The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 306: what you’re looking at

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

~ SO ed ——— + ae awe ee a ——- Raho Boy hee CER ee, eee ot ‘ THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. friendship for each other. I sought an oppor- tunity to speak to him alone, of old reminiscences —those school-boy days which it is sometimes so pleasant to look back upon; and the discourse, by a natural transition, turned upon the present cir- curnstances of each of us. Your image was upper- most in my mind: I longed to eulogisze you to my friend. I could not resist the opportunity: my heart was so full of love and devotion for you that it needed a vent for its feelings. Besides, it is so sweet to confide to the ear of friendship all that one experiences in respect to so strong a passion. M. Meurice was rejoiced to hear that I am eo blessed in your love: he is no straight- laced, sanctimonious individual who would take the wife’s part and chide the faithless husband. In short, he entered into all my feelings: for he likewise has loved passionately and fondly; and he could appreciate the gushing enthusiasm with which I spoke. Now, dearest Augusta, the favour I ask at your hands, is that you will permit me to introduce my friend to you ntly.” “T cannot,” she answered, “have the slightest objection after the ts which were solemniy entered into between us yesterday. Had not thoee arrangements been made, I should chide you, Jules, for the proposal to present any one who might hereafter meet me with my husband and make me blush at the recognition. But inasmuch oo iy ie agrood “hat T am to renounce my hus- “‘ Yea—for my sake,” quickly responded the enamoured Viscount. “In a few days all will be settled ; and there can consequently be no harm in your receiving this bosom-friend of mine.” “ Assufeuly not,” rejoined Mrs. Chesterfield. “Any friend of your’s, Jules, will ever be most welcome to me.” “And you will apparel yourself, dearest,” whis- pered the Viscount, tenderly and coaxingly, “in your most becoming dress: for though you are lovely and adorable in any garb, yet would I have you set off your splendid charms to the utmost advantage, that you may in every way shine so as to justify my taste in the eyes of my friend.” “Fear not, Jules,” answered Augusta: “my appearance will be worthy of your love.” “IT must now leave you therefore,” added the Viscount: “ for I have promised to fetch M. Meurice at mid-day. He is staying at an hotel in Paris: and by one o’clock at latest we shall be with you.” Jules de Chateauneuf embraced his mistresa ten- derly—and issued forth from the villa. In order to keep his amour hiterto as secret as possible, he had never used his own carriage, nor been at- 303 even sighed; and the sound fell not unnoticed upon the ear of his friend, who was secretly ree Joiced at this proof that all the better feelings of the Viscount’s soul were not completely deadened within him. “You doubtless consider me uxorious to a de- gree P” observed the Marquis, as he took his seat by the side of the Viscount in the which immediately rolled away from the hotel. “ But I assured you last night that I regard my — wife with the tenderest and sincerest affection.” “And may you always be happy in this love of your's,” observed Jules: but afraid that his friend would seize the opportunity to lecture him on his conduct in respect to Stephanie, he hastened to give the conversation a dexterous turn, by observ- ing, “If I mistake not, you told me last night that the Marchioness is the d daughter of an Eng- lish peeress named Lady Saxondale? I was not struck by the name at the time: but after you were gone, I bethought myself that it was not altogether unfamiliar tome. Is there not a noble- man of that name P” “ There is,” answered Villebelle, in a very serious manner. “He is my wife's brother; and I regret to say that he has contracted a most foolish alli- | ance——” “Ah, I remember!” ejaculated the Viscount. “The Baroness de Charlemont! Pardon me for having touched upon a topic which can be by no means agreeablo——’’ “There is no need for apology, my dear friend,” interrupted the is. “It is a circumstance which I deplore on the part of one so nearly connected with my beloved wife: but it is not a topic to be avoided in shame on my own ac- eount.” “ Assuredly not,” responded Chateauneuf. “ How was it possible that Lord Saxondale could have made such a match ?” ‘Doubtless he became infatuated with that art- ful and designing woman,” responded Villebelle. “Ah, Jules! there are women of this kind in the world—women who insidiously weave their chains of silk and gold around the too susceptible heart-——” ‘True! there are such women,” exclaimed the Viscount, again solicitous to divert the conversation into another channel: for he more than half- suspected that Villebelle was applying these ro- marks to his case in to Augusta. “ And are this Lord Saxondale and the Marchioness your wife, the only children of her ladyship?” “ No—there is another—an elder sister,” replied Villebelle. “Ts she too married?” asked the Viscount, tended on horseback by any one of his grooms, on merely for the purpose of keeping the conver- the occasion of his visits to the villa ; and therefore | sation away from topics which were disagreeable he was now compelled to take a public vehicle to | to himself,—although he felt convinced that when proceed to Paris—which however was only about | once Villebelle should have seen his Augusta, ho a couple or three miles distant. - hotel where the Marquis and Marchioness of Ville- belie were staying, precisely at mid-day; and hav- He reached the ! would no longer give utterance to covert inuendoes relative to artful and women. “No: Juliana Farofield—for that is the name paid his respects to Constance, he took her , of my wife’s sister—is unmarried,” returned Ville- husband, who was in readiness, away with him. He_ belle. could not help noticing that when the Marquis | left his wife—though it was only for a few hours —he embraced her; and the spectacle of this con- nubial bliss caused a pang of remorse to shoot through the heart of the young Viscount. He “ But, by the bye, have you devised some éncognito for me to adopt P” ‘““‘Yos, You are to pass as M. Meurice; and furthermore, I have given Augusta,” continued Jules, “a most excellent character in respect to the liberality of your sentiments. I have assurcd é COLL (C DOO CS (GO)