The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

—QEecc oan eee, ia =—— ae a a SE el EEE? ell im the apartment with agitated THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT 137 devoted to their master and mistress—or would be more grieved to——” “This is no answer!” interrupted the Earl flercely, as he sprang up from his seat. “ Do they—do they euspect what you know ?’-—and his eyes appeared to burn like living coals as he fixed them upon Mrs. Broughton. “Since your lordship requires me to be explicit,” she rejoined, “Iam bound to say that it would be impossible for the servante to avoid certain vague suspicions: but while they suspect, they wonder also, and are bewildered.” “Then they, Mrs.. Broughton—and yous,” con- tinued the Karl, “have never seon anything to justify those suspicions ?” “My lord, { will be questioned no more,” she wnterrupted promptly and firmly; for though she might have said that the servants had never seen aught to justify their suspicions, she could not make a similar averment in respect to herself after the mysterious intrusions in the suite of chambers _and the letter which she had picked ap; while, on the other hand, she scorned to tell an untruth in “No, you cannot depart yet!” exclaimed the Earl, epringing after her as she turned abruptly to quit the room; and clutching her. by the arm, he held it as if his grasp were of iron. “You shall epeak—you shall tell me all I seek to know,” ho cuntinued in a thick hoarse voice. “I must learn the extent to which I am dishonoured—I must as- certain whether it be worth my while to keep the hideous secret any longer, or whether I shall expose it to the world at once.” “No, my lord — for heaven’s sake do nothing rashly!” oried Mrs. Broughton, now painfully af- frighted. ‘It would be the death of her ladyship !” “Her death!” echoed the Earl bitterly, as he with strange abruptness abandoned his hold on Mrs. Broughton’s arm—and even tossed it away from him as if in disdainful indignation at the sort of appeal she had made to his feelinge on Lady Castlemaine’s behalf. “Her death !—and what matter? Wherefore should she live? To haunt me like a epectre—the personified hideousness of my dishonour—eupposing that we continue to dwell beueath the same roof and if I keep the secret from the world ?—or else to live, openly branded—pub- liely disgraced—thrust out from the home which she has made miserable and degraded? Were she wise, and if she had as well as ehame, she would fly from this world—she would abandon it, even though she laid hands upon herself! Ah, and ment. Mrs. Broughton had remained rivetved to the spot,—her presence of mind and her fortitude abandoning her: for she feared lest the nobleman should go mad, and in his ravings in the presence ot others give forth revelations that never could be recalled. She was affected ton by the wild and mournful accents in which the last sentence of his speech was delivered. She bad never seen him in such a mood before—uniess it were when entering the chamber un obe had caught the words wn which he had apostrophized his slesping wife. But now there was such a depth of feeling in what he had just said, that she pitied him from the very bottom of her soul, Nor could she help remember- ing how great was the forbearance he had shown from the very first moment that he discovered his wife’s condition on the memorable night of the Duke of Harcourt’s ball; and she felt that there must be much generosity and much magnanimity in the soul of this man, beneath that proud and inscrutable exterior! Indeed, she was now struck by the conviction that it wae not altogether to save his own name from dishonour that he had shown so much forbearance--but that it must at least in some degree be connected with a once powerful Suddenly stopping short in his agitated walk, the Earl of Castlemaine waved his hand for Mrs. Broughton to retire; and she quitted the room ac- cordingly,—her mind filled with melancholy reflec-- tions on all that had taken place—but yet not with- cut a faint ray of hope stealing through, to the effect that the revelation she was to hear from the lips of her mistress might in some sense, more or lesa, give a different complexion to the affair. Yet again and again did she ask herself how in the pre- sence of all Lady Oastle- maine could possibly be innvoent ? Mrs. Broughton had no undue share of curiosity, as the reader has already ecen: but she certainly awaited with much anxious suspense the hour at which the confidential interview with her mistress was to take place. But not to keep the reader un- necessarily delayed, let us suppose that nine o’clock had come—that Lady Castlemaine felt so much invigorated and refreshed that Mrs. Broughton did not deem it imprudent to allow her to converse at length—that they were alone together in the sick. room, with the wax-lights burning, and the curtains carefully closed over the windows. Mrs. Broughton was seated by the side of the couch; and as she bent her looks upon her mistress, she observed an air of mingled decision and confidence on her fea- she would appeal to me for mercy perhaps? That | tures, which made the heart of the worthy woman I have already shown her—too much, too much! But for forgiveness? No-—never, never! She bound with the hupe that it might still be possible to clear up all incriminating circumstances. Her stretched out her arms to me—she adjured me by | ladyship, without raising her head from the pillow, my name—and [ fled from her presence when she | turned her countenance towards Mrs. Broughton, awoke, as I would from a reptile that was unocoiling | and commenced her narrative in the following iteelf! And she would write to me?——Yes, let her write—for perhaps she would confess who was the author of her shame and of my dishonour: and Shat is a secret I long to learn! Oh, why is she 20 beantiful?—eo beautiful and yet so false! the hypocrisy of a serpent in the form of an angel! My God, why is she so lovely ——why ?”” The Kari of Castlemaine had walked to and fro terms :— “I must go back to those times when I was a young creature of between filteen and sixteon, dwelling with an uncle and aunt: for, as you are already aware, my parents died when I was in my infancy. I had no brothers nor sisters: the famtiy title had become extinct at my father’s death; and the estate was sold to satisfy the demands of the : steps while thus ‘ creditors. I was portionless, and dependent upon epeaking: for ho was in a state of terrible excite- | that uncle and aunt. But they supplied, as mueh | (COL (C DOO CS (COL