The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 196: what you’re looking at

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ewe ladies, the resemblance was much nearer than the Amason suspected, of than Mrs. Fitaherbert herself would have been over-well pleased to ac- knowledge. For both were accustomed to obey the dictates of thelr passions witheut much regard @o morality or virtue: both had overstepped the Bounds of modesty at a very early age;—Dboth, m fact, had paid their adoration to the Goddess of Pleasure. The difference, then, between them lay only in the circumstance that Mrs. Fitzherbert had veiled her intrigues as closely as possible and had even sustained a reputation for purity of conduct, gave and except so far as her connexion with the Prince was concerned: whereas the Amazon had mever troubled herself about the concealment of any one amour in which she al- though she did not actually make a beast of her dis- solute morals, she only smiled or perhaps langhed outright when taxed with her numerous frailties. Now when the huntress gazed upon Mrs. Fitz- herbert, she said within herself, “© You biush to re- ceive a visit from me; and yet I am well acquainted with the fact that you were once the mistress of the Marquis de Beilois.” But it never struck Lady Lade at the moment that the handsome French nobleman might not, have been the only lover whom the stately and prudish Mrs, Fitzherbert had re- ceived to her arms—that, indeed, she had rendered many and many an aspirant for her favours super- latively happy—and that perhaps her connexions in this manner had not been so very much less nu- merous nor less miscellaneous than those of Letitia herself! Only, as we have before said, the one had the grand art of covering her errors with an im- pemtetrable veil—whereas the other had pursued her wanton career as freely and as fearlessly as she was wout to dash along a high road on the back of some spirited charger. Such were the two ladies that now found them- selves alone together. Mrs. Fitzherbert caught eagerly at the hope held out in the few prefatory words which Letitia had hastened to address to her: namely, “I come, madam, to sympathise with you—and perhaps to extricate you from your em- barrassments.” The aristocratic lady accordingly smothered in an instant the feeling of annoyance which had at first betrayed iteelf in the fiush that crimsoned her, countenance;—and requesting the Amazon to be seated, she said, “I presume that the bailiff has left you to explain to me the result of his mission to Carlton House” - “ Such is the fact, madam,” replied Lady Letitia. “And to tell you the tra ” “Ah! I see that you hesitate—you have disa- greeable intelligence to impart [ exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert. “The Prince would not see my mes- senger—or he returned a cold reply—or——Oh! keep me not in suspense, I implore you!” “ Were the result of the man’s errand at all sa- tisfactory, I should be bverwhelmed with haste to communicate it,” said the Amazon: “or he himself would have been too eager to do so—and in that ease my presence here would have been rendered ‘annecessary. But inasmuch as you have no hope in that quarter where you had a right to expect everything———" “Qh! is it possible that ke could treat me thus neartlessly ?” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert, clasping mer hands in anguish: then, almost immediately Gubdving ber emotions and assuming an air of dignity, she said, “ But I will not permit the con- dant of such a man to break my spirit altogether. Xou see that [am calm and collected now : tell me, Lady Lede, how he soted towards the. good- hearted and well-meaning iadividual whom I de- spatahed to hiss.” “His Royal Highness, madam,” responded the huntreas, in a measured and emphatic tone, “de- clares that he is too poor to assiat you and too in- disposed to come and see you.” “He said that—did he?” murmured Mra, Fits-_ herbert, endeavouring to retain her conposure, but in reality experiencing «cold shiver through- out her frame. “And how happened it, madam, that I have bean fortnnate enough to deserve your sympathy?-and in what manner may I reokon upon your aid ?” “The step which I have taken was adopted op the spur of the moment,” answered the huntress. “'You have no doubé heard of me before: and per- haps all that you Aave thus heard is that Lam 8 good-for-nothing, wild, eccentric, and gay woman? Well, these attributes are per- haps correct enough: but I may ebserve, without - the imputation of vanity, that I possess a heard. Now, the fact is, I some time ago became instre- mental in precuriag for his Royal Highness a loan from a French refugee, called the Marquis de St. Croix. This nobleman now requires the repay- ment of his money. Me has applied to the Prince, who takes not the least notlee of his letters. The result is that the Marquis comes to me and de- mands my intervention; and I promise that I will obtain the reimbursement of fands ient upon my representation and through my agency. Aoccord- ingly, I proceed this afternoon to Cariton House— I accidentally ran against an individual in a man- ner which throws us into conversation together— this individual proves te be Mr. Nathan Crimp— and from his lips I glean the story of your misfor. tunes and the failure of his mission to the Prinoe. Then this heart of mine moves within ma: I feel indignant at the outrage put upon one of my sex —I long to sympathise with you—and although I had heard that you were proud, haughty, and over- bearing, I thought of you only as an oppressed, persecuted, and neglected woman—and therefore I came hither f° “ Believe me, I thank you—thank you most sin- cerely,” exclgimed Mrs. Fitsherbert, profaundly touched by the ingenuous and open-hearted man- ner of the huntreas. “ And I will tell you another reason wherefore I was instantaneously impelled by the thought of succouring you to the utmost of my power,” con- tinued the Amazon ;—“and that is because you have been made to suffer much by one who unfor- tunately served the Prince ivo faithfully——” “Ah! I begin to comprehend you!” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert, now suddenly recollecting that rumour had described the Amazon to be the mistress of Tim Meagies. “But is it possible that you are acquainted———* “With all—with everything /” responded Lady Lade, in a low but significant tone. “I am aware that you are the Prince's wedded wife—aware also of the means that were adopted to drive you from Cariton House—aware of the existence of those letters which contain the secret that was held in | terror over you——" (COU (C DOO (CO