The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

: THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 3 ali that I dc—all that I menace, must be taken as evidences of that devoted love on my part. Listen to me—I beseech you te listen! You have promised to accord me & iow minatee~-and I will endeavour to be calm.” ‘“‘ Proceed,” said Elisabeth, withdrawing her hand, which he had pressed teaderly and fervidly between both his own. “Let us not linger near this road where by might chance to observe us: we will walk through that shady avenue, where we shall be unperecived from the mansion. You see, Count Christoval, that I am compelled to take pre- ' ¢autions,—that I am fearful of being compromised ; and I hope therefore you will have some considera- tion for ma” — * Will you have any for me, Elisabeth P” he asked, gasing upon her countenance with a rapture sub- dued by mournful suspense. “Bat let mo avail mo measures to pursue you, or to bring you back. was a proof that my fondest antieipations had ali been in vain. When I recovered some degree of ealmness, it was only to fall into a profound meian- ebuly; and there were moments, during the latter eiates were placed, reealled me to immediate astivity. I was reminded that the hour had come when I couch: and thus some more weeks passed, while I lay stretched prostrate and powerless there. One |. morning a party of soldiers entered the village; and their commanding officer billetted them upon the inhabitants. This officer was tho Captain-General’s eon, whom I had taken prisoner, and whom you saw at the tower. On going his rounds to see thas bis men were properly cared for, he came to the cottage where I lay. I was recognised: the three monthe of safety guaranteed by his father, had more than elapsed—-and I was accordingly arrested as a Carlist traitor and as a guerille bandit. But the young man possessed certain generous feelings; and he did not send me out to be shot like a dog, ae he ' might have done, and as most other of the Christine officers would have done in his place. He forwarded me as @ prisoner to Bappelona,—at the same time despatehing a letter to his father, the Captaia- General, besceching that nity life t be spared. This entreaty was not without ite effect: but I was sent along with several other Carlist captives to the prison of Oadis —there to remain until a ship should be im readiness to bear us as felon-exiles to the Phillipine Islands. But it happened that the Go- vernor of Oadis wae a relation of mine: he took compassion on me—and though [ myself would eak no favour from the government of Queen Christina’s Regency, he adopted measiires secretly to procure a mitigation of my eentence. He suc cceded—and I was ordered to be retained a prisoner at Cadis. The eame favour was shown to othar officers of the Oarlist army, who were my fellow. captives. We were treated with much indulgence; ‘and being allowed books, I obtained the means of acquiring the English language. Amongst my fellow-prisoners was an English officer who had served in the Oarlist army; and after a while he became my tutor in the etady of your native tongue Vor, Oh! I was not without the hope of sconer or later recovering my liberty ; and I ven y grant that the iden was not vaini—I thought, Klisabeth, that if I could address to you the lan- guage of love in those tones and words most familiar to your ear, an impression would be more easily made upen your heert. Am I doomed to be mie teken P’ “Proceed with your narrative, Don Diego,” said pression wpon your heart. I thought that when you |! Elisabeth, in a tone which was slightly tremulous, you had sustained at my hands: while, on the ether band, you would rewember the many proofs of devoted love that I had given you. I took leave | of my comrades—I abandoned to them the greater | share of the spoils which we had amassed; and they wer as they gave me the farewell embrace. I set. brought on by the anguish I had suffered on aceount: "It stensk me like a thunderbolt. | fell from my horse, and lay senseless in the depth There I might have perishod, had it been for the kindness of some peasants who ebanced to pass that way. They touk me to their ecttage in the neighbouring hamlet; and there I lay, raving in the delirium of fever for many weoks. When I regained complete consciousness, I was a0 enfevbied—ee alten rated, that I cuuld not leave my “ Remember that the minutes are speeding by.” Ah! cruel to remind me that you have limited cur present interview to so short a space!” ex- ‘claimed Count Christoval,—“I who for years have ' sustained life by dwelling upon your image! Bat I will continue. Three years elapsed—and I continued a prisonce at Oadis. M My assiduities in acquiring the English language were unremitting; I had an able tutor—and you may judge whether I made the moet of my time, and whether I profited by his lese- sons. In the sammer of 1848 all Spain was con- vuleed by the civil war raised by Queen Christina's adherents against the Regent Eapartero) end in « battle whioh took: place, stunele cf mine. a devoted adherent of Christina—was slain. He died, leaving behind him immense wealth, to which I should have been the heir, were it not thet all [ pos- segaed devolved to the Crown, as I was a condemned traitor and an outlaw, Thon was it that the kind feeling of the Governor of Cadis again made iteelf apparent; aed when Spain once morse became comp (COL (C DOO CS (COL