The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 148: what you’re looking at

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l on Ves THE MYSTERIES OF THE COU RT. refined than everything which met his view. The apartment flooded with light—the ricoh furniture --the orimson draperies——the brilliant mirrorse— the wine.sparkling in the decanters-—the fruit in the dishes of out giass and in china baéskets—and the ravishing loveliness of the four young women who wore to be his companions at the festival,— all combinell to elevate his spirtts and win him away from certain sombre reflections which had been hanging upon his soul ere he sought the present scene. The atmosphere of the apart- ment was warm and perfumed, but ' without a sickiy oppressivences: the brilliant light was refiected.in the eyes of the four charmers—it made their teeth gleam like pearis-+-their lips have the vivid semblance of wet coral; it dis- played the dassiing transparency of their com- plexione to: the utmost advantage—it shed a richer gloes on their naturally shining air. “Come, my dear Marchmont,” said Lettice, “and let me sit on ove side of you.” “ And 1,” daid the young Irish girl, “on the other.” “ But Marchmont loves to be at his ease,” cried the sprightly Armantine: end she bounded from the room,-—-in a few minutes returning with a flowered sfik dressing-gown, the produc- tlon of which olicited poals of merry laughter from herself aud her companions. “Come,” said Linda, the German girl, ‘off with the coat and on with the dressing-gown! It makes you look sp much as if you felt your- ealf at home.” “ Have your own way,” said the Duke. “ And now to table, you merry ‘romps. They eat down : the champagne quickly began to cirowlate—laughter pealed like silver bells atoand—-the Dake felt himself gay—he forgot whatsoever cares had been troubling him—hoe plunged headlong as it were into the vortex of pleasure, in order to drown his recollec- tions. Be it understood that the young women were' net merely well educated, but acoom- plished likewise. They had belonged to genteel families, from whose bosom they were | beguiled away by the infamous agents of the | still more infamous Madame Angelique; and if there were at any time remorseful feelings in their eonls, they were compelled to stifle them as woll as they could; for ths felt that they had entered upon a career whence there was wo retrogression. But they were accom plished, we aay : they all had good conversational powers —~and the discourse became as sparkling as the wine which gave it zest. After a while, when the whole party were exhflarated, they gut ap and danced; and the Duke abandoned himself with a sort of wild frenzy to the hilarious pro- céeding. Were he a youth of eighteen or twenty, he ovald not have entered more completely into this fun and frolic. At length, when exhausted with waltsing and roiuping, he threw himself upon a opel and the champagne-glasses were filled agai . Leng ng livosnch gaicty as our’s!” cried March- mont, lifting up bis glass in one hand, white the other arm encircled the splendid shape of the gorgovusly handsome Lettice. “ Oh, for ever such galety as this!” exclaimed Linda, who had likewise thrown herself upon a seat; and'es she belt? her glass up, she watched 189 the sparkling of the wine ere she conveyed it to her sensuously breathing lips. “That wicked Marchmont has whirled me round so,” cried the Irish girl, “ that he has tired mo out !”—-and she threw herself upon a foot- stool. - “ Moisten your lipa with fruit,” said Armantine, as she sped t the table; and quickly returning with a china basket containing melon, pine-appie, oranges, apples, pears, and grapes, she placed it | on the carpet at the Duke's feet. Thon, likewise seating herself upon @ footstool, — she listened while Marchmont and Lettice sang together a Becchanalian English song. What a scene of lnxurious enjoyment, blended with the ravishments of feminine beauty, was that for the pencil of an artist! It was past one in the morning when March- mont thought of taking his departure. under one of the frnit-diahes a sum of money in bank-notes, as a mark of his liberality towards the charming companions of his revel; and then he drew Lettioe aside into a window-recesa, where he conversed with her for a few minutes in a low tone of voice. The other three girls chatted to- gether at the opposite extremity of the room: they heard not what passed between Marchmont and Lettice Rodney—neither did they seek to © catch a single word. They wereall on the friend- ligstterms with oneanother: they had no jealousy. Their exquisite beauty ensured to them all an equal amount of favour on the part of their aris- tocratic patrons; and being girls of good educa- tion—feeling too at times their loss and degraded position, they knew how useless it was to aggra- vate it by petty contentions amongst themselves. The conversation between the Duke and Lottice terminated: the nobleman embraced all four one — after another, and then took his departure. Gaia =& CHAPTER XXVILI. COVENT GARDEN. Om the following day Christian Ashton was ea- gaged, as usual, in the forenoon, attending to his ducal enrployer's correspondence ; and when it was terminated, he rose to withdraw from the library ; but Marchmont said, “Sit down again, Obristian : I wish to speak to you.” The youth resumed his chair, and prepared to listen attentively to whatsoever might be ad- dressed to him. “J think, Christian,” continued hie Grace, “that you are happy and comfortable in your present situstion—and that inasmnch as your | welfare is looked after by me, you yourself aro willing and anxious to give me every possible -eatisfaction.” : “It is my duty, so long as I est your Grace's bread,” responded the youth—thus avoiding tho necessity of telling a falsehood by the assertion that he was happy in the Duke’s employment. ° “ I expected no less-from your lips,” continued Marchmont. * There is a little service which you will have to reader me. To-morrow [ go with her Grace to Oaklands: but you will not follow until the early part of next week. Yuu will thus have a little holiday, and plenty of opportunities to sco He placed (COL (C DOO CS (COL