The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 203: what you’re looking at

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194 WHE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. form of Lettice Rodney was stretched out in a: affair down at Oaklands took place pretty nearly voluptuous abandonment, which, though at the !at the same time. Now, Eveleon knew certain moment unstudied, gave a more luxurious effect to | things about the counterpart dresses; and she the rich contours of her shape. Linda, the Ger- man girl, was seated upon the sofa: Armantine, the French one, occupied a chair opposite to Let- tice ;—and both were all attention to some very pathetic love-passage which Lettice was at the time reading to them. Presently the door opened hewn abruptly; and Madame Angelique made her appearance. “What do you think, my dear girls?” she exclaimed in considerable excitement: “that trea- cherous wretch, Evoleen O’Brien, hae gone back to her parents!” © Lettice started in astonishment: but both Linda and Armantine sighed audibly, as they inwardly wished that they possessed homes to which the: dared return. “Yes—it is true!” cried Madame Angelique, who was too much excited to observe the half subdued evidences of compunction and regret, as well as of wistful longing, which the two foreign girls had displayed. “And what is more, she has had the impudence to write tome!” “ And what does she say P” asked Lettice, full of curiosity. “She says that through the generous fnfetven- tion of a friend whom heaven sent her, she has been snatched away from a life of infamy. Only thirk of this! She, who--as well as you, my _ dears—revelled in every luxury, eat and drank of the best, and wore the handsoriest oléthes-——_” “ But does she threaten you?” inquired Let- tice. “No: and that is the only consolatton in the matter,” responded Madame Angelique, somewhat softened as she thought of it. “Sho mys that hat parents received her with open arms—<nd that a§ they at once assured her an everlasting be drawn over the past, they pre explanations in respect to her cateer left them.” “ And of course she does not want to make noise about it?” observed Lettice. ‘“ But why ¢ she write to you ?” | a “To state that as she is disposed to practiso the utmost forbearance, and never allude to nié of be proceedings, she stipulates that on my part f wi refrain from ever mentioning Eveleen O’Britn aé having been an inmate of this house.” marie veil should | timilanl¢ Well developed cbntoure of shape: she t her fot xd | Was Gecidédly havdeome too, though since she had | temafkably srik "| Was well indicative of ‘ started, Lettice surveyed Mer Sompanion, and was dnd retired an alr as knew also that you were going off to the neigh- bourhood of Oaklandsa——” “ And therefore it is only reasonable to conclude,” exclaimed Lettice, “that Eveleen, the traitress! gave that mysterious stranger certain information which put him on the watch and led him to inter- éepf me.” “Should you like a trip to Ireland, my dear gir | P’ inquired Madame Angelique, patting Lettice ingly on her bare shoulder. what I should!” exclaimed the young woman. “Phen you shall go,” Madame An- ique. “You can throw yourself in the way of teloen—you can affect to be very penitent, and have left my establishment altogether-———” * *@b, leave me to manage it!” cried Lettice, glready exulting in the prospect of success. “I will worth myself into Evoleen’s confidence—I will got everything out of her. When shall I de- p?? : To-day, if you will,” rejoined Madame Ange- ue; “no time need be lost! And remember !—~ f you can entice Eveleen back again, s0 mach the better. She is muok too beautiful to lose; and be- sides, it would be a glorious triumph for us to accomplish.” The tions could not however be made for Lettace Rodney’s departure on that same day: but af nine o’olock on the ensuing morning she took Her place in a first-class carriage at Euston Square, her destination being Liverpool by way of Birmingham. ‘There was only one other passen- Got Oe ee saroe compartment ; and this was a lady the same age as Lettico herself, as well as kid yhoans Whlike her in personal appear- > was almost of as tall & stature and of not of so ing a beauty as thw other. She 1: Mer appearance was genteel, and the well-bred lady. As the train surveyed by this companiod in retarn. They were the only two occupants of the compartnient; and being of the game sex, it was but nataral that they should soon Si Wmto Gonversation. Lettice Rodnéy assumed, as & matte? of course, as modest possible, in order ¢o be con- “Ah! I suppose she means to become 20 fistent with the part’of a respectable lady which able now |” interjected Lettice, with a contomphaows she was playing, wel fs to obviate any paspicion smile . that might arite ks to het truc character: for there “And perhaps she hopes to I” exclaimed | bre thousands of pedple ih this world—especially Madame Angelique. “But perdhance ‘among the female sex—who, though displaying a won't go on quite so pleasantly as she anticipates. bold hatdfhood and brazen effrontery when in the Look here, my dear Lettice!—it is of the wimost tnidet of scenes of vicious dissipation, are never- consequence we should discover who the mah was theless anxious enough to cloak theit true charac- that extotted those revelations from you the othet ters when beyond the sphere of their irregultritics. day, down in the country. It is dangerous that | fn the same way that tho poor often struggle and there should be a person knowing so much aboat strive to pat on the appearance of cage and com: you as he evidently did—and therefore about this petency, so do the immoral endeavour to i establishment—and we on the other hand not to , hemsel ves with the raiment of morality, and the have the slightest conjecture who he is!” ‘immodest to asswme the air and complexion of “ Perhaps he is the same kind friend,” observed | modesty. Lettice, sneeringly, “ whom heaven sent to restore' During the fret half-hour the discourse was Eveleen to her parents P” limited $o the more exchange of those casual “That's exactly what I think!” exclaimed observations and indifferent remarks which, with Madame Angelique: “because her flight and that persons meeting for the first time, are the neces. (COL (C DOO CS (COL