The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 374: what you’re looking at

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

ride ani sstiafeotion But where was her hus- band? In the first excitement of the encounter, Juliana had forgotten to inform her sister and brother-in-law that the Count de Toledo was absent on a visit to his estates in Catalonia. One expla: nation led on to another; and Juliana gave & ition of her husband. whom you have espoused.” Juliana gased with an uncontrollable sensation of affright and horrified dismay upon her brother- in-law, as he gave utterance to those words. All her suspicions—hitherto so and indefinite— flamed up again in her mind, but with a brighter : so that she was amitten with the awful thought that, after all, her husband was an impostor. Constance caught her by the hand,— exclaiming, “Juliana dearest, what in heaven's name is the matter P I am sure Etienne did not purpose to wound your feelings.” “Far—very far from it,” said the “Tt is not a reason that there should be have forgotten it. My words were inconsiderate and Titles are most plentiful in Spain; and it ie impossible for any une man's head w retain the recollection of them all. Pray pardon me, Juliana!” “Say no more upon the subject,” interrupted his sister-in-law, considerably relieved by all that he had just said, and angry with herself that she should so suddenly have yielded to those wild fears and terrific “«T have an adventure to relate to you, Julians,” said Constance, thus seeking to turn the conversa- tion into another channel. “ Yoso—it was an ad- venture quite romantic in its way, I can assure you —though by no means agreeable for many reasons. The fright and the loss——” “What, then, was this adventure?’ inquired Juliana, whose interest and curiosity were now excited by her sister’s words. “An adventure with banditti,” resumed Con- stance. “ It happened yesterday, in the broad day- light. We were travelling through the north-eastern part of Catalonia, and in a wild desolate district,— when all of a sudden the carriage was surrounded by at least a dozen men, armed to the teeth.” “ Heavens, what an adventure!” ejaculated Juliana, shuddering with affright. “But I can assure you,” said the Marguis, “that your sister bore herself with the utmost fortitude. As you may suppose, resistance was entirely vain, as it would also have been perilous against such a horde of desperadoes. con- they experienced no oppo- They Marquis | but appeared 878 exactly representing the facts as tivel occurred. For, the moment the cotoe wae sopped, You seized your pistols, and gave the men to understand that you would use them. But I besonght you not to endanger your life thus madly—— “And I was compelled to submit,” added the Marquis, smiling. ‘“ Well, perhaps it was all for the best: for, as I have said, resistance would indeed have proved utterly vain. The captain of the band—who was certainly the most decent fellow for a bandit that ever figured otherwise than on a stage in a melodrama—came up to the carriage-window, and in very excellent French assured us that not the violence should be offered us if we only remained quiet. He even went so far as to say that our articles of jewellery should be left us, and that our domestics should not be despoiled at all, if we only gave up what- soever ready money we had in our possession. Now, it unfortunately happened that there was a casket in the carriage, containing about twenty thousand francs in gold and silver——” observed “ Kight hundred pounds sterling,” Constance; “and the whole of this sum did the perfeotl booty in the shape of specie that fell into their “ And well they might be !” ejaculated the Mar- qus. “But I rather think that their great for- bearance was not altogether owing to good feeling on their part—~but may be also ascribed to terror, lest one of the flying columns which the Captain- General of Catalonia has sent out to sweep the Principality of the banditti who infest it, should have suddenly appeared upon the spot. Hence the expeditious mode with which the scoundrels trans- acted their business. They decamped with their booty; and when we reached the next village, we were informed that there was little doubt our plunderers were a gang which for some years have carried on -their proceedings with comparative im- punity, and seem to defy all the vigilance of the authorities. Their commander is known as Ramon de Collantes: and though an immense sum is set upon his head, yet his comrades are evidently too faithful to betray him.” “‘This was indeed a romantic but a frightful adventure |” exclaimed Juliana; “and I congra- tulate you both upon having passed through it on terms so comparatively cheap.” The conversation was continued until a late (COL (C DOO CS (COL