The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 150: what you’re looking at

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THE MYGTERIEZES OF THE COIR. 143 death was not a veey secent coourrenco—or else I T es well as the coachman was dressed im gorgeous should not be here, nor attired thus:”—and her ex- livery, closed the door—and the -equipage drove quisite blue eyes glanced quickly over her toilet. rapidly away. “TI am therefore resigned to that loss which was at | first a terrible blow to me. The Baron de Charle- mont died two years ago. You are perhaps aware ee ae GEES Gio that he was a General of the Empire; and thore- fore,” she added, gently and hesitatingly, “many years older than myself.” Saxondale had thus at length learnt who she was. He was talking to the Baroness de Chariemont—a_ lady of rank and titlh—most probably of fortune, comsidering the high position of ber late husband. But he did not now pause to ask himeelf, nor even to throw out « hint of inquiry, bow it was that she had been thus shunned, and that her preeence had excited such a sensation of amasement in that assemblage? He had altogether forgotten the cir- CHAPTER CXVIL TNE BARONESS DE CHARLEMORT. ‘Tare ride was not long: for the vehicle soon drove into the court-yard of a handsome house in the Rue de Tournon, near the palace of the Luxembourg. The footman opened the door: Edmund alighted, and then assisted his fair companion to descend. She took his arm, and led the way up a spacious well-lighted staircasce, to a superbly furnished drawing-room. Requesting him to be seated, she said that she would be with him again in a few eumnstance: he was under the apell of a loveliness minutes—and retired in the company of her maid. which threw into the shade all the impressions which | Lord Saxondale had now, for the first time since the beauty of either Florina Staunton or Emily he accosted the Baroness de Charlemont at the Archer had ever made upon him. Nor did he theatre, a little leiqure to reflect upon the adventure notice that Mr. Sydney was surveying him with a into which he had thus so procipitately plunged. mischievous look from a distance—or that his tefe- | He looked around, and perosived that the room was a-tete with this lady had become an object of: appointed: the furniture was rich and mingled wonderment and disgust on the part of all | costly: in short, everything connected with the who were near enough to obeerve it. Heads were | Baroness—her equipage—her domestice—her man- shaken ominously—strange mysterious looks were : | sion—all appeared to denote the possession of ample whispered obeervations were made. , means. That she was miraculously beautiful, was a But nothing of sll this did Edmund notice: he felt | truth which the impression made upon his heart, as much alone with the Baroness de Charlemont as | fully proclaimed. How was it, then, that with rank, if they were in reality altogether so. But she on | wealth, and loveliness, she should have been so her part could not help flinging an occasional look | treated at the ball? It could scarcely bo that her of exultant triumph towards those whose gase was | character was notoriously vile and depraved; be- thus bent upon the spot where she was seated with her noble com “I feel faint and ill,” she suddenly obeerved, while her looks grew simultaneously languid. “TI /i must retire——" “Permit me to escort you henee?”’ Saxondale hastened to observe. ‘Have you a vehiclo—— or $9 “My earriage is in attendance,” ehe replied, They walked out from the theatre together, fol- lowed by the eyes of the entire assemblage. A lady’s-maid, who had been waiting in the shawi- room, hurried out the moment she caught sight of her mistress, whom she assisted to put on an elegant satin cloak, with a hood to draw partially over the head. Saxondale then conducted the Baronces down the staircase; and the cry of “Madame de Charlemont’s carriage !* resounded the ar. A equipage dashed up to the entrance of the theatre: Edmund handed the Baroness n— and then stood hesitatmg for a moment. im what terms to proffer a request that he might be per- mitted to call upon her on the following day. “Your lordship will sup with me,” she said, with one of those bewitching smiles which had already made such havoc upon his heart: and all the fasci- nating sweetness of her countenance, as she thus spoke, was revealed by the strong glare which the lamps in the front of the theatre threw into the carriage. “With pleasure,” responded Saxondale to the invitation so enchantingly given: and the next sncenent he wae seated by her side in the vehicle. cause if so, the stewards of that ball would have inly taken measures to convey to her an inti- mation that her presence was regarded ss a general lutely ahunned and avoided. It was a strange mys- tery; and Edmund could not form the slightest conjecture towards its unravelment. Passing away from that topic, his thoughts settled themeclves completely upon the exceeding charms of her per- son. Never, he fancied to himecif, had he be- holden so splendid a creature in female shape. And she seemed perfectly modest and well-behaved liko- wise; her manners were not only those of a polished lady—but there was the fullest propriety investing them: for if her smiles had been fraught with such ravishing effects, she was not to be blamed for their magic power; and in bestowing those smiles, in harmony as it were with her discourse, there was nothing forward, bold, nor immodest. While Saxondale was thus absorbed im his rap- to thank you for an act of generosity performed this evening, and to which I did nat until a fitting opportunity, A few words of explanation may be I regret to say that your countrywomen Tha lady’s-mail entered Se an, ae —for naturalized on the French soil as 1 am, I ean (COL (C DOO CS (COL