The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 283: what you’re looking at

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

276 Ail that I require is the faithful keeping of the appointment: I care not for the circumstances | me ander which it may be kept, so long as you will be mine !” “Can you not understand,” asked Kate, avert- ing her blushing countenance, “that henceforth I can never look you in the face again P--—-Already am I overcome with shame and confusion——” ‘* And wherefore, beloved one P” asked the Minis- ter: and he endeavoured to imprint a kiss upon one of those glowing cheeks: but she quickly re- pulsed him, starting up from her seat at the same time. “No! nol” she cried: “not now! not now! Have I not assured you that I am already over- come with ghame? Spare me, I beseech you!” “JI will,” he answered: “because to-night you will be mine—altogether mine! But you will not come cold and inanimate—coy and reluctant—to my arms? It must not be a marble statue that I am to enfold in my embrace. No: you must come glowing with passion and with ardour——” “ Speak not thus—speak not thus!” interrupted Kate, trembling—perhaps shuddering from head to foot. “Oh, there is something shocking in the idea of talking thus in the broad daylight, when the sun is shining! But to-night—when darkness shall be upon the face of the earth—and when in the midst of darkness also I shall meet you,- then it may be different! then, perhaps, the plunge being resolved upon, I shall more than resign myself to my fate——” “Oh, I understand you--I understand you !” exclaimed the libidinous Minister, literally trem- bling with the ardour of his passion. “ You will be all that I require? But what meant you by those words you have just spoken—that in the midst of darkness we shall meet 7’ “I mean this,” answered Kate, still speaking with averted looks, and with a countenance crim- soned up to the very hair of her head: “ that inasmuch as I never again can look you in the face without dying of shame—and inasmuch as you have promised that whatsoever arrangement may be to my feelings, shall be earried out—I have to stipulate that the only con- dition on which I will come, is to the effect that we do meet in darkness; and that for the hour which I shall remain with’ you, your Sxoeliency swears as a man of honour—by everything sacred in heaven, and in fear of everything terrible in Satan’s kingdom—that you will not attempt to kindle lamp nor candle for the purpose of looking me in the face.” “No, no: I will not do it!” answered the Minister. “I will obey your behest in all things.” “You swear ?” demanded Kate. “TI swear,” responded the Minister. “You swear,” she repeated, “ as solemnly and as fearfully as I ere now indicated P” “I swear by all my hopes of hereafter!” was the rejoinder vehemently given. “And understand me well,” continued Kate, still speaking with averted looks—and still too with cheeks of peony- —“ there is some- thing still more coercive than an oath—— “What mean you?” demanded the Spaniard hastily. “I mean this,” was the quick reply: “that if you attempt to violate that oath which you THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. mere waxen, & segger which 1 shell have with ea «A dagger ejaculated the Minister, who was in his soul a coward. “Yes—ea dagger!’ responded Kate. “ But not to drink your heart’s blood! I am no murder- ess———no, not even to avenge such an outrage as that would be! But inasmuch as, if after having surrendered my honour up to you, it would be a shame goading me to madness to look you in the face—and as death would be preferable to such shame,—that dagger which is to accompany me, shall be plunged deep down into my own bosom if you were to attempt to violate your oath. Then your would have to account to the world as best you could, for the tragedy thus occurring in the privacy of your own chamber.” ‘Fear not, beauteous creature,” the Minister, “that there will be need for such a frightful catastrophe. No, no: my imagination will depict the loveliness of your countenance, as it is already impressed upon my memory. Be it therefore as you aay: we will meet in the darkness —we will continue in darkness—we will part in darkness likewise.” “ And the decree of pardon,” added Kate, “ will be already drawn up—your signature will be at- tached thereto? You will have the document in readiness for me this night ?”’ “Fear not! all shall be done as you wish,” replied the Spaniard. “* And now, one word more!’ continued Kate: “for all this has a business-like regularity that must not be lost sight of. Your Excellency per- ceives that I trust entirely to your honour in faithfully placing in my hands the pardon for which I am to make so groat a sacrifice. There is in our English history a terrible tale, of a cer- tain Colonel Kirke, who obtained possession of a young dameel’s virtue under circumstances some- what similar to these which are taking place now, —with this difference, however, that it was the girl’s brother, and not her lover, for whom she sacrificed herself to that pitiless soldier-judge. It is however recorded that Kirke—a vile traitor to his pledge, and inspired with the crueity of a fiend—opened his casement in the morning, and showed the dishonoured sister the corpee of her brother suspended to a tree at a little dis- tance. Now, your Excellency must understand mo well ” “What! do you believe me capable of such diabolic perfidy as that?” ejaculated the Minister. “T have a right to guard against it,” responded Kate, calmly and firmly. “ x Give me now a written acknowledgment signed by your own hand —sealed with your own seal,—an acknowledgment which I shall bear away with me,—that on cer- tain conditions to be fulfilled to-night, the full and complete pardon of Edward Russell is to be placed in my possession. To-morrow I will remit you, by messenger or post, the acknowledgment you are about to sign.” “A':! but you will use it to wreak a-vengeance upom me?” cried the Minister, almost astounded at the demand. “Think you that if I my end—namely, the salvation of my lover,” asked Kate,—“ I shall be willing to take a step which by giving publicity to the whole dread and infamous trans- iC CY (GO) DOO CS (COL