The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 283: what you’re looking at

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

274 very seriously, “it is impossible I can take as a wife a young lady whose affections are engaged to another. It would be indelicate—cruel ” “Stuff and nonsense!” interrupted the Earl, vehemently. “JI tell you it is already as good as settled !” “ Not exactly so,” rejoined Adolphus, with a firmness that was almost indignant: “for you have yet to obtain the consent of the two prin- cipal persons.” “Teabella will yield to my wishes,” said the Earl: “ indeed she must—she is dependent upon me———that is to say, she believes h so————" “And is she not?’ inquired Adolphus, with astonishment. “Never mind!” rejoined the Earl tartly. “TI tell you she will assent—and I reckon upon your compliance likewise.” “Deceive yourself not for a moment, my dear father,” said Adolphus: “I cannot—I will not marry my cousin Isabella!” “And I say you can and you shall!” re- joined the Earl: and he spoke with a decisivences that appeared to have something more in it than a mere whim or caprice. “TY see that this interview had better terminate at once,” said Adolphus coldly: and he was rising from his seat, when he was struck by the impe- rious gesture with which the Earl bade him re. tain it. “Now, understand me well, Adolphus,” con- tinued the old nobleman; “I bave set my mind on this match for more Feasons than one—and [ intend it to take place. You had better yield with a good countenance—or you will compel me to make revelations which will perhaps somewhat startle you.” These ambiguous words instantaneously associ- ated themselves in Lord Osmond’s mind with those former ones in reference to Isabella which had struck him as peculiar; and knowing how for soma years—ever since the death of her mother—the Earl had kept her in such privacy that neither he nor tbe Countess had the slightest idea where she was until she was suddenly brought home in the manner already described,—a painful suspicion in respect to bis father’s integrity arose in the young nobleman’s mind. ‘Ts it possible,” ho asked, in a low and trem- bling voice, “that you have acted wrongfully towards that orphan daughter of your deceased sister ?”’ “What! do you think I have robbed her out of a fortune,” ejaculated the Earl sneeringly, “ when she never had a penny-piece of herown? Not I indeed! , I never robbed anybody in my life—not so much as an umbrella from a friend: and um- brellas, you know, have ever been considered legi- timate plunder.” “Then what revelations are these to which you so ambiguously refer?” inquired Adolphus, be- wildered what to think. “You had better not ask me,” responded the Earl; ‘but like a good feliow, marry Isabella off hand. We'll have a sumptuous wedding; and I tell you what———yes I positively will! Tl have it down at the Bloomfield estate—all the tenantry shall be invited—we'll have jumping in sacks, climbing up greasy poles, eating treacle-biscuits, and catching pigs with soapy tails. Unless in- deed you prefer to have the wedding here——” THE MYSTERIEG OF THE COURT. ‘My dear father,” interrupted Adolphus, “once for ail do let mo beseech you to explain the grave and important reasons which you seem to have for wishing these nuptials to take place.” “ Well, if you are obstinate,” eaid the Earl, “the trath must be told:”"—but he screwed up his face with the air of a man who had the pro- spect of no very agreeable task to perform. “What on earth ean it be P’ demanded Adol- phus, full of suspense: and yet this suspense was far from being so poignant as it would have been if he had a leas frivolous and more stable-minded to deal with. “Look you, Adolphus!” resumed the Earl: “ suppose that by any accident all my estates at my desth should pass away to your cousin Yeabelia ?” “ But, father, this 1s supposing an impossibility ———tinjess I iityself were also dead ; for of course I am aWiire the entail descends upon the focosice as Well as tpon the males of the awily.” * And' why je i ing dn fimpossibility 7” demanded th Rarl. “Phere is nothing im- possible—as ¥ fally proved when f rode the wild elepharit ih Africa.” " dolphus pave vent to an ejacdiation of imps- “You wilful dog!” growled the old Fari; “you persevere in forcing me to tall you every- thing. Suppose, then—only suppose, J say—tbat some sudden exposure took place—and it became roved that you———But come! marry the girl d have done with it!” “Father, you must out!” exclaimed Lord Osmond, tow ruth éxcited, and with a sui- pense that wad really poignant. “ For heaven's sake tell me what you mean !” “J mean, Adolphus,” réphied the Earl, himeelf considerably excited and painfully bewildered, “that though I have no doubt yoo are the son of your father and mother—nevertheless your father isn’t your father and your mother wasn’t your mother.” Adolphus gazed upon the Earl as if he thought he was going mad: and yet even from that strange conglomeration of absurd contradictions and ridi- culous paradoxes, there seemed to be a certain idea to be eliminated—a startling deduction to be made. Adolphus was frightened: a cold shiver, like a presentiment of evil, ran through him: he essayed to speak—but vainly gasped for utter- ance. “There is no harm in it if you marry the girl,” continued the old nobleman; “and the world need never be the wiser—at least I hope not. For even if the truth did some day transpire, you could but lose the titlh—you would have ail the estates by right of your wife, to whom they would devolve by entail.” Adolphus sate upon his chair as if he were in the midst of adream. All the words which the Earl had just uttered appeared to confirm the wild —the stertling—the almost impossible idea which his former incoherent speech had copjured up. The colour forsook the young man’s couotenance : he felt as if he were about to faint :—there was fortunately a decanter of water upon the table: he filled a glass and drank a long draught. “You are saying all this to coerce me into & COMMUC DOO CS (COL