The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. a a aaa? | Ct Peete progress and have that love suspected. I therefore made up..my mind to speak very serioudy to the Beri of Castlemaine on the following day, and be- eeech hia to let everything end at once between us, unless in his own heart he entertained the convic- tion that my love was purely aod disinterestedly devoted to him. ‘You may well supposes, my dear Broughton, that while engaged in such reflections ae these, I had no inclination to sleep. I had not oven begun to lay aside my apparel: [ had thrown myself on an ottoman at the foot of the bed—aend there had I remained giving way to those painful Nevertheless She time Dad ee Te, beat. My cheeks burnt as if in a fever—my tem- ples throdbed—-I felt as if I were about to faint. 1 opened one of the casements: my clamber wae as the back of the house, and looked upon the garden: . there was consequently no impropristy in thus going to the window to let the air, if there were 4: breath etirring, fan my countenance. The night was ' benatifally clear—so bright.indesd that the smallest ' mystery print might have been read; andagentle breese did spring up at the time—eo that it blew on my throbbing brows i3i her nerrative, which despaned in interest as it pro- “* Lavan rivetted to the casement for some minutes, not knowing what to thiuk or how to act. To my increased astonishment, the Earl did not once look up at the window; but there he stood—motionless —~with hie arms folded over his chest, and his eyes bent down, so that I did not obtain a glimpse of his countenance. I grew frightened: a superstitious terror came over me. Could it be possible that I beheld the spiritual image of one who physically aod in earthly shape was elsewhore—perhaps slum- bering in his couch at his own residence? This ap- was speedily augmented into absolute torture, s0.fhat I lost as it were the fear of encoun- tering an apparition in the anxiety to ascertain if such it really were. In ane sense therefore I became saddenly nerved with a strange fortitude. Thore the figure remained—etill motionless—still with arms folded ~~ still with looke cast down. I hesitated no longer: my feelings were terrible — it was ' absolutely necessary that I should go and see what this was and what it meant—it was a too appalling not to be cleared up at ence. I did descend: the house was quict— no one heard me opening tha back door—and I brows and feverish cheeks. I' stepped forth into the garden. My first feeliu,. lingered at that opee window, gasing up into the | wae one of a cold shudder as I flung my looks in . moon-lit heavens, and sighing for an in-dsenght to | | She direction of the grass-plat, expecting to behold my soul of that serenity which appeared to prevail | that figare still there: but it was gone. Then my above ! When about to withdraw from the ense- | eyes were swopt wildly all around: but no living ment, my looks fell upon the garden; and I etasted | object, nor the semblance of one, met my view. I im mingied astonishment and tecron on behelding | was now shockingly frightened and as I hastily the form ofa man motionless in the midst of the | re-aseended the stairs to my chamber, I shuddered grase-plat whieh was almost immediately under my | end resoiled uader the apprehension that the cold window. My Gret impression wae that it must be | hand of death might suddenly be laid upon my one of the men-servante--my second that it wae | bare shoulder. I put off my apparel and went to a robber: but my third, which instantaneously | bed: but it was not till long after the sun bad risen became & convintion, was that the Bari of Oastle- | that sleep visited my eyes. Then I bebeld the whale maine himeelf was the individual stationed there... incident enacted over again in a dream—the figure Yes s there could be no doubt of it! I recognised, on the grass-plat, motionless asa statue, with folded his form—hie attitude—his very garmente. He wae | arms, and face bent downward | When I awoke I standing with his arms folded « serves his chest—his | felt eold as ise; and collecting my thoughts, [ en- | looke bent down, as if in the deepest meditation. | desvoured to ascertain whether the whole bad been And he remaained 0 motionless too, that it seemed « dream and that I had not really gone to the win. | as if he had been turned into a statue. Gvod dow at all, nor esen the figure, nor descended inte beavens! what could this mean? <A thoussaad mind. Was he jealous, aod had he come to watch my movemeonte? was his object of even a dakker character, end more criminally insulting to the: purity of my own character ? or in the romantic wildness of his love, had he come to woo me down to a renewal of cur evening ramble in the garden? er, more tenderly romantic still, had he come only to be near the dwelling which harbeured the object of his adoration ? These were a few of the hurried and excited questions that I pat to myself. You may wonder, Mrs. Broughton, that such reflestions should have suggested thensasive toa young maiden of but four monthe over exxteen: but during those four months my eyes had been opetied to many peges of the book of experience—to many readings of the human heart. Love is a great teacher—but more so when it displaye Keelf in such wayward msouds, wiki humeurs, and impesnioned phases as did that of the Earl of Castlemaine.” The Oountess again paused: bat this time it was enly fer @ few moments; end she quickly resumed a nega * ~“ayaee- E> Ae I knew not what to think. On the ‘the garden. in a dreasn: bus then, om the other hand, was my ‘own endeavour to believe that it was al} a dream, and to persuade myself that it was so. I re solved to keep the circamstance locked up in my = - ae eee eee eee ee —- = om oto own bosom, and not to spesk of it unlese the Ear) himeelf should mention it. He came, ae usual, scon after breakfast ; he was haypy, cheerful, and loving + he brought me handsome presenta, whieh he had purposely caused to be sent down from London; -and he talked joyously of the preximity of the wedding-day as he imprinted kisses on my cheeks, Then he spoke of our lore: he volunteered his con- me <> cms ll —_= bd @ ee ww viction that mine was as sincers and earnest though | not so impassioned as his owa ;—and throughout that day not a single uaopleasant word rufiled the harmony of our minds. How, therefore, could 1 carry into effect my resolution of the previous evening—to beg that everything might be brokes off unless he were thoroughly convinced of the dis- interested and unselfish quality of my love? Bow Es (COL ( 5 DOO CS (COL