The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 135: what you’re looking at

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198 THE MYSTERINS OF THE COURT. as relatives can, the place of the parents I had lost: , our marriage, that I have next to speak. The Eari they were ali kindness to me; and as they had no | left the mansion of his noble friend in the neigh- children of their own, I wae to them as a daughter. | bourhood, and took up his quarters at a residence They themecives were not rich, though in com- | near our own, so that he might be with me as much fortable circumstances: but the chief source of their | as possible. Words have no power to convey the income was a Government pension conferred on | extent of his love. I did mot then comprehend it account of diplomatic services, and which would of | all myself: I have comprehended it since. But at coarse die with its recipient. My parents had /| the time I was too young, too inexperienced, toc perished too early for me to deplore their loss as { ignorant of the buman heart and its passions, to deeply as I shuuld otherwise have done had I | understand the depth, the intensity, and the power known them better; and the goodness of my kind | of that love of his. On my side I loved fondly and rolations prevented me from experiencing the in- | devotedly —but yet with a certain serenity, which tense severity of such a loss. Thus I was happy, | though in iteelf delicious, displayed itself not in —as happy as s gay and artless girl of be- {sudden gushes of feeling. When the heart's tween fifteen and sixteen mght well be, who love is full of confidenco—when there appears no knew nothing of the world and of its cares. I had not been introduced into society: or, in fashionable parlance, I had not as yot ‘come out,’ when I first formed the acquaintance of Lord Oas- tlemaine. He was then about twenty-sight years | ters, — the sentiment naturally glides es ewenely of age. I need not tell you that he was handsome, | as the unruffied streamle$. But it was altogether because he is handsome now—and you also knew | different with Stephea—Lord Castlemaine, I mean, him thes—or at least, shortly afterwards, at the | Hie love appeared to be a source of pain es well time of our marriage. I wae then staying with my | ae of pleasure to him: it relatives in the country: his lordship was on a visit | while it to a nobleman who dwelt in the neighbourhood: he | trustful of the very happiaces of which it was the had some years previously, when he himself was a} source. He regarded it ae a dream whieh the youth, formed the acquaintance of my uncle—and | slightest incident would dissipate—a bright vision it was now renewed. Through courtesy he was | too beautifal to last. It firet invited to the house: the love that he con- | Under hie ceived for me led him to repeat his visite. My | Molian harp, which even to the warmest and most heart was engaged to him before I comprehended | fragrant sephyr sende forth plaintive aad wailing what love was, or wherefore I felt so happy in his | sounds as well as others melodiously cheerful. How presence and pondered so much in solitude on all | often and often was he wont to ask mo if I were that he had said when we were together. Thus | confident that I loved him—if I had examined well eome months passed away. He lingered in that | my own heart—if I felt assured that I could never neighbourhood: he became s daily visitor at the | change? I was sometimes hurt ae well as af. house. At length, when I was sixteen, my aunt | flicted by these reiterated questionings, which I questioned me as to the feeling I entertainod | could not help fancying argued distrust on his towards Lord Castlemaine. The question, though | part of the sincerity of my affection. But he delicately and guardedly put, was in iteclf a reve- | would assure me in euch glowing and impassioned lation : the truth, hitherto utterly unsuspected, dashed upon my comprehension. I understood it all | would be, and was eo convinced of their sincerity, -~I loved Lord Castlemaine! Blushing and weeping, | that the momentarily inflicted wound was healed in I threw myself in the arms of my aunt, with the | my heart and my sorrow vanished. Then he would wague idea that I was guilty of some crime in thus | tell me that he only put those quostions becaune it having unconsciously learnt to love. She embraced | was so sweet to receive the assuraness they elicited ; me tenderly, and bresthed in my are the almost and yet in the vecy next breath be would make me overpowering assurance that his lordship loved me | tell him eclemnly and sacredly that I had never likewise. She went on to observe that un account | loved before——I, a young girl only fifteen and a of my tender age, he had spoken in the first instance | half when I first learnt to love Aim! In these to herself; but that if—as he had ventured to | latter questions there was something that more than hope—his affections were reciprocated, he would | hurt me—that seemed even to insult me: but when plead his suit in person. The Earl thus became | he beheld the tears trickle down my cheeks, he my intended husband: I was affianced to him: and | would suatch me in his arms and kies them rap- although my relatives would have urged the post- | turously away. Repturously ?—-yes, and vehemently ponemsent of our union for at least e year, his lord- too—for there was much wild impulsivenses in that ship’s persuasion over-ruled their wishes, and it {love of his. If I were not always talking to him of was agreed that in four months I should accompany our love, he would reproach me with being indif- him to the altar.” ferent—he would even accuse me of being cool ead The Countess paused, and seamed to be somewhat | distant—he wuuld express his fears that I did not faint. Mus. Broughton entreated her not to con- | really love him, but only fancied that I did. Oon- Gnue if she felt unequal to the task: but her{ ceive all this to me, a young creature of sixteen ladyship aseured the worthy woman that she had | whose entire hope of happiness was ceatred in that physical strength and mental fortitude adequate for | man! I was burt and afflicted—wounded and in- the cconsion, and would prefer going on. She ac- | sulted by those reproaches eo unmerited, those sccu- cordingly resumed in the following manner :— eations so undeserved: and then he would entreat “It ie particularly of those four months which | my pardon in the most vehement masner—he would elapsed from the date of our engagement to that of ! level the bitterest repruaches against himeslf—he aere- & © En w —-@we > 2 ve @ =» eo ee. wows &O2e Oe CO IMULUG 5 DOO CS (COL