The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 392: what you’re looking at

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

- —e———————————we ee Ol -— ’ trating into their true nature. He t THR MYATERIRS OF THE COURT. abandoned ; and Juliana made up her mind to an amour with her handsome companion. But it must be added that she now longed to re- turn to England. Her experiences of Continental life had been none of the most ¢: she did nat wish to settle in Spain—it was impossible for » her to return to Paris, where it was known through “the newspapers that her late husband, the false Count de Toledo, was none other than the cele- ‘brated Spanish bandit Eamon de Collantes—and she therefore came to the conclusion that if it were necessary for her to lead either a life of retirement, eut out from all society, or to live openly with a protector as his mistress, it might just as well be in England as elsewhere. The feelings of shame which had at first rendered her so averse to return to her native country at the same time with her mother, and which had so long kept her abroad,—were by this time crushed out of her by the various circum- stances through which she had passed; and she had ceased to dread a revisit to the clime of her birth. Besides, it was now close upon the period when Edmund would be of age; and knowing the tre- mendous secret in respect to his birth,—a secret which she had wormed out of Madge Somers on the midnight visit which she paid to her cottege, as the reader will remember,—she was curious to ascertain whether he would be suffered to take poe- session of the estates without the slightest whisper of the real truth, and without opposition from any quarter. Of course, Juliana was utterly ignorant | j brother—was in existence: she was not therefore aware that there could be any opposition to Ed- mund’s complete succession ;—but, as above stated, she still felt curious and interested upon the point. The result of her reflections, as she rode by Forester’s side, was two-fold :—first, that she would abandon hereelf to an amour which, whether destined to prove transient or permanent, would necessarily upon circumstances—and se- econdly, that she would return to Forester did not for sume time interrupt Juliana’s meditations, though he was very far from pene- t that she might possibly experience a certain shock—if uct actual grief—at the sudden and violent death S| of a man who, no matter what his character and ing were, had nevertheless been her husband. But after a while, Forester broke the silence which had followed their ion from the band of soldiers; and he said, “You are thinking, my fair heroine, of the catastrophe which has taken place ?” “And at which it were a wretched affectation on my part,” she rejoined, “to say that I am afflicted.” “You speak in a proper spirit,” observed Forester : “it is impossible to deplore the death of the traitor who deceived you. But meseems that we should do well to converse upon our plans. I said ere now that I should proceed to Barcelona— a resolve to which I came without consulting you, for the simple reason that Iam penniless. All the ready money I had about me at the time of my capture by the -brigands, passed into their hands. At Barcelona I can stop at some hotel, while I write to Madrid and procure supplies.” “ Fortunately,” responded Julians, “ I have some little money in my purse, which will bear our expenses on the road to Barcelona: for you see,” she added with downcast eyes, “I am compelled to force myself on your companionship until we reach that city.” “Thanks for this assurance!” exclaimed Forester: and then he observed in a soft voice and a tender manner, “ Wherefore should this companionsbip, 80 sweet for me, terminate at Barcelona P” “ Wherefore ?”” ejaculated Juliana, affecting to regard him with a look of extreme surprise. “ Be- cause it is my intention to return to England with as little delay as possible.” “* And I also shall return to England,” replied Forester, though the instant before he had not even thought of such a made up his mind to it. “ Will you permit me to escort you back to our native land? Truly, my fair heroine,—for such familiar terms must you suffer me to adopt,—you have passed through too many perilous adventures to render it agreeable for you to travel alone, Ah! my dear Juliana!” he suddenly exclaimed, “can you not understand that you have inspired me with a passion which will not permit me to leave you voluntarily ?” Juliana gave no reply; she averted her looks, and appeared to be refigcting profoundly: but Forester felt persuaded that his meaning was un- prove a very difficult conquest. We will not linger upan the details of this sight, they came to such an understanding together, that Forester was sufficiently encouraged to pro- pose that she should pass as hia wife at the hotel where they were about to take up their abode. ing—much less. COLL (C DOO CS (GO)