The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 373: what you’re looking at

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and had diverged several miles from their more direct route, in order to pay a flying visit to some distant relations who dwelt in those parts. On i J they were one of the families whom she was accus- tomed to visit. She now had to give explanations on her own side; and these were to a certain extent hu- miliating enough. She was obliged to confess that the name of Chesterfield was a feigned one—that the story of a husband in India was altogether an invention—that she had never been married at the ’ time she was at the Durands’ villa—and that she é was in reality the daughter of an English peeress named Saxondale. She went on to inform the Durands that she was now married to the Count de Toledo, a Spanish nobleman who for political reasons was unable to enter Spain; and that for some time past they had resided in the neighbour- hood of that village. She begged and implored Monsieur and Madame Durand to save her repu- tation; and as we have before stated that this! i worthy couple were by no means over nice in their notions of female morality, they readily promised to follow her injunctions. She lavished upon them all possible proofs of gratitude and friendship ; and insisted that they should dine with her: but they had just partaken of luncheon at the hotel, and they were in haste to continue their journey. Indeed, their post-chaige was now in readiness; and they took their leave of the Countess iF Toledo, to pursue their way,—their purpose being to enter Spain by way of Perpignan at the eastern extremity of the Juliana was much relieved when she saw them take their : but she now more than ever longed to quit France altogether, and fix her abode on her husband’s domain; for she calculated that in the depths of Catalonia there was far less chance of 1 ing such disagreeable encounters as this one, than on the northern side of the Pyrenees. She therefore looked anxiously forward for the Count’s return, not merely that she might have the fullest explanations with him on the various points which troubled her—but likewise because he had given her to understand he ex- pected some favourable intelligence with regard to his own political position, on the occasion of this visit into i PeTen days more The Count had been absent above a fortnight; and his prolonged absence rendered Juliana more and more uneasy and restless. But now another incident occurred which requires special mention. It was late one just as Juliana was about to retire for the night—that the sounds of an equipage dashing rapidly along the main road, which skirted the front of the garden, reached was heard by all the inmates of the dwelling. THE MYSTERING OF THE COURT. ie il : dismay of Ju- of mind, whether she were hurt. A glance from the lady’s-maid to the i showed escaped without the slightest injury from the ac- cident. As infinite as was the joy, so great was evidently the astonishment likewise of Constance in thus encoun her sister; and a rapid interchange of observations made the Marquis and Marchioness aware, on the one hand, that Juliana was married to the Count de Toledo—end informed Juliana herself, on the other hand, that the letters she had written to her sister had never reached their destination. One of the axletrees of the carriage was broken ; and though it might be sufficiently repaired with a cord and a bar of wood, to enable the harses to drag it into the village, the vehicle was totally unfit for the reception of the uliana would take up their quarters and this invitation was gladly accepted by the fond and kind-hearted Constance—while the Marquis had no objection to offer ; for the intelligence that his sister-in-law was now: a married woman, ae eh eg eT and hope that she was at length respectably settled in life. We should here observe that when ry-Anne per- ceived a lady folded in the arms of the Marchioness, and in that lady quickly recognised Juliana, she was herself seized with astonishment. Juliana lost no time in saying ing kind to her aister’s faithful t, who was still more surprised on being informed of the lady’s mar- riage. The whole scene was therefore one of con- siderable excitement, and of no mean interest for several of the persons who figured in it. The Marquis directed that the valet and the maid should follow the carriage to the village-inn, , } and take up their quarters there: for a giance at ig | the cottage, showed him that its dimensions would not accommodation for too @ company. He and the Marchioness Shen followed Jia into the dwelling; and while the table was being spread with material for supper, the two sisters again embraced each other. Indeed, Constance COMMUC DOO CS (COL