lavitern inoving about, showed him the dark shape of the vehicls. “'He heard footsteps: they were those of a singlé pertdn i and’ by‘ this person thie lanterd: was being catried..' Mereditti’s das were at first-in a bewildering confasion ; but corispicuocus ahonyst them was the ‘serisd of extreme ‘danger ; and he therefore lay perfeofly still until'he might giean something more of the circumstances which surrounded him. cf en A pain in his head reminded the young nobleman of how he had been stricken down; and fortunate for him was it that ho hud on his hat at the time —or else the blow'which merely stunnéd would have proved fatal. All was silent, with the excep- tion of those fodtsteps that acoompanied the move- ments of the lantern. There was not so much as the impatient stamping of s horse, nor thé rattling of the harness. But no wonder: for by the light of the lantern Meredith in afew minutes perceived that the horses had been detached from the chaise, and were no longer there. At ‘the sane fime he observed that the lantern was borne by a female ; and that es she carried ft ih one hand, she sup- ported herself with a etick held in the other. Hoe could not as yet seo her face: but he’ beheld ——) Ae (CO G OOO SS} (CO