The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

ve 5 . a om 152 THE MYSTERIRE. marry me—whether you will Icad me to the altar and bestow thy name upon ine ?"’ © ¥ will—I will—if it will make thee happy and secure thee altogether to me,” exclaimed the young nobleman. “ And in return,” said the lady, with a rapid utter- ance, “I will undertake to save you, Gabriel,—yes —saye you from the perils which now threaten you ! I will save your fortune—I will save your peerage —and this law-suit, which has already been com- menced against you, will I crash in the very bud !” ‘| “My God! who are you, dearest and most incom- prehensible of women?” exclaimed the young no- bleman, renewed amazement breaking in somewhat upon the infatuation and enthusiasm which the mys- terious lady had succeeded in exciting in his soul. “No matter at present who I am,” se responded, instantaneously redoubling the fond ardour of her caresses and winning him back into the mystic halo and intoxicating influence of her Circean faecina- tions. ‘ You have declared that you will marry me, Gabriel: but I must give you time to ponder upon this pledge. Nay—I will rather put it in the light of a condition whica I stipulate. And that condition is summed up in the words—Make me your wif, and Iwill stifle the law-suit which otherwise must inevitably ruin you in respect to fortune and despoil you of your rank ! But as I am not vain nor fool- ish enough to suppose that you will experience to- wards me to-morrow precisely the same rapturous devotion with which you bless, honour, and rejoice me to-nighi,—and as I am well aware, then, that the fulfilment or the refusal of the condition which I have laid down are alternatives which can only be the result of calin deliberation,—I am about to de- scribe to you the means by which you may commu- nicate with me at any time, should you wish to do 80.”" * And those means,” cried Fiorimel, eagerly. & What are they ?” “ A simple intimation to your own Solicitor, Mr, Cresswell, that you have made up your miad to pro- pose an amicable settlement of the matter at issue.” “Then you are acquainted with my solicitor f— you must know him-—and he must know yout” ex- claimed Florimel, once more seized with the wildest surprise “ Nay,—he musteven bein communication with you! Or else how could a simple intimation of such a nature as the one you have reach yeur ears so readily, unless through his 7" “Most solemnly do I assure you, Gabriel,’ re- sponded the lady, her voice showing that she was smiling as she spoke,— that Iam not only alto- gether unacquainted with Mr. Cresswell, your attor- ney—bat that I have never seen him in any life— at least to my knowledge.” “Then how can anything which I may say to Aim reach your ears,” demanded Florimel, more and more bewildered by the turn which the discourse was thus taking. “ Must not such an intimation as I have supposed you to be inclined to make sooner or later—must it uot, I ask, be communicated into other channels f” said the lady. “ Ah! I comprehend,” cried Florimel, “Yes— truly: an intimation from me that I am anxious to settle matters amicably, must of necessity travel into the enemy’s camp. Oh! is it possible, dear lady, that you are in any way connected with my foes t’ “Far from it—they do not know me,” was the prompt answer, delivered in a tone of confidence “But wherefore should you seek to penetrate inte my suurces of information, since you seust compre- hend by this time that I am a being invelved in mystery and shrouded by a veil which the hand of curiosity cannot possibly draw aside until the day, the hour, and the minute shall come when I choose to give my permission. Now rest assured, Gabriel, that I can aid you in present difficulty—and do not blind yourself to the fact that it is unsar- mountable on your part. Your. adversary will in- evitably triumph if you trust the question to the issue of a law-process: but you shall triumph, Gabriel, if you accede te the condition I have laid down. "And should you hesitate—which you will do, I am fully aware,—should you remain undecided for even weeks and months—and then in the long run find yourself compelled to fall back upon the succour which I propose to render available on yeur behalf—in such a case, I nay, fear not to appeal ° me through the medium I have suggested—imagin not that it has become too late for me te aid you ra that my sentiments towards you have undergone a change. Do you understand me!” “Perfectly, my beloved and mysterious friend,” exclaimed Lord Florimel. “Oh! fear not that I shall be long ere I adopt the means and fol- low the instructiona whioh are to bring us together again—no more to separate |" “ We shali see,” murmured the lady, with a half- suppreseed sigh: but it was evident that she did aot experience the same confidence which the young nobleman entertained with regard to the strength of the impassioned ardour and the permanence of the fervid enthusiasin whereby he was now enthralled. “And now,” she suddenly exclaimed, after a beef pause and in a tone of reviving cheerfuluess,—* and now, beloved Gabriel, for an hour of bliss and elysian joy in each other's arms and on that couch——" But her further utterance was drowned in the billing murmurs of the kisses which Lord Flerime., fastened upon her lips, and which she gave back with all the intoxicating lubricity of her ripe and luscious snouth. ® e e e e e e ° A clock, apparently belonging to some adjacent church or chapel, proclaimed the hour of four in the morning,—when the Unknown Lady started from the arms of Florimel, whom she thus abruptly awakened from a dreamy repose which had stolen voluptuously over him. “Whatl is it time to separate f° he exclaimed. He immediately complied with her wishes; and in a few miautes they had both resumed their apparel in the utter darkness which continued to pervade that boudoir of love, of mystery, and of a perfumed at- mosphere. “ And now, by beloved Gabriel, thon wilt submit to the precaution which is so imperatively neces- sary t” said the Unknown, throwing into her voice all the winuing charm and seductiveness of her me- lodious intonations. “Yes—cheerfully do I submit to any thing which inspires thee with confidence in me,” returned the young nobleman, upon whose senses and snonidies the (COU DOO (CO