The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTRRIEG OF THE COURT. beheld him—and that this was not on the night of the ball, but a few days previously, when she was riding in her carriage in the Champs Elysées, and had seen him in the same equipage with Lord and | tainl Lady Petersfield. It was thus, she went on to observe, that she was led to inquire of one of her domestics whom that equipage contained: and the servant, happening to know, was enabled to inform her. And she proceeded to state how much she was re- she experienced, when finding herself isolated at the ball, he who had already struck her fancy on a previ- ous occasion, was then the very one—and the only one —to aceost her; and she hesitated not to avow that the feeling of gratitude with which he had thus in- spired her, was of that deep and tender nature that it required but @ little more kindness to make it expand into love. It was thus that she accounted for the ing rapid growth of the sentiment which had led her, after so brief an acquaintance, to accept his overtures and consent to became his | wife. \ To all these things did Edmund listen with rap- turous attention; and he thought himself supremely happy in having won the love of a woman whose beauty was so transcending, and whose voice sank down like delicious harmony into his soul. When the hour for departure came, and he found himself seated by her aide in the railway-carriage, he bitterly P 187 that you are likely to have-a mistress as well as 6 master ?”” “Yes, my lord,” responded the valet: “I cer. y entertained that impression.” ““T don’t usually condeascend to consult my ins feriors on such subjects,” continued Edmund, with his characteristic aristocratic superciliousness; “ but as I know your fidelity and attachment, I don’t mind you whether you think that the lady is one who will do honour to the family into which she is bout to enter, and eqnal honour to my good taste P”’ “Yea, my lord—essuredly, my lord,” lap the valet, who knew Edmund’s disposition well enough to be inclined to pander to his inclinations in any way. ‘“ Your lordship could not do otherwise than display the most exquisite taste.” “Well, I think I am rather up to the mark in that way,” obeerved Edmund, surveying himself in the mirror. “By the bye, that maid of her lady- ship’s seems a very decent body. Of course you and she have had some little chat together P—and no doubt she has told you many little things cunnected with her ladyship-———I mean such little traits and pointe of history which of course ooze out in familiar conversation P” “We have not had much opportunity, my lord, for such discourse,” answered the valet; “for the maid travelled inside the chaise, you know, my lord, regretted the presence of the maid, who was thus a | all the way to Calais—and was likewise in the same constraint upon them, and prevented the discourse carriage with you, my lord, and her ladyship on the from. continued in a similarly captivating strain. For the maid, though a un- derstood English perfectly; and the Baroness chose | to be very circumspect in her presence. Neverthe- less the discourse, though turning on general mat- ee enough ; on cseal wovece | | railway.” “ Nevertheless, you must have had some little time to chat—on board the packet, for instance— , and when taking your meals together at the hotels.” “Oh! yee, my lord,” the valet. “ Well, then, what did you talk about?” con- great conversational powers, | tinued Saxondale, inwardly anathematizing his do- Olairlemont possessed —characterised, too, by a certain brilliancy of wit which savoured rather of the land in which marriage hed naturalised her, than of her own native Kngland, —ehe proved the most agreeable of companions, Thus the time slipped away rapidly enough 5 London was reached ere Saxondale thought half the journey had been completed. On arriving in the metropolis, the Baronces and her maid proceeded to a West End hotel, according to previous arrangement; and Lord Saxondale, tak ng an affectionate leave of her, repaired with his mestic for not coming to the point at once. “You seo—there is no disguising the fact—I kmow very little of her ladyship———I mean her previous his- tory, and so forth——” “ Tt seems, my lord, that her ladyship has had a that deal of trouble.” “ Ah, indeed! In what way P’ “JT don’t exactly know, my lord: but her maid frequently alluded to something of the sort. Thus, for instance, she eaid that her ladyship went out into society for the first time since her trouble, the valet to the mansion in Park Lane. Though his | other night when your lordship met her——at the mother had gone abroad, the establishment was | theatre I believe it was?” maintained there upon the same footing as ever; and thus everything was ready for Lord Saxondale’s Intoxicated with happiness, he could not ‘ Just so. But what trouble is this, I wander? I am really very sorry to think that so charming a creature could have undergone much trouble. Yet forget his habit of sustaining his natural spirita, | what a fool I am. I understand what it means! when excited, by means of artificial stimulant: and ' The maid alluded to the Baron de Charlemont’s having discussed the larger portion of a bottle of he retired to rest to dream of the Baroness de Charlemont. In the morning, when his valet made his appear- ance to assist him in the process of the toilet, the idea suddenly struck Lord Saxondale that it was | probable he might know something more than him- self concerning the mystery which evidently in- vested the object of his adoration: and he saw no harm in endeavouring to elicit such particulars, | should the mau be enabled to afford them. “Well,” he ead, in an off-hand conversational mannex, “ I suppose you have guessed by this time ame BP wD DP wwe aw 9 ee os -_ = ao Gr ? death.” “Very likely, my lord. But I think that her ladyship must have experienced some other sad affliction: for I remember bearing the maid saying that her mistress could have resigned herself to that loas, if it hadn’t been for what followed.” “ And what did follow ?” inquired Saxondale. “Ah! that I don’t know, my lord. Her lady. ship’s maid never said any more to the purpose; and at first I did not like to seem im t and _ ask questions. , Afterwards, when I might have ven- tured an inguiry, something always happened to put an end to the discourse.” » -— ee 8 Oe cmp + @® os. = aa - ~~ a . (COL (C DOO CS (COL