The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 386: what you’re looking at

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THR MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. manver ag that to which reference had been just made. “Well,” he continued, “ we will put aside the eircumstances of qur first meeting: buf do you not recollect what trouble you had to get the girl down into the garden to say a fpw words to me yeaterday morning—and how all my cajoleries, and protestations, and representations appeared ejther vo gti hey ar elap to bp thrown away upon er 99 “ But what is the use of recapitylating all these things,” inquired Mra. QOxenden impatiently, “ since the final consent has just been given ?” “ Ah! my recommendation that the ald negress hoyld be placed in attendance upon her, doubt- lesg went for something,” observed Sir John, with @ complacent air: se was a sort of terroriam which mingled usefully with your argumenta and with my attentions: go, yau perceive, there was 4 blending of influences under which the gweet girl gould not help yielding. Well, as you say, the fina] consent is given—and I am satisfied. But now we como to the point. I want you to under- atend that I have done all this with my eyes open, and that I have not been led into it by any in- trigues or designs on your part. I wanted a wife ==and you have found me one. It hag saved me @ world of trouble in reapect to courtebip ;—and besides, I might have travelled all over Hingland without finding @ young ¢reature so completely to my taste. Then, as to the bargain which was settled between us, it was clear and specific engqugh, and shall he faithfully kept. You are to receive ten thousand pounds as a sort of acknow- ledgment for having conducted the affair with de- licacy and success: I am to settle three thousand a-y 4 your sister ;—and al] these things shall be done. I haye moreover promised to make my will in her favour sa far as the residye of my property is conopyned: and theg likewise will I do- My attorney will be here by the first train the day after to-morrow. That will be at noan— and everything shall be at once settled. But ain J tell you that you must not run away with the idea you are dealing with an old dotard——” “ Kor shame, Sir dohp, to impute such q thing to me—or to pay so ill a compliment to your own qelf!——and there wag a most artfally deviead com- fajngling of apparent vexation and complimentary cgjolery in Oxenden’s look and manner as Well qe in her words. ‘Now, are you sure,” aaked the Baronet, “ that Hdger Bayarlay could not possibly get upon your track when you left Brighton p” “Totally impossible!” answered Mra. Oxenden : “the prepautions which I took were so well ar- ranged. But why did you ask the question? what feaz gan you entertain concerning him? You haya it in your power to disinberit him: he ¢an- not therefare asgume a menacing or dictatorial at- tituda—and he iq moreoyer at your mercy for the allowance you give him, and which, with quite enough ganerpsity, you are about ta convert into a peymanent annuity.” “True, true,’ said the old Baronet. “I don’t ‘know what reason I should have to stand in any fear of that self-sufficient jackanapes: neverthe- less, love between young people sometimes leads to strange unforeseen jncidents—and we do know there is a proverb which says that it laughs at lockamiths,”’ 379 “Trust me, Sir John, for the gafe keeping of my sister Laura. What with the negress in ong yoom and myself ip enather, she could nog pos- aibly escape at night; and as for the daytime Buf really itis altogether unnecessary to giva you these assurances: for Laura has been overcome by my arguments—her assent is final—and I know her well enough tq be aware that when ance she makes wp her mind to a particular course, and that course is dictated by me,-she will not seek to retract nor to deviate from it. Ry the bye, how simple q thing it was which gave the first turn in our favour. Trivial and even stupid as the ides might have seemed at the time, it is not the legs a fact that the performapca of thosa mountebanks whom you werg going to send to prison, cheered her spiritg and produced that revulsion which hag progressed during the remainder of the day, and bas thia evening rendered her gompletely docile “Well,” observed the Baronet, “ we must keep her amused to-morrow: but she must not be guf.- fered to set foot auteide the premises, ¢xcept in the garden at the back of the houss———” *Leava averything to me,” interrgpted Mra. Oxenden. ‘“ You gee that Laura’s mind is so art- less and innocent, it ig theleast thing childish—or at all events girlish—and she is amused by a trifle. Only think, Sir John, of what an amiable ynso- phisticated young creature you ere about to have as awife! But as for the amusements of to-morrow, I took care to tell those itinerant jugglerg ta come again; and I will make them stop as long ag Laura appears ta be diverted with them.” The conyeraatiop between this magt delectable couple was carried gn for.a little while longer ; and then they separated to their zeapective chambers, —Mra. Oxenden to reflect with secret triumph ay those schemes which were to giye her imme- diate possession af ten thausand pounds, and the prospective control of her gister’s wealth at the old Baronet’s death,—aud the ald Baronet himaelf tq gloat over the idea of goon folding in his arma the layeliest being on whom his eyes had ever yet aaftiad. OHAPTER UFXTTI. EDGAR AND CHRISTIAN. Ir wag about two o’clock on the following day, and Kdgar Beverley was pacing to and fro in hig apart- ment at the Royal Hotel in an agitated and anxious manner. Christian wag seated at the table ; and every now and then he enjoined hig frignd to be composed, for that everything would be aura to go right. “It is two o'clock,” gaid Beverley, consulting hig watch; “and our friend the mountebank ought ta be back by thig time.” “< How can wo tell in what manner he may be delayed ?” asked our haro. “But what if Laura ahould not have an oppor- tunity of slipping the note into his hand?” ex- claimed tha lieutenant, who was conjuring up all kinds of misadventures—and, in ordinary parlance, was actually meeting them half way,—a weakness which ig common and yet natural enough on the part of those who love. (COL (C DOO CS (COL