The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 310: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIFS OF THE COURT. 807 we meet, that I may heve leisure to compose my troubled thoughte. Do not let her come until the evening. And now leave me, Etienne “I go, Juliana,” said the Marquis: but still lingering, he added in a hesitating manner, as if fearful of offending one whose temper was naturally vehement, and now particularly ruffied,—“ Is there nothing I can do for you? Teli me, Juliana—my purse is at your service——" “Thank you—I have sufficient means for the present. My mother supplies me with funds. Ah! Etienne,” she added bitterly, “with what a family have you connected i—my mother’s reputation itself damaged—my brother married to ® murderese—myself—— “Juliana, give not way to these refloctions—at least not in such a spirit,” interrupted the Mar- quis, deeply pained. “It is not impossible for you to experience happiness in this world. In some agreeable seclusion, and under a feigned name——. bh. Leave me to chalk out my own —to follow my own destinies! And now go, Etienne: I must be alone.” Villebelle extended his hand, which Juliana took for a moment; and as she turned abruptly away, he slowly quitted the room. On i forth from the villa, he found the hackney-coach still waiting in the road. “ Where is the gentleman who accompanied me P” he asked of the driver. “ Gone, sir,” was the resportie. He came out and rushed away like one demented.” Villebelle reflected for a few moments. He thought to himself that Jules de Chateauneuf, in a thoroughly altered state of mind, must have sped eward to make his peace fully with his ami- able and loving wife: but he longed to proceed to the mansion to assure himeelf that such was the fact. On the other hand, he was anxious to in- form Constance that he had discovered the abode of her sister, whom she was to see in the evening but then he reasoned that as some hours must yet elapse ere this interview could take place, Constance in the meantime would be full of anxiety and suspense, and would be asking him a thousand questions, to which he might not be able to give very satisfactory : for he was resolved to ecreen Juliana’s most recent faults and frailtiee— thoes in respect to Chateauneuf—es much as pos- sible from the Marchioness. He therefore came to the conclusion that it would be better to remain some little time absent from the hotel; and in the interval he could visit the chateau. He accordingly entered the hackney-coach, and ordered the driver to take him to the Viscount’s mansion. In a short time the Marquis of Villebelle alighted at that palatial residence; and, on inquir- ing of the hall-porter for the Viscount, was in- formed that he was in the drawing-room with the Viscountess. Villebelle’s heart warmed at this in- telligence, which served to confirm his previously conceived hope that the husband would now do his duty towards the tender and affectionate 8 He ascended to the apartment, to which a handsomely-dressed lacquey led the way; and the instant the door was thrown he ob- served the Viscount and Viscountess seated to- upon the sofa. The glance that Jules im- mediately flung upon him, was expressive of ' lation Om = ae a oe Ce ee eee mingled gratitude and firmly-taken resolve,— gratitude for the part which the Marquis of Ville- belle had so generously borne in the transaction, and a xesolve that thenceforth he would profit by recent experiences. Asa matter of course, Villo- belle assumed the air of one who was merely pay- ing an ordinary visit, and came for no special pur- pose; because he naturally concluded that the Viscount had not explained to his wife a single de- tail of the circumstances which had thus induced him to seek her presence at a time when he was wont to be absent from her. The Marquis saw that Stephanie was completely happy ; and during half-an-hour’s conversation, he likewise perceived that the Viscount treated her with a kindness which was truly affectionate, without being so overstrained as to excite her suspicion that it was the result of no ordinary occurrences. When Villebelle rose to take his departure, Jules de Chateauneuf accompanied him from the room ; and leading him into another, embraced him with tho most grateful warmth “Through you, Villebelle,” exclaimed Jules, “I have been wakened from the most delusive of dreams. Your’s indeed is the hand which has enatched me back from the brink of a precipice! —you have saved me from consummating towards my wife an outrage which I should full soon have been compelled bitterly to repent. Ah! when I ere now broke away from the presence of that syren, it was with a sudden springing up of the tenderest towards Stephanie. All her good qualities seemed to crowd in upon my convictions in a moment: they blazed as it were upon my mental view—they made me comprehend what a treasure in her, and how in- famously I had been about to sacrifice her!” “My dear friend,” answered Villebelle, “you know not the pleasure it affords me in hearing you thus speak. Ah! Jules, it would have indeed been something to be deeply deplored, if a noble heart such as your's naturally is, had been ruined by an “I am an altered man,” replied the Count: “ brightness. Yee—I am an alterod man ; and per- hape it is fortanate that all this should have taken Hitherto I had not loved Stephanie—now I feel that I can adore her: hitherto her demon- strations of tenderness had appeared to me insipid shiowh $0 maowse Bina taht a dies apwecolaiitoad falsitics, and artifici- am I indebted for all that has t aseured, Villebelle, that when- within these. walls, you will enabled to contemplate a scene of iss ag perfect as that which you yourself The two noblemen were melted to tears: they Gresped each other's hands Jules with the fervoar , Etienne in the warmth of congratu- and thus for the present did they separate. ie . (COL (C DOO CS (COL