The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

Mies Marshall !” said the Minister's wife. “I tell you this at once, without making it a condition for the information I seek. I would not insult you so wuwarrantably as to adopt such a course———” “Ah, my dear madam !” exclaimed Kate, i rejoice for my learn that the incidents of this night have powerful an impression upon my husband, he has suddenly become an altered man! The has given of this better state of feeling important for us both. To me he ter’s wife, compelling Kate Marshall to rise, once more strained her in her arma. “TI cannot ” gaid the lady, “ -that has taken place, inasmuch as I feel assured it has given me back s husband—and that husband an altered and better man.” “To you, dear lady,” answered Kate, smiling through her tears, “is the gratitude of all the rest of my existence due——not only my grati- tade, but that of him whose life is saved through your kindness, Ah! now I bethink me— you spoke of certain information which you required ; and I am at no loss to conjecture what itis. My papers were seised with the idea that your hus- band’s written undertaking would be found amongst them: and it was not. No—I sent it away for a certain which I will explain———But fear not, dear lady !—it will fall into the hands of a kind friend of mine: and no use will be made of it prejudicial to your husband’s intereste.” on” oe thousand thanks for that assur ” answered the Minister’s wife: “you have relieved m mind from an immense load. For although I felt confident you would do nothing that ghould im any way violate the compact which was made between us, to the effect that if your aims were accomplished through my agency, you would spare my husbend from the chance of ex- yposure,—neverthelese I feared that it might be wossibie for that document to fall into other hands lees scrupulous and less generous than your own.” “ Listen, dear lady,” answered Kate, “while I give you a few words of explanation. I have already spoken to you of that Count Christoval from whom I have received so much kindness, and through whose intervention the Captain-General of Catalonia suspended the extreme sentence of the law. The Count, as you are aware, still remains at Barcelona, in order to continue his gencrous services until the best or the worst being known, there should no exist a need for them. When you left me at the hotel this afternoon, I eat down to pen a few lines to Count Christoval,— not to make him aware of what was going on, bus merely to give him to understand that within a few hours the question would be decided whether Edward Russell was to be pardoned or not. I6 was, I can assure you, my first intention when I took up my pen, thus to confine myself to a vague and simple statement. But as I began to write, other reflections entered my mind. What if your stratagem should altogether fail? what if the Minister, exercising those terrific powers where- with he had threatened me, should have me seized upon, even in the dead of night—hurried out of to | Spain—and cast upon the P or Brench so | frontier? I shuddered at the thought ; and then too, by a natural association, it occurred to me that the same agents of this arbitrary power might wrest from me the written document which I held ; —and that document was the only means by which, over any circumstances, I could retain a hold over your husband !” “TY understand,” observed the Minister’s wife: : | “i¢ was indeed most natural that these reflections should force themselves upon you. But proceed: for Tam in haste to conduct you away from this horrible place :”’—and the lady threw her shudder- ing looks around the massive walls of the cell. “ Having reflected in that manner,” resumed Kate, “I deeply deplored that I had not con. sulted you on this subject: but those ideas had not entered my head previous to your departure— and you were gone, I did not dare seek you at your own abode, for fear that his Excellency might observe me. I therefore thought to myself that it was absolutely necessary to secure the document by some means or another—and to dis- pose of it in such a way that it might serve for eventual good, in case all other circumstances be- came adverse. I accordingly wrote the fullest details to Don Christoval,—enclosing that docu- ment in the letter. I enjoined him the strictest secrecy, should it ultimately prove unnecessary to make use of the paper:—and he is a man of honour, madam—he will not deviate one tittle from the injunctions I gave nor from the course that I laid down for hil to follow. I argued to myself that it was scarcely a breach of the com- pact made between yourself and me to adopt this course,—inasinuch as by your own counsel I ob- tamed that from your husband.” “ Not for a moment,” responded the Minister’s wife, “do I consider it a breach of the compact. Yee—-I counselled you to obtain that undortaking, so as to ensure the granting of the pardon by my husband: and you did well to adopt the precav tion which you are “My narrative will be terminated in a few minutes,” resumed Kate. “ Recollecting how his Excellency had threatened to avail himself of his power to intercept my correspondegee at the Post- office, I deemed that medium of éonveyance to be an unsafe one for the transmission of my letter to Don Christoval. I accordingly despatched it by a mounted courier, who took his departure for Bar- celona at about five o'clock this evening.” “ And what course,” inquired the lady, “did you instruct Count Christoval to adopt P” “TI requested his lordship to take no step for eighteen hours after the receipt of my despatch: but if at the expiration of that time he received not a second despatch from me, he was then to —= ———aip + Cee ee (COL (C DOO CS (COL