The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 213: what you’re looking at

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

Se eA TTS at ies ta Ses ss SCS? THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 208 better known amongst my own countrymen than I had anticipated—I was being subjected to the most humiliating treatment, when that young nobleman came like a moth to flutter involun- tarily around the brilliant light which dazzled his gaze. The conquest I achieved was such as perhaps no woman ever achieved before. But I had not been many hours—no, nor many minutee in his society—before I discovered that he was one of the most contemptible of his species. As for love for such a pitiable object, it were impossible, even though I had never loved before! But then he was Lord Saxondale—and, when of age, would enter upon the enjoyment of a brilliant fortune. We were married ; and scarcely was the accomplished, when I would have given worlds to have it undone. My heart smote me with a feel- ing like a remorse: it seemed as if I had committed @® crime towards you. For then I remembered that I had never made you the slightest overture —that if you had not written to me, neither had I written to you—that if you had not come to me, I had made no sign to show that I desired your presence. I was seized with an insurmountable yearning towards you: I longed to behold you once more—to ascertain what you felt towards me —to enter into explanations——in short, I felt it was an absolute necessity that I must see you: and hence the pressing letter which I wrote! Nay, I will even say more :—it was in a moment of despair, on the fourth day after my marriage, that I sat down and that letter.” “ Despair, Adelaide?’ observed St. Gerard, his looks displaying much emotion: “why do you speak of despair—you who must be possessed of @ mind endowed with an even masculine power ?” “Yes—a masculine , ghe repeated bit- terly, “to be enabled to do all that I have done— to go through so much—to exercise such an in- cessant control over my feelings—to force myself to avoid the betrayal of what ap often agitates in my thoughts——— Yes, it does indeed put to the test the utmost vigour and strength of the mind! But you ask me why I use the word despair f———O Henri, you who know me well, can judge for your- self what my feelings must be in finding myself linked to a miserable conceited coxcomb — a self-sufficient puppy—a stripling who is both fool and coward! You know that I possess some in- tellectual qualifications—some power of conver- sation—esome accomplishments: and you will per- haps pity me when you thus learn the character of him on whom the necessities of my position, and my own rash as well as morbid feelings, urged me so suddenly to fling myself away. And having taken that step, it was requisite to maintain a certain appearance towards this husband of mine. I could not suffer him to think that I had wedded him for his title and fortune only, or in a moment of desperate vindictiveness against yourself; and therefore am I compelled to simulate love. Love !———Oh, my heavens! love for such @ con- temptible thing as ke! The idea is preposterous. Can you not now understand wherefore I wrote so earnestly beseeching you, by the reminiscences of any tcnder feeling you might at one time have experienced towards me, that you would come to me as a friend, even if it were impossible that you still regarded me with love.” “I obcyed your summons, Adelaide,” responded the Count de St. Gerard | “ Never to meet we iy "qjaculated Adelaide. “Now you are plunging a fresh dagger into my heart! Am I not sufficiently unhappy? Ob, have mercy upon me! take compassion upon me! Are you unmindful of all I did on your account? Is not my soul doomed to an oternity of woe in another world f—will you not become its solace for the little space that it may linger in this?” “ Adelaide, what mean you?” cried the Count de 8. Gerard: “would you prove faithless to the solemn vows which but a fortnight back you pledged to Lord Saxondale at the alter ? would you render me an accomplice in your guilt? No, Adelaide—by heaven! I am incapeble of such deliberate villany towards your husband. I feel that it was sufficiently imprudent—almost criminal indeed—thus to seek your presence: but it was to prevent any greater imprudence—and I will also add any greeter criminality on your part— that I have thus come.” “ do you sup- ing another “What !”” said Adelaide bitterly, pose that I am capable of husband for your sake P” “ Adelaide, speak not with this horrible levity ! I was telling you wherefore I had obeyed your summons, and why I had come to England. Un- derstand me well, therefore! Everything is at an end between you and me; and neither to the blandishments of your beauty nor the fascinations of your language, shall I yield. I must now de- part. Already has our interview lasted tuo long ; and if your husband were to enter——” “Ah, my husband!” suddenly exclaimed Ade- Iaido: “I had almost forgotten in the whirl of agitated emotions which your has con- jured up, the terrible calamity which hae just occurred.” “Calamity? and just occurred?” echoed St. Gerard. “Unhappy woman! what new misfortune has overtaken you P’’ “ My husband,” she responded, “has been borne away to a madhouse.” “A madhouse?” cried Henri, starting with amasement. “Is it possible that to crown all the rest, you have espoused a madman ?”’ “ No—be is not mad,” she quickly answered : “this is doubtless done by his relatives or friends to separate him from me. You do not know the laws of this country: in many respects they per- mit the vilest acts of despotism to be sccomplished, and afford scope for the exercise of the cruellest vindictiveness. The certificate of two medical men is sufficient to consign any individual to a mad- house; and, that terrific engine of coercive oppres- sion has been called into request on the present occasion.” “But this is horrible!’ exclaimed Henri, his MEDEAOOAD EETRNERERSS DORE Wee f “ Horrible, yes Adelaide. “ But what mattereiite me bev he—tny husbend— fares if you will only speak kind and offer me the solace nt —--— AR ae a= a — + wae =~ ewe Ea wy we « ae. (COL (C DOO CS (COL