The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 225: what you’re looking at

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Gees Qe? <2 ee ee eee GT i - 218 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. for his conceit—naturally ill-tempered where it is safe to display his malignity ; but an arrant cring- ing coward where he has to encounter a spirit superior to hisown. In short, he is almost be- neath contempt: and now, Lady Saxondale, you can understand full well whether I am a woman likely to entertain any affection for such a pitiful etripling as this.” “TI knew full well what your feelings were,” said her ladyship, without displaying the slightest annoyance or vexation at this bitter satire which had just been passed upon Edmund. “ You do not therefore want him as a husband;-and you will consent that he shall remain where he is, so long as you yourself enjoy such happiness as under circumstances you have a right to expect. Now, what I propose is this:—I¢ suite me for the pre- sent to remain in London, and therefore to in- habit Saxondale House. To you be the Castle in Lincolnshire assigned as a residence; and I will undertake to induce Lord Petersfield and Mr. Marlow to allow you two thousand a-year. Are my conditions accepted ?”’ “Yes,” replied Adelaide, without an instant’s hesitation: “I agree to these terms. But before I leave London I must receive the written assur- ance of Lord Potersfield that my allowance shall be regularly paid.” “ That written assurance you shall have to- morrow,” answered Lady Saxondale; “and the day after you will have the kindness to take your departure for the Castle.” “ Agroed!” rejoined Adelaide; and having thus come to an understanding, the two ladies separated for the night. CHAPTER CXXXIL THE WARPAEE OF DUPLICITIES. It will be remembered that the Count de St. Gerard had taken his leave of Adelaide with an intimation that he purposed to adopt some measures to procure the release of her husband Lord Saxon- dale; and wo must now observe that she did not entertain the slightest intention of frustrating this design, nor of recommending Henri to abandon it. She saw, as already stated, that all hope of winning the French nobleman to her arms must be renounced ;x and she was therefore desirous, for several reasons, to have her husband restored to her. Towards Lady Saxondale she was playing a very deep game ; and it was entirely on the principle of “diamond cut diamond.” The threat of a suit being instituted in the Ecclesiastical Courts to dissolve the marriage, had not been lost upon her ; and she knew full well that if the marriage should once receive the express sanction of Edmund's mother and guardians, that suit could sof be entered upon. Now, if a written acknowledgment from Lord Petersfield, guaranteeing the payment of an allow- ance, were obtained by Lady Saxondale’s inter- vention,—the proceeding would be tantamount to such express sanction of the alliance. This was therefore what the wily Adelaide was ing at when she accepted the terms proposed by Lady Saxondale. She was desirous, we have said, that her hus- —e ear eme = yO band should be restored to her for several reasons. In the first place, she wanted a companion; and it suited her well enough to have one whom she could render altogether submissive to her will In the second place, she looked forward to the time when Edmund would be of age to enter upon the unrestricted control of his estates and fortune. In the meanwhile she would be strengthening her ascendancy over him: she would rule him by a judicious admixture of terrorism and syren blan- dishments ;—and thus, when his twenty-first birth- day was passed, she would enter upon the virtual sway of the broad domains, stately mansions, and vast revenues attached to the proud name of Sax- ondale. Her calculations descended to the mi- nutest details; and the following was a part of her reasoning :— “Edmund has been to a mad-house on the pretext that he must have been insane to contract an alliance with me. But if he be eman- cipated from the asylum, how can he possibly be transferred thither again on the same plea, when the marriage will in the meantime have been sanc- tioned by the written document to be procured by his own mother from his principa) guardian? Or again, if any attempt were made to capture his person ones more, we would be upon our guard to offer resistance, and have succour constantly at hand: or we might retire to Italy or some other continental clime— anywhere but France, — and thus remain abroad until the period of Edmund's minority be at an end. And then, when once he enters upon the control of his proporty, his haughty mother shall indeed be reduced to a cipher; and ~—i=iew nee myself upon her who sought to trample me under foot !” The reader may now fully comprehend the na- ture of that policy which was the basis of Ade- laide’s proceedings, and why sbe had so readily given an assent to Lady Saxondale’s proposals. She fancied that Lady Saxondale was completely her dupe, and that her own ulterior designs were not suspected by her ladyship, inasmuch as they altogether turned upon the pivot of Edmund's contemplated release; and Adelaide hugged the idea that Lady Saxondale would be very far from sup- posing that such a proceeding had been thought of, or would be attempted. But, as will presently duplicities and hypocrisies, dissimulations and treacherics, which these two women were thus secretly waging against each other. Lady Saxondale know full well that it was to Adelaide’s interest to procure the liberation of Edmund: while, on the other hand, it was entirely to her ladyship’s own interest that Edmund should remain in the asylum asa lunatic,—because on this ground the requisite legal proceedings could alone be taken to perpetuate the control of the property in her hands. The guar- dians would the mother and not the wife as the most proper person to exercise this control: and indeed Lady Saxondale’s plans were so well arranged, that rf ahe could only keep Edmund locked up, she folt confident of succoss. At the same timo we must here observe that although she knew it was to Adelaide’s interest to have Edmund set free, ee had et present no reason to suspect that a plot was already in exist- ence to accomplish that end. On retiring to her own chamber after that xu OO @ we aes |e 2. ow EN te, ° eee eee eee eee 6- eee eee, eee = _ _) [| @ (COL DOO CS (COL