The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

ee meme ee TH3 MYSTERIES OF THE COURT, 189 imegine far better than we can describe, how great was the joy which sprang up in his soul when the husband discovered that he was not dishonoured in his wife. The explanations which took place between them oocupied a considerable time; and when Mrs. ton, after the lapse of a couple of hours, re- tarned to the bed-chamber, she received the wann- est thanks from both the Earl and her mistress. It was after his lordship had withdrawn to his own suite of rooms, and when the Countess was repeat- ing what had passed between hersolf and her hus- | band, that the worthy dependant produced the letter she had picked up, and which at the time had seemed irresistibly to corroborate her idea of her lactyship’s frailty. This letter was restored to the Earl in the morning, with an adcount of how §t had fallen into Mrs. Broughton’s When Dr. Forney made his appearance in the forenoon, the Earl of Castlemaine had a long and very serious conversation with the talented phy- a ee interrupted the Rarl, alike affected and humiliated, upon her: you need not tell me this—because it is the course I intend to adopt. She knows it. and this morning have I renewed that prayer for pardon, accompanied by a solemn promise to make ner emery Possible stonement for the remainder of my life.” “And if you fulfil these pledges, my lord,” plied Dr. Ferney, “you will cease to be s nambulist: but you must-exert all your power to control the infirmities of your ing to restrain to your dommiant will; and ultimately die away altogether, leaving your mind in a some state and your ination healthful. member that your wife is but @ mortal like your- bie cq a2 mn] pF ai siclan. His lordship made him acquainted with self: you can now no longer have any doubt of the everything ; and the good-hearted Ferney was over- purity and sincerity of her love—but do not exact joyed to learn that the Countess was still in every from her the necessity of constantly showing it. way worthy of her husband's love. ; Stady her disposition as she has ever studied your's. “Your asks me,” he said, “ to what treat- | There will be mutual forbearance—mutual allow. mont I will subject you in order to cure you of this ances made; and you will be happy. Surely a habit of somnambulism? Physically, I can suggest man of your intellect-———” nothing—because you are abstemious and tgmperate,! “Say no more, Dr. Ferney regular iri your meals, and not addicted to late hours. ‘ grasping the physician’s hand and pressing it with my counsels and to a your lordship’s own hands. You now find that you possess a wife who sincerity of which every circumstance has 90 fully ed. Even when you were merely her suitor it was not too Inte for her to retreat from her become your bride, she endured your put up with your humours—-—Pardon thus plainly; but it is requisite. all that, inasmuch as from F { outrages pieces of injustice that a husband could be guilty of towards a wife. If she had dishonoured you, my lord, you could have done ‘but little beyond :~-you sould scarcely have punished her more severely; and she endured it! ‘Yoo-—for four years has she endured it; and when under the influence of som- nambulism, the instinct of the senses led you to her couch, she abandoned héreelf to your embraces rather than shock you by startling you into wake- fuiness, and thus menacing your reason. Now, my lord, I have spoken candidly and frankly: I may have epoken severely too—but it was needfal. I have put your own conduct in its proper colours ; and you can appreciate to what advantage that of your wife shines by the contrast. But why have I thus spoken? To make you aware of your duty and through the medium of your duty, to work out your mental cure.” “You newd not tell me, my dear Dr. Ferney,” EEE? Gitxiiemparees: | oy GE PE > == —_ oe ani Ee eae 2 the enthusiamn of gratitude: “I wnderstand my duties—end I will them. Henceforth my only study shall be my dear wife's happiness. Hitherto I have rendered her wretched enough : it: shal] be different for the future. When she has ro- covered, Dr. Ferney, you must sot cease your visits on that account: you must come to us as a friend, of domestic ledge, will not be the least memorable of your mani- fold experiences.” “Ah!” said the physician, shaking bis head and grasping the Warl’s hand, he exclaimed, “ Think no more, my lord, of what you have heard. It is my secret /"-——and then he added, mare eowly and eotemnily, “ Your lordship perevives that your house- hold is not the only one which: harbours its mys- teries. The Karl of Castlemaine was not natarally on- dowed with curiosity; and he was moreover too much occupied with the circumstances that had so recently transpired beneath his own roof to pay aught beyond a passing attention to the physictan’s strangeness of looks and words: he ; pressed him not for an explanation. Dn Verney, hurrying from the room, proceetied te visit his (COL ( 5 DOO CS (COL