The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

eo Sa SD CR, onl es ant 58 THES MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. sat at the piano: he accompanied her in a duet. He had a fine voice and sang admirably: Zoe’s voice was of silvery softness; and she too sang with exquisite taste—a taste that wae all the more apparent from fhe utter absence of affectation. When Lord Octavian, after having sat by Zoe's side at the supper-table, returned at two in the morning to his own lodgings, he thought to him- self that never did Miss Armytage appear %0 ravishingly beautiful and soc y in his eves; so that he mentally ejaculated, “ After all, I think I can love her !” On the following day he paid the usual visit of courtesy which follows an evening’s entertainment ; and on this cocasion he remained an hour and a half with Zoe,—her father having at the time, or pretending to have, a very pressing appoint- ment with some great nobleman, whom he of course spoke of as his very particular and intimate friend. After this visit Lord Octavian said confidently to himself, “I not only cas love her—but I do already love her !” Yet an image rose up before him, and a sigh came up into his very throat. He hurried his pace through the Regent’s Park as if to cacape from the image: he stifled the sigh ere giving it vent; and then he endeavoured to persuade him- eclf that it was all nothi the fair unknown had really no hold upon his affections—that it was & mere ing whim or caprice excited by a pretty face and a sylphid figure—and besides, that it was perfectly ridiculous to entertain a serious thought of one to whom he had never spoken in his life, and whom he might never see again. 8till there was @ secret voice speaking with its silent elo- quence in the depth of his soul, which told him that he was reasoning not as the truth really was, but according as he wished it to be; and this time the deep-drawn sigh could not be altogether stifled. However, the next day beheld him again a visitor at Mr. Armytage’s house. How could he help going thither on this occasion ?—he hada piece of new music of which he had spoken on the preceding day, and which he had volunteered to bring Zoe. It wasa duet; and as Mr. Army- tage was present in the drawing-room when Octavian was ushered thither, there was no im- propriety in his offering to sing it with the young lady. They did sing it: Octavian thought that never had Miss Armytage displayed her musical accomplishments with so fine an effect—never had her loveliness appeared more angelically charming. When he took his leave after this visit, he had (ar less difficulty in putting aside the image of the beauteous unknown, or in suppressing the rising sigh, than he had experienced on the preceding day. On the following day he called upon Zoe again ; and for nearly each successive day for the ensuing six weeks. Qn every occasion he became —or fancied that he became, more profoundly enamoured of Mises Armytage : he saw himself received with a gradually increasing cordiality on the part of the father, and with an unchanging affability on that of the daughter. He seldom thought now of the beauteous unknown: less sel- dom too did he find himself sighing when her image did happen to rise up to his mental vision. But did Zoe herself love him? was he indeed not indifferent to her? or did she regard him merely | =z: as a visitor with whom a sort of intellectual ip hed sprung up? This question pus- aled him: he had never seen on Zoe’s part the slightest betrayal of any tender partiality towards him. What if be were to offer and 10 be refused £ hovering betceem bape and uncertainty, it wes be mo means difficnit for Octavian Meredith to per- suade himeeif that he loved Miss Armytage to « degree that his very happiness depended "pon their alliance. To do ample justice more he had seen of her and the more he had felt himself attracted towards her, the less he had thought of the pecuniary advantages to be derived from such a marriage. The naturally noble feel- ings of his disposition, by inducing him to scorn the thought of mere selfish interest, led him to believe that his sentiment towards Zoe was now altogether a disinterested and a legitimate one. So easy is it, under certain circumstances, to hug ively settled belief that which we really rf victions ! delusions of the mind than even the most expe- rienced of men are always willing to admit unto themselves. Six weeks, as we have said, had passed since that day on which we first introduced Zoe to our readers: and one afternoon Octavian Meredith called at a somewhat earlier hour than usual. He found Zoe alone in the drawing-room; and as he entered, she put down a book which she had been “‘ May I see,” he inquired, after the usual com- plimente had paseed, “ what is the subject of your recreative study ?” “ Oh, certainly,” responded the young lady, with her usual affable smile. “Tt is one of my favourite authors.” “ Goldsmith’s ‘Deserted Village,’” said Octa- vian, as he took up the book. “Miss Armytage, there must be times when, with your intelligence, you view with a feeling which borders on disgust the frivolities of fashionable life. 1 confess can- didly that I do. is no intellect there is no heart—but that if the head be hollow, the place where the heart should be is likewise a void.” “I know not, my lord,” rephed Zoe, “that I would go altogether to sueh an extreme con- clusion——”’ “ No—because were you to admit it,” he ex- claimed, with irrepressible enthusiasm, “ you would be as it were proclaiming that you are all heart, because you are all intelligence. Ah! Miss Army- tage,” he added, “ were I possessed of a fortune, I should sink down upon my knees to lay it at your feet !” Zoe averted her countenance, where the colour went and came in rapid transitions. It was evi- dent that she knew not how to reply; and Mere- dith was not altogether sure whether she were offended or pleased by this sort of avowal he had just made, But that she experienced one or the other of thoee feelings, he had no doubt: for indifferent and unruffied she assuredly was not. ‘Tf I have offended you, Mise Armytage,” he I am convinced that where there © COMMUC OOOLK (COL