The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 77: what you’re looking at

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| | | “ But is this generous,” asked Frank, “towards -ae who has perhaps loved me ?” “ Love!” ejaculated Mr. Denison. “ Desecrate not the term by using it in such a sense. Is it pos- sible that you can endeavour to blind yourself to the fal) extent of Juliana’s profligacy? No: I think too well of you to entertain such an injurious “ Proceed, sir—proceed,” said Frank: “I am in your hands.” Mr. Denison continued the dictation of the letter ; and ina few minutes it was brought to a conclusion. “Now,” he said, as he locked it up in his desk, “we will return to the drawing-room.” “But one word more, my dear sir,” said Frank. “Mr. Hawkshaw—is he to be made aware of all this? Does he already know as much as yourself ? In a word——” “Mr. Hawkshaw,” interrupted the old gentleman, “will not, I think, speak to you any more upon the subject: and you yourself will scarcely revive it in his presence. To-morrow morning you are to start for London: and much as it would please me to see more of you on the present occasion of your visit into Lincolnshire, I cannot, in justice to your own interests and to my friendship for your father, counsel you to prolong your stay.” Mr. Denison and Frank now retraced their way to the drawing-room, where coffee waa served up. An hour was then passed in agreeable conversation upon various topics; and soon after ten o'clock the Squire’s carriage was announced to be in readiness. Having taken leave of the kind-hearted Denisons, Frank accompanied Mr. Hawkshaw back to the Hall; and on the following morning he took his de- perture for London. But he did not separate from the Squire without expressing his fervid gratitude for the hospitality he had received,—coupled with the assurance that he should write to him with the briefest possible delay. But in the meanwhile, what were dJuliana’s thoughts and feelings in respect to Francis Paton ? It will be remembered that the last words she had spoken to him on the night of the ball, consisted of a hurriedly whispered entreaty that he would mect her in the castle-grounds on the ensuing day. Shortly after breakfast one of Mr. Hawkshaw’s ser- vants arrived at the castle, with a note from his master, addressed to the Hon. Miss Farefield. It was couched in affectionate terma, and besought her to excuse him from paying his wonted visit that day, as his young guest had claims upon him which, in the true spirit of hospitality, could not be vio- lated. Juliana, on the receipt of this note, foresaw that Frank would not be enabled to keep the ap- pointment she had given him. If the Squire re- mained in constant companionship with him, he could not possibly find an opportunity to come such a distance as that between the Hall and the Castle. Juliana was profoundly vexed and annoyed at this disappointment: but she nevertheless went to stroll in the gardens at about mid-day with the faint hope that Frank might yet possibly come to her. The time passed—and still he appeared not. The day went by; and not the slightest attempt was made on his part to obtain an interview with her. She thought to herself that en the morrow he would be sure to come: for she argued that Mr. Hawkshaw fnust surely have some business to attend to, of ee ~~ oo a - = aige= ee: THE MYSTERIES OF THE COUR?®. some kind or another, that would lesve Frank his own master for a few hours. Not for an instant did she suspect that anything prejudicial to her schemes was piace: nor did she apprehend that after all that had occurred between herself and the youth at the Denisons’, he would be in a hurry to leave Lincolnshire. This was the second day after the ball: ib was the The hour of noon came—and Juliana again walked. alone in the garden. She kept near the spot where Frank had so suddenly appeared in her presence three days back: and wistfully did she gase the foliage in the direction by which she thought he would come. But he came not. Presently she heard footsteps approaching along the gravel-walk behind: those footsteps were at once she knew them to be Mr. Hawkshaw’s. Having, as the reader is aware, made up her mind to keep the two strings to her bow, she suddenly put on her brightest looks, and sped to meet the Squire with every appearance of affectionate delight. “Well, Juliana,” he said, after the wonted em- brace, “ I suppose you did not think to reesive an- other note of excuse fron: me to-day P” “Certainly not,” she replied: “it would have been too unkind—almost unpardonable :”—and she bent upon him a look in which love’s beams ap- peared to kindle. “I know very well that a guest has claims upon one: bat still one must not forget the claims of othere—at least not “Rest assured, Juliana,” rejoined Hawkshaw, “that even if Mr. Paton had remained at the Hall to-day, I should have flitted away fiom him for an hour or two to visit the Castle.” “Ah! then your young friend is gone” said Ju- liana, scarcely able to conceal her mingled astonish- ment and vexation at this announcement; but the next moment it ooourred to her that Frank, though having quitted the Hall, had probably remained in the neighbourhood in a seoret manner, as the only means of being enabled to find an opportunity of g an interview with her. “Yea,” observed Mr. Hawkshaw, carelesaly ; “he hes returned to Loudon. My own lumbering iage took him as far as Lincoln—and he is now no doubt journeying rapidly homeward.” “You soon lost him,” said Juliana, not knowing indeed exactly what she did say; for the hope which she had formed, suddenly died within her— and she could scarcely doubt any longer that Frank had really left Lincolnshire. . “ Yes—he was anxious to get back to his parents. And natural enough—as he has only so recently discovered them, By the bye, dear Juliana, you have not told me yet what you think of him? le be not a very nice young man P” “Qh! he is a mere boy—almost a child.” “Well, call him « boy, if you like,” responded “ Do you consider him a “My acquaintance with him was so short: I merely danced with him twice, you know.” “True! Bat one soon forms an opinivn of per- sons. For my part, I like him exceedingly: he is an amiable and generous-hearted youth—much in- experienced in the world, however.” “« Necessarily so,” observed Juliana: “because he is so young.” a (COIMUC DOO CS (COL