The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

a ee ee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. GT “ Last evening we dined at the Denieons’.” “Ah! end Mr. Paton was with you, then? I am sure that if he hed remained any longer in Lincolnshire, my mother would have been delighted to have chown him every attention as a friend of your’e—because you know, my dear George, that every friend of your's will always be welcome at Sexondale Castle.” “Thank you for this assurance, my dear Juliana. Aad now,” continued the Squire, assuming a more serious tone, “I am going toask you a very singular is it that a guilty conscience is ever a fertile source of apprehension. “Yes—it may esom singular—but I hope not wnpertinent:"—end the Squire appeared to hesi- first. Tell me, Juliana—am I too bold—am I too presumptuous—in expressing a hope that you will nos long delay the peried which is to render me so “I vil speak to my mother to-day,” answered Juliana, affecting to bend down her eyes in confu- sion: but at the moment the thought which was uppermost in her mind, was the necessity of com- muning seriously with herself, in order to arrive at & positive decision bow she intended to act. “Do-—TI beseech you-—-speak to her ladyship to- day,” urged Mr. Hawkshaw. “But our engagement has been so short,” mur. mured Juliana. “It is but three days since you honoured me with the offer of your hand—-” “Trae, dearest Juliana: but are we not old acquaintances? have we not known each other for years? Pardon me for being thus urgent! The world need not know how long or how short our ried | eaten may have been. Come, Juliana—let me not hear any scruples from those sweet lips of look: your's. Recall not your promise that you will speak prehensions. “Well then,” be continued, I will come to the pomt. Are you aware, Juliane, whether the day for "| her ladyship’s neptials with Lord Harold Staunton is fixed? or what arrangements her ladyship pro- poses to make with regard to the ceremony ?”’ “I have not yet heard. My mother is somewhat reserved towards me upon those matters :”—end Juhena experienced a great relief when she thus dwecovered what the topic was that Mr. Hawkshaw had prefaced with a somewhat alerming mystery. “ The truth is,” she added, in a confiden- tial tone, “my mother perhaps feels that she is about to take a step that the world may consider ridiculous or impolitie—- marrying a man 60 much younger than herself——..” “Ob! bat if pedple consult their own happinces,” exclaimed Mr. Hawkshaw, “they may defy the opinion of the world.” “And yet you, my dear George, shrink somewhat from announcing to your sequaintances our engage- ment f But perhaps,” « added Juliana, ee if quite in @ careless manner, “ you bave mentioned it to one ev two? I dare say, if the treth be known, you told i to Mr. Paton———” to your mother this afternoon! Wherefore should the happy day be unnecessarily postponed? Con- vinced as I am of the sincerity of your affection fo me—and judging the extent of it by my own-—— Bat am I in error, Juliana, to speak thus trustfully —thus ly P” “Oh! how can you question me thus? do you doubt my love f’’—and the artful young lady gazed up with every appearance of earnest tenderness into the Squire's countenance. “No, no, Juliana—not for a moment do I doubt your love: and therefore you will not annecessarily postpone the dsy of our nuptials. This is the hour when your mether is least likely to be engaged. Go and seek her at once. I have business that calls me to Gainsborough; and therefore I shall take my To-morrow, when I call, may I hope, Juliana, that I shall receive from your lips ——” “I understand you, my dearest George,” ro- sponded Juliana, murmuringly. “Since you wish it, the day shall be fixed.” i tana |” Having embraced the young lady, the Squire sped to the stables, where his horse “No: on my honour I did not!” responded the | end enphatically. “Did not you yourself the other night counsel me at the ball not to make pried eubject of any confidential communica- “Yeo-~I recollect. Bus wherefore did you ask me jest now those questions concerning and again did Juliana gase penetratingly though furtively upon the Squire’s countenance. “I was only thinking that since I have received your geet to the proposal which I was venturous enough to make you, my dear Juliana, I might next felt the necessity, as already stated, of pondering seriously upon the course which she ought to pursue: but she thought it still just possible thas Frank might have remained in Lincolnshire. Perbape she mignt soe him presently ? perhaps is was after all only a stratagem on his part to escape from Hawkshaw Hall? and perhaps he had ac- cepted the Squire's offer to usc the carriage as far as Léncoln in order to lull that gentleman into the soliest you to fix the day which is to render me so heppy--Oh! so happy—I cannot find words to | belief that he was really serious in speeding back express my feelings! But in proffering euch a | to London? Bat if Frank should so? come, what request, % cocurred to me that much might depend ou Lady Saxondale’s own arrangements. Probably it would be suitable for the: twd was Juliana todo? Oh! if he had deserted her— if he hed abandoned her—should she endeavour to hate him as much as now she loved him? and should "she marry Mr. Hawkshaw with the least possible ‘delay? to take , . Gp . ee = DOOKS,.CO CY iC (GO)