The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 312: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. thing,” responded Marchmont,—“ or in some- g much worse than nothing: for my discom- fiure was complete—my failure signal——perdi- tion take it!” “And will there be any evil consequences f does she threaten law ?” damanded Madame An- gelique, quickly. * No, no—we are safe enough upon that score,” rejoined the Duke. “Then wherefore look so yild why appear thus troubled? ‘Your Grace frightened me or “Is know what is the matter with me,” answered the Duke. “I too have been fright- ened———But no, no—that is all nonsense on my part——In a word, I don’t know what I am say- ing. Give me more wine!” “Pardon me, my lord,” said Madame An- gelique, “but I really think you have taken enough.” | “Why, you old wretch !% he exclaimed angrily : “jt is wine bought with my maney, I'll be bound * of “Well, well, my lord, pray do not get out “eniper ae od sho filled him s iambler accord- iugly. “This is the elixir'that makes man forget his cares and drowns thought!” eried the Duke, affecting a hilarious mood—but it was a feeble and sickly endeavour. ‘There!’ he added, “ that cheers me—that inspires me !”’—and yet an almost ghastly expression of care and anguish swept over his features. Madame Angelique gased upon him with mingled terror and astonishment. She knew not what tothink. In spite of the asquraneo he had given her, she still laboured under the apprehen- sion that some trouble would arise from their defeated projects in respect to Indora. “What ails your Grace ?” she asked in an agony of suspense: “there is something unnatural in all - this!’ “Tf you said that there was something ex- traordinary and incomprebenstble in the eastern Jady’s conduct, you would be right enough,” re- sponded Marchzsont . tostead of fede one who was to be easily vanquished ———” “TY never teld your thap the eonquest would be an easy one,” interrupted Madame An- gelique. “I warned you that she was a paragon of virtue——” Marchmont bitterly: “for when I found my way to her chamber, she brandished a dagger in my face :’—and again did an expression of ghastly herror sweep over his countenance. “Well, my lord,” said Madame Angelique, al- most contemptuously, “and were you noé pre- pared for resistance? What! you, @ man, to be geen at a dagger in the hands of a wo- man r’ “ Perdition take you, old beldazhe!” yociferated the Duke fiercely: “how dare you make your in- solent remarks upon my coaduct ?” cried Asidame “I ctave your Grace's pardon,” Angelique, with an air of frightened humility. only fancied that I had prepared your Grace suffi- ciently to expect some de resistance-———” “ Silence—and listen!” interrupted the Duke sharply : then with another attempt to affect a gay ou might have said,” replied | I 809 and hilarious mood, he burst out into a laugh, say- ing, “Come, my dear madam, I was only jesting a did not mean to offend you: bat your good wine has put mé into such épirits—ha! ha!” and there was sickliness and feeblences in his forced merriment. “ Woll, my lord, the scheme failed—no matter how. But why—why,” asked Madame Angelique urgently, “has it affected you thus ?” ' There is a mystery which must be cleated up,” was the Duke's rés : “and you alone can an- dettake the task. Yndora had tome ultetior td- tive which you never penctrated. She is tot the éredulous inexperienced creature you take her for. She had some design in going to Oaklands: and what that design was, you discover. A thott- eand guineas if you succeed; bat if you fall, you shall néver fee tne cross your threshold This is plain English: do you comprehend ft f” “T do, my lord—but I am perplexed and be- wildered :""—and the wottan’s louks justified her words. “ ¢ earthly motive could the fady have had——” * That, t tell you,” exclaimed the Dake pas. sionately, “is what you must find out. While this lady was at Oaklands, she was asking a thou- sand questions—prying into all sorte of things—~ troubling herself with ntatters which one would have fancied to be scarcely known to her at all,— in short, Madame Angelique, she had some deep design—of that I am convinced !”” The infamous woman reflected profoundly for upwards of a minute; and then she said, “ The only way in which I can péedibly learn anything, is through the ayah Sagoonah: but as I have pre- viously informed your Grace, she is 4 woman of a ew words——” “Lavish gold upon her—and it will loosen her fongue,” ejaculated Marchmont. “You have proughe me into all these perplexifies—and it is r you to extricate me——perdition teke them !” “I really am at a loss to comprebend your Grace,” said Madame Angelique, with an air of the niost unfeigned surprise. “So long as this eastern lady does fot threateh us with law. proceedings, or seek to punish us for anything that bas taken place, What earthly reason has your lordship to apprehend that her visit to Oak- lands can involyé you in any peril P’” No watter!” exclaimed the Dake: "thete fg something sinister in that lady’s proceedingé—and cannot get it out of my mind that so far ftom heing your dupé, she made a tool of you. Pray try and ‘recollect the precise terme in which the re ject of that visit to Oaklands was fitet infro- uced,”” Madame Angelique again reflected for a btief space; and then she aaid, “ Well, I do remember that if was of her own accord she remarked that she had heard of your beautiful seat at Oaklands and should like much to see it. I had just men- tioned your Graco’s name as if quite accidentally, when she made that observatioh——” “It is ¥ clear as daylight!” exclaimed the Duke angrily: “you have been outwitted—and I am the victim !” *The victim, my lord! But how? Your Grace really makes me half inclined to think that there is something more fhan you suffer me to linow ; and unless you give me the fullest expia- (COL (C DOO CS (COL