The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

76 women in the world as handsome and as captivating es Juliana Farefield,—and certainly more virtuous.” “What do you mean, Elisabeth P” asked the |i yeuth quickly; for as he glanced towards his sister, be canght upon her handsome countenance the half. vanishing expression of archness which had been conjured up thereon by the thought that was upper- most in her mind at the moment. othing particular, dear Frank,” she responded : “only that I suppose you do not purpose to devote your life to cynical regrets for the loses of Juliana? Depend upon it,” she added, more seriously, “ it is no @ very fortunate escape for you. A young woman who could have proposed that when | i she was married to another, you should remain as her pensioned lover—-—” “Enough, Elisabeth! do not speak of it!” inter. rupted Frank. “There is ing dreadful in the mere contemplation of such depravity. Besides,” he went on to observe, without exactly knowing that he was giving audible utterance to his musings, “after having peseed a week m the companionship of the pure-minded and virtuous Angela Deveril, it is im- possible not to be struck with the contrast which “It is impossible to think otherwise!” he ex- claimed, with a degree of fervour that conjured up a smile to his sister’s moist red lips ; but she did not suffer Frank to perceive that his observation hed made any partioular impression on her. “ And the beauty of Angela P” sho remarked, as if quite casually and in a purely goesipping strain : “do you think she is equal to Miss Farefield P” “She is : “you are already as much in love with Angela Deveril as ever you were with Juliana Farefield; amd therefore your case is not very hopeless—and I do not think you will die of disappointment, or for- sake the world and turn hermit, on account of your disappointment in Lincolnshire. But, Ah! there is sean i" With these last words Elisabeth Paton flitted away from her brother, and sped to join the hand- some Spanish nobleman, who had at that moment entered the Francis thus remained alone at some distance from the mansion, and in the vicinage of that shady avenue of trees where we once before saw him waiking on the occasion that he waited for his sister to bring him the decision of their parents in respect to his suit with Juliana Farefield. He stood still for some minutes, struck with the last speech which Elisabeth had made ere quitting him. Her words were to him a revelation of the condition of his own mind; and at length he said to himself, “Is it possible that in one short week Angela Deveril could have made this impression on me?” thoughtse—to commune with himself. He advanced farther along the avenue—he reached a gate in the THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. days pest; sad now that I have succeeded in finding you—” “Did Mies Varefield send you? and how did you find me out?’ demanded Frank, interrupting the stranger. “Tell me also who you are P” “Softly, sir—I cannot answer too many questions d, knowing I am trustworthy, sent me on this little errand; and she told me I was to be particular in secing you alone—and only to give this letter into your hand.” “'Well—but how did you find me out?” “J will deal frankly and candidly with yoa, sir,” responded Woodman. “ Miss Farefield knew thas you had a sister who passed by the name of Mrs. Ohandos—or at least used to do—and who had « cottage somewhere in the neighbourhood of Tot- tenham. So I went to that cottage: but the woman there did not like to tell me anything about you. It was only this morning, on paying her « second visit, that I succeeded on some pretext in any information at all: then she told me that I might perhaps hear of you at Stamford Manor——-" “And do you know to whom Stamford Manor ’ demanded Frank quickly: fir it now struck him that probably his father’s éacognito, which he still preserved, might not have been so well sustained as his lordship thought. “I have heard it belongs to a Mr. answered Woodman: and there was nothing in his look or his manner to make Frank suspect that he was with anything more. “ But about this letter,” eaid the youth: “I can- not take it—I cannot read it-—-no, I must not !* —and yet he could not help feeling somewhat anxious to know what fuliana had to communicate : it was that feeling of curiosity which naturally re- sulted from all the love he had borne her and all that had passed between them. suddenly C) CO IMULUG DOO CS (COL