The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES, lol alike the companion and the place of his pleasares —the relief which-his feelings, wounded as they were by the conduct of Paaline, now experienced in the Juloet society of his amorous Unknowa—and the generoes proposals which she had made to place ner fortane at his command. “ What do you mean, Gabriel?” sbe inquired, in alow tone that was still trembling with sensations of bliss meilowed into a valuptaous languor. “ Sup- posing that you were your own master, which you are nof—and supposing that I avowed myaelf my own mistress, as I really am,—thea what would you have me infer ?” “ Before l answer you, mysterious being,” said the young sobleman, “ tell me wherefore I am not my own master.” “Because you love Pauline Clarendon,” responded the lady with somethiag. like the bitteruess of a jealous riveiry in her tone: “aad you confessed that svach te me ere now, while we were journeying hither én the carriage.” “Bet you are charming enough, as I am confi- deat you ate sufficiently handsome also, to wean the ieast fickle heart from the object of its adora- tion elsewhere,” murmured Lord Florimel, scarcely knowing whxt he said, so intoxioated was he with the feelings of bliss that enwrapt all bis senses, and 86 completely was be enthralled by the magic of the seductiyeness and the luscious wantonness of the caresses which were brought to bear epon him, “Then do you mean to assure me that it is possible you can ever forget Pauline Clarendon and transfer your leve to mef” asked the Unknown, with the breathicss anxiety of suspense in her musical vaice— white at the same time Fiorimel felt her heart palpi- tate rapidly and violently beneath the giewing bosom Wich he was “By heaven! I am almost tempted to swear that I love thee alseady,” exclaimed Fiorimel. “Oh! if I could omby see thy couatenance, and if it should prove as handeome as I have in knaginatien depicted £t,—then, oh! then thy triumph would be indeed complete—thy victery would be accomplished, irze- sistible syven that thoa art!” “J will noé reveal my countenaues to thee yet, Gabriel,” was-the respanse, delivered in a mild but firm tone, “ Nevegtheless, I can assure thee that it is handsome—very handsome—as handsome as thou thyself hast imagined it to be! There—even now as. thy hand playeth ly with my hair, thou cans’ tee, that it is long, lexuriant, and glossy. Now pass that hand overmy forehead, and thon canst per- ceive that it $s broad, smooth, and as if polished. My cheeks are plump and yet soft ;—smd thou may’st judge whether they cowld glow thus warmly, unlegs | at the hues of a vigorous frealth were upon them. Then my teeth—thou canst feel that they are even in na- ture’s arrangement, and perfect in number: not one is deficient—and thou may‘st fudge whether such , teeth tnust not be of pearly whiteness and spotless ' purity. And my breath—oh! thou hast already | drunk it in as if it were fragrant—— “Yes—batmy as the breath of May, when the primoroses and the violets are appearmg,” murmured Florimel, lulled as it were into auch a voluptuous Yanguor that he would have made no effort td resist che syren even if she had endeavoured to steal from nim his immortal soul, were such a theft possible. = Titen you-sre fully convinced that { must be sa | beefalo your imagination hae lewd Spin me?” continued the unknown charmer, whose se- ductive influence was subtle as a poison circulating rapidly in the veina, and sure as an opiate stealing upon the senses. “T am confident that thou art as ravishingly beau- tuful—no, as superbly handsome in countenance,” re- plied the infatuated Florime), “as thou art magnifi- cent in the Diana-Jike proportions of thy form. Qh! wherefore hast thou cast thine invisible chains around me, irresistible encbantress that thou art? For even now—despite of a profound sense of duty prompting me to start from thine arms and give back my alle- | giance to the image of the lovely but capricious Pau- line,—yes, despite of that Setter feeling which stirs within me like a remorse, I am unable to shake off the manacles and the fetters which tou hast rivetted upon me! Well—then—be thca Satan in a woman’s shape, or an angel divested for the moment of thy glory,—he thou a fiend sent in disguise to tempt me on to the gulf of perdition, or a heavenly being teach- ing me the paths of elysian enjoyment,—whichever thou art, thou hast triumphed over me—I am thine —unredeemably thine—body and soul—heart and hand—intellect and sense——Ob! yes, I am thine— I am thine!” And the young nobleman, who was now worked up to a pitch of frenetic enthusiasm which placed him utterly beyond the mastership of his own thoughts, words, or actions, strained the seductive creatare to his breast with all the violence of those impassioned feelings ;—aad when he experienced all the reapousive ardour of her own lascivious pa- ture, he was like a man who, in mingled ecstacy and madness, would leap into a volcano’s crater, grapple with a tiger, or perform any other equally rabid or desperate deed at the bidding of a woman’s tongue. “Now, Gabriel,” said the Unknown Lady, satisfied that her.empire over him was complete, and that this sway was as potent over his mind as over his faculties—as enthralling with regard to the senti- ment as it was in respect to the sense,—“ and now, Gabriel—my own dearly beloved Gabriel,” she re- sumed, in ber deepest, sweetest, most niclodious, and most touching tones,—“ you have abandoned yourself entirely unto me, body aud soul; and I fear that you will repent to-morrow of the rashness with which the pledge has been given ?” “ No—by heaven! such will not prove the case!” exclaimed Florimel), almost indignaut at the suspi- cien; and then, each was his iufatuation, he bruke forth inte the moss passionate entreaties that the Unknown Lady would repose implicit confidence in him, “ Yes—-4 do believe you, my Gabriel,” she said length, when the powers of laaguage were ex- hausted by him ia glowing protestations and fervid pledges ;—* and now 1 will ask you whet you meant by the question which yon pat to me ere now, and which demanded wherefore we should separate at all ?”° “I meant, dearest lady,” replied Florimel, “that | either as may mistress or a8 my wife must you hence- | ferth be the companion of my exiatence !” “As your mistress—or as your wife,” repeated the lady with the slow deliberatian of a musing tone. “Ah! it were more fitting that 1 should he yoor mistress, because 1 am sume years vider than you: but my pride—my vanity —my reputation--in dine, ali other motives urge me to become your wife - - Teli ene, then, Fiorimel—teli me, whetber you will | (COU i ~ ae (C DOO (CO