The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 150: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COVERT. 143 death was not a veey secent ooourrence—or else I T es well as the coachman was dressed in gorgeous should not be here, nor attired thus:”—and her ex- livery, closed the door—and the -equipage drove quisite blue eyes glanced quickly over her toilet. rapidly away. ._ Ew de io «1o-eD EES Gio “I am therefore resigned to that loss which was at | first a terrible blow to me. The Baron de Charle- mont died two years ago. You sre perhaps aware that he was a Genoral of the Empire; and thoro- fore,” she added, gently and hesitatingly, “many years older than myself.” Sexondale had thus at length learnt who she was. He was talking to the Baroness de Chariemont—a_ lady of rank and title—most probably of fortune, considering the high position of ber late husband. But he did not now pause to ask himeelf, nor even . to throw out a hint of inquiry, how it was that she had been thus shunned, and that her presence had excited such a sensation of amasement in that assemblage ? He had altogether forgotten the cir- CHAPTER CXVIL. TNE BARONESS DEB CHARLEMORT. ‘Tare ride was not long: for the vehicle soon drove into the court-yard of a handsome house in the Rue de Tournon, noar the palace of the Luxembourg. The footman opened the door: Edmund alighted, and thon assisted his fair companion to descend. She took his arm, and led the way up a spacious well-hghted staircasc, to a superbly furnished drawing-room. Requesting him to be seated, she said that sche would be with him again in a few eumstance: he was under the spell af a loveliness minutes—and retired in the company of her maid. which threw into the shade all the impressions which | Lord Saxondale had now, for the first time since the beauty of either Florina Staunton or Emily he accosted the Baroness de Charlemont at the Archer had ever made upon him. Nor did he theatre, a little leiqure to reflect upon the adventure notice that Mr. Sydney was surveying him with a into which he had thus so procipitately plunged. mischievous look from « distance—or that his tefe- | He looked around, and perceived that the room was a-tete with this lady had become an object of elegantly appointed: the furniture was rich and mingled wonderment and disgust on the part of all | costly: in short, everything connected with the who were near enough to observe it. Heads were | Baroness—hor equipage—her domestice—her man- shaken ominously—strange mysterious looks were : | sion—all appeared to denote the possession of ample exchanged—and whispered observations were made. | means. That she was miraculously beautiful, was a But nothing of all this did Edmund notice: he felt | truth which the impression made upon his heart, as much alone with the Baroness de Charlemont as | fully proclaimed. How was it, then, that with rank, if they were in reality altogether so. But she on | wealth, and loveliness, she should have been so her part eould not help flinging an occasional look | treated at the ball? It could scarcely be that her of exultant triumph towards those whose gase was | character was notoriously vile and depraved; be- thus bent upon the spot where she was seated with her noble com “I feel faint and ill,” she suddenly observed, while her looks grew simultaneously languid. “7 must retire——" “Permit me to escort you hence?” Saxondale hastened to observe. ‘' Have you a vehiclo—— or bid “My ecarriage is in attendance,” ehe replied, They walked out from the theatre together, fol- lowed by the eyes of the entire assemblage. A lady’s-maid, who had been waiting in the shawl- room, hurried out the moment she caught sight of her mistrese, whom she assisted to put on an elegant satin cloak, with a hood to draw partially over the head. Saxondale then conducted the Baroness down the staircase; and the cry of “Madame de Charlemont’s carriage !* resounded the ar. A equipage dashed up to the entrance of the theatre: Edmund handed the Baroness in— and then stood hesitatmg for a moment. im what terms to proffer a request that he might be per- mitted to call upon her on the following day. “Your lordship will sup with me,” she said, with one of those bewitching smiles which had already made such havoc upon bis heart: and all the fasci- nating sweetness of her countenance, as she thus spoke, was revealed by the strong giarc which the lamps m the front of the theatre threw mto the carriage. “With pleasure,” responded Saxondale to the mvitation 60 enchantingly given: and the next snoment he was seated by her side in the vehicle. cause if so, the stewards of that ball would have inly taken measures to convey to her an inti- mation that her presence was regarded as « general insult. They had done nothing of the sort: and yet had he seen her, not merely neglected, but abso- lutely ahunned and avoided. It was a strange mys- tery; and Edmund could not form the slightest conjecture towards its unravelment. Passing away from that topic, his thoughts settled themeclves completely upon the exceeding charms of her per- son. Never, he fancied to himeclf, had he be- holden so splendid « creature in female shape. And she seemed perfectly modest and well-behaved liko- wise: her manners were not only those of « polished lady—but there was the fullest investing them: for if her emiles had been fraught with such ravishing effects, she was not to be blamed for their magic power; and in bestowing those smiles, in harmony as it were with her discourse, there was nothing forward, bold, nor immodest. While Saxondale was thus absorbed in his rap- tured reverie, the Baroness returned to the apart- made no change in her toilet, aside the cloak, her gloves, and her entered, Saxondale, rising out of again completely dazzled and bewil- the glory of her beauty. She requested seat; and placing herself near she exid, “I now take the opportunity, to thank you for an act of genorosity which parlormos this evening: and to which I did nat until a fitting . Afew wards of explanation may be I regret to say that your countrywomen x Tha lady’s-mail entered Roe mem, Sas —for naturalized on the French soil as 1 am, I can (COL (C DOO CS (COL