The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 383: what you’re looking at

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| | 38Z ssw, in his way. I was compelled to submit to the villain’s extortions-———”’ ‘“‘ And that faithful valet of your's?” , Constance? what must she have | wonder that she wept so bitterly—that she sobbed 1f{B MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. heavens! what must have been the of poce thought? No “One of my band likewise—but a brave and | so convulsively—that she embraced me so fervidly ! trustworthy individual. Ho will join us doubtless | Ah! and how delicately did the Marquis himself in the course of the day: for the French gendarmes | behave,—not betraying you—nor yet on his own had no reason to molest him.” “Those letters of mine, which were directed to my sister?” eaid Julians, continuing her queries. “Think you that I was foolish enough to put you im ce with the Marchioness of Villebelle, when the Marquis could tell her that there was no euch person as the Count de Toledo and she would have written you this much back in her first answerP It was a cursed fatality that threw the Villebelles in the way of my brave band and myself: but we knew not who they were: we are not in tbe habit of inquiring the names of thoee travellers whom we politely detain for a fow minutes on their road.” side having recourse to falsehoods to save you from 199 ’ “The Marquis is a diplomatist,” rejoined Ramon de Collantes, with a smile; “ and was not likely to be at a loess how to manage such matters.” “ But those Durands,” exclaimed Juliana ; “how fell you in with them ?” “ Quite in a professional way,” replied Col- lantes. “They were journeying towards Barce- lona: I and my gallant band stopped them; and as they had no great amount of ready money about them, we examined their papers. A letter in the old gentleman’s pocket-book made me aware that he was going to Barcelona to receive an in- | heritance.—‘ Oh! oh!’ thought I to myself; ‘we “What passed between you and the Marquis must keep you good folks prisoners for a while, when you encountered each other at the cottage?’ until you furnish a ransom.’—So we bore them asked Juliana, thus continuing her feverishly rapid both off to the tower here; and old Durand drew questions. a cheque upon a banker at ‘Barcelona,—one of my “Ah! that was indeed a romantic incident,” men setting off to get it cashed. This caused a ejaculated Collantes, with a laugh: “and would delay of a day or two, during which the Durands tell effectively upon the stage in a melodrama were kept close prisonera at the tower. In the where brigands figure. The Marquis was walking course of some conversation between them, you in the garden, as you recollect. recognised me: he was astounded—he could not talking of the Countess of Toledo whom they had believe his eyes. He saw me waving my hand to recently met at a certain village. Thereupon I some one: he looked around—he perceived you at questioned them; and wormed out as much of your chamber window, agitating your kerchief. your antecedents as they themselves were ac- He rushed up to me, and demanded who I was. quainted with. Little did they think they were Somehow or another it instantaneously stfuck me making all these revelations to your own husband! who he must be; and I saw that I was eafe.—‘In Well, the man came back from Bareelona with the Spain,’ I answered, ‘I am, as you suspect, Ramon ransom —a thousand pounds, calculated by your de Collantes: here I am the Count de Toledo; and English money; and the Durands were suffered to your sister-in-law is my wife.’—The Marquis, hke depart.” every shrewd diplomatist, though he is but quitea| Juliana could really have forgiven her husband young man—not older than myself—recovered his for this one robbery, inasmuch as it had been per- self-possession in an instant. I gave the horse to petrated upon the individuals who betrayed their @ groom ; and we walked asidetogether. I offered knowledge of her past career. : to return him this money: but he scornfully re-! “You may conceive,” resumed Ramon de Col- jected it. I asked him if he purposed to betray lantes, “how terrified I was, when a few days meP He reflected, and said that it would be after my return to the cottage, we beheld the better not. I told him I thought sotoo. But he Durands alighting from the post-chaise on their laid down conditions, which were that I should way homeward. I rushed up to them, as you saw never again cross the Pyrenees—that I should go | ime: I was only just in time to stop the ejacula- into the interior of France—keep my feigned name tions of complete betrayal which were bursting —and endoavour to earn my living honourably. ‘from their lips.—' Say nothing!’ I whispered in a Of course I pledged myself to anything : for I was heriad voice ; ‘and your money shall be restored!’ resolved to hide the startling truth from your required nothing better; and I accompa- knowledge as long as possible. We had a little- a nied th thnem into the inn. They had seen you with more conversation; and I hurried up to see you: j Me ; and as we entered the tavern, the landlord for though it was during the interval of our sepa- | officiously exclaimed, ‘Good day, my lord Count ration that I had obtained an insight into your ante- | of Toledo !’—The Durands thus discovered that cedenté, and my suspicions of your past wanton- . husband was none other than the famous ness had been fully confirmed by the Durands, yet | Ramon de Collantes. Knowing therefore that we I loved you as much as ever, and longed to embrace | resided in the neighbourhood, they unhesitatingly you. I pretended exhaustion—in the first place, | agreed to wait while I hastened*home to get the because the Marquis had stipulated I should not thousand pounds to restore to them. This made appear before his wife; and in the second place, | an immense hole in all my share of plunder because I had no inclination to appear again before which I had brought away from Spain a few days him, while you were present. Doubtless the Mar- back: but I might have put up with that loss quis went and informed your sister who your hus- light] y, if I could have trusted the Durands. band really was.” When, however, they had received their money, “Yes, yes—he did! I understand it all now,” and had taken their departure, I began to reflect exclaimed Juliana, wringing her hands. “ Good that I was not safe with such gossips and scandal- He thought he may conceive my astonishment when I heard them © es a ere SE “le —_ > emi =e eee (COL (C DOO CS (COL