The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 159: what you’re looking at

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

‘* Be seated ;”—and Lady Saxondale took a chair, while she motioned Staunton to do the same: then, | fixing upon him one of those regards in which the full power of her soul appeared to look out, sinister and mysterious, from her large dark eyes, she said, “Am I to suppose that you are atill a mere weak child, tremblingly obedient to the will of a despot uncle ?” “T am afraid, Harriet,” returned Staunton, ““ that you have expressed something which, though cut- tingly severe, does but too closely approximate the truth.” “Then where is your ” she asked scorn- fully and disdainfully, “that you thus consent tamely to be lashed liked the meanest hound? The very worm will turn against the heel of the strong man who tramples upon it: but you appear not to have even the courage of that worm !”—and still as she spoke her eyes were fixed upon him with a fas- cinating influence, and at the same time with a sig- nificancy that began to suggest strange and terrible “ Believe me,” he answered, “ that there are moments when my soul revolte against thie tyranny to which I am bound hand and foot. Sometimes I evea gnash my teeth with rage; and I long to rebel “The courage? Yes!” replied Harold reso- lutely. “ But the means— the method — the Powe “These are always available for one who seoks Tit them with the fixed purpose of making use thereof :” —and Lady Saxondale, as she spoke, drew her chair a little nearer to that in which Staunton was seated; while her voice became more mysteriously eubdeed and her manner more impressive. “J do not understand you,” seid Herold: can I do? how can at “ What can you do? how can you act?’ echoed Lady Sexondale, as if in astonishment at the puerility of the questions. “ Does your own position suggest nothing? Look at it—examine it well: whee is it? You are totally dependent upon an uncle who hes recently married the mother of his two illegitimate ehildren. Think you that he cares | for not more for those children than for you, whom he regards es @ ecapegrace nephew? and will he not therefore do his best to keep hie title and estates within the ephere of his own family, and away from you “ But how can he?” asked Staunton, qoivering with saspense: fos the fear wae uppermost in his mind, although he thas scemed by his doubt the possibility of ite realization. “The title “ what hope of her presenting him with an heir.” « Bot soridicylous as you seem to think,” reloined phial contains a poison 60 deadly that one drop of # o> eatery THe MIBTERIES OF THE COURT. the wily and astute Lady Saxondale. “ There have been cases in which women have become mothers at that age—and even three or four years later: ami therefore experience and surgical evidence aro‘not against the eventuality —but in favour of it” “Yes: but the chance is so remete—so execs- sively remote !” “Do not argue thus,” interrupted Lady Saxon- dale: “it isthe height of felly on your part—be- cause what is possible te happen, may happon: or, at all events, upon that plea may it be dexe.” “Still 1 do not understand you,” interjected Staunton : and the quivering of his entire frame was as visible as the paleness with which dire apprehen- “'Yoa have two chances against you,” her ladyship ; “and you are an idiot if you leave anything to chance.” “ But those chances f’” “One is that the newly-married Marchioness of Kagledean may possibly become a mother: the other is that a supposititious child may be presented to the world as her own, and as the heir of Kagiedcan. Sueh things Aave been done~———” But here her ledyship suddenly stopped short, and with a species of recoil from the werds she had just uttered. “'Yee—by heaven! it might be done,” ejaculated Staunton: “it might be done!’ he sepeated, start- ing up from his seat in a perozysm of torturing nervousness. “ And think you not, then, that it eill be done P” asked Lady Sexondale. “ Has not your unele every possible interest to exclude you at his death from the title and eatates of Eagledean, and to keep them his own hnmediate family? His illegitimate ebildren could not fail te be benefitted by the cir- cumstance that one whom they would regard as their legitimate brother, has the heritage of Eagic- dean in the trus—-too true!” ejaculated Lord Harold Btomina. “I aball be robbed of my in- heritance—I shall become a beggar and a panper on the face of the earth: unless——” “ ‘Yeo—unlees you take @ prompt and bold part,” rejoined Lady Saxondale. “Idiot that you have been, thus to lull yourself into even a moment's security! I presume that your uncle bas sent you ee ae intention of keeping you a length of time upon the Contincat, in order that he may carry on his own machinations. Pray did he introduce you to this wife of his before you left England.” “ No—he despatched ma to the Centinent at once. But I will endure his tyranny and risk his treachery no longer,” continued the young nobleman, speaking with bitter vehemence. “ You have aroused a spirit within me which will never rest until-——”’ “Until you have cleared from your peth the anly obstacle to the acquisition of the title and cetates of Eagledean ?”~—and Lady Sexondale again bent upon hima look which full well expressed her terrible :] meaning. “And now,” she continued, “ that I have succeeded im arousing this spirit within you, I will furnish you with the means of carrying out your views efioctively. Listen with attention. In a cup- board in my own bed-chamber at Saxondale Castle there is a phial enclosed in a sealed packet. This (COIMUC DOO CS (COL