The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 353: what you’re looking at

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eee THE MYSTERIES. $42 “And which you may now pay me, Poll,” ex- claimed the youth: “for I mean to have a regular lark along with the Kinchin-Grand until it is all gone—and then you must find me something else to do.” “To be sure *” returned the Big Beggarman’s daughter. “But you must remain very quiet for a few days, Alf, for fear Rigden should raise the hue and cry and advertise the job. You shall however have your money at once—because fair play is fair lay.” . a, Ah ! that’s true enough,” observed the young spark, as he consigned to his pocket the twenty guineas which Carrotty Poll forthwith counted down upon the table. ‘‘ And now let us lock up these deeds for to- night,” said the Gallows’ Widow: “and to-morrow morning early we'll call at Lord Florimel’s and see if he has come back totowa. If not, we'll post duwa to Dover and see him there.” CHAPTER CCXAIIL THE RECONCILIATION. Onor more do we find the sisters Octavia and Pauline reunited. In pursuance of the hint which she had received from the Kinclin-Grand, relative to the mode of effecting Octavia's liberation from the madhouse, Pauline had proceeded thither and demanded an interview with Dr. Burton, the pro- prietor of the asylum. To this individual the cou- rageous and intrepid young Jady had declared her resolution of at once applying to a mayistrate unless her sister was released without a moment's delay; and the doctor, trembling at the prospect eof exposure, and perceiving that Pauline was aware of the foul conspiracy of which Octavia was the victim, not only hastened to submit to her de- inand, but besought her in the most grovelling terms to pardon hun for the share he had taken in the matter. Paulime was too much delighted at the restoration of her sister to freedom, not to deal mercifully with the suppliant doctor; and more- over, it was altogether f.reign to her wishes to udopt any measure that was calculated to give publicity to Octavia’s disgrace. The sisters, then, were reunited after a cruel separation of a month and upwards; and the tran- guillity of a few days’ enjoyment of home, together with the affectionate ministrations and tender endearments lavished upon her by Pauline, again worked a striking and manifest improvement in the mental condition of Octavia. Still, however, did her countenanice wear an expression of settled melancholy; and still was there an occasional vacancy in her looks, as if her memory failed her at intervals or grew cloudy and bewildered as she sought to fix her ideas upon some special point. It was about noon—on the day following the occurrences related in the four preceding chapters —and the sisters were seated in their handsomely- furnished parlour. Octavia was half reclining upon the sofa—Pauline occupied a chair near the win- dow, and was working. The former was gazing intently upon a sprig of lilae which she held in her fair hand, and was weaving with her somewhat con- fused thoughts the associations which the flower conjured up relative to the blooming of fond hopes to-day and their withering to-morrow ;—while the younger sister was thinking of Lord FNorime] and marvelling uneasily why he had not amewered the letter which she had written to him a fow days previously t» Dever. Suddenly the gate of the little gasden in front of the house creaked upon its hinges; and the look which Pauline flung forth, encountered the glance of Lord Florimel. Rapture, hope, and suspease were depicted upon his features: but the colour instantaneously fied from the cheeks of Pauline and a sensation of dizziness came over her—fer now that the moment so anxiously expected had arrived and they were about to meet again, she knew not how to receive him. The whole details of the masquerade seene came back, vivid in colouring and poignant in effect, to her memory : she still believed in his perfidy—and yet she felt that she must yield him her forgiveness! The double knock at the door resounded throughly the house: aad Octavia started nervously. “Oh! if that were the Prince, come to implore my pardon!” she exclaimed, trembling all over with the fever of excitement. “No—my dearest sister—that will never happes —and you are wrong to indulge the hope, poor girl!” said Pauline. “ But if it were 7 “Then I would forgive him!” ejaculated Octa- via, with impassioned accent. It appeared as if an angel’s voice had suddenly answered, by means ef Octavia’s lips, the question which Pauline was mooting in the recesses of her own heart with regard to Florimel; and the thought flashed to her mind in a momeat, that if her sister who was so deeply injured would furgive the author of her wrongs, it was assuredly ipcum- bent upon herself to pardon the comparatively venial offences of which Fiormme! had been guilty towards her. With the speed of lightning did this reflection traverse her imagination ;—and the next moment the handsome and graceful Gabriel burst into the room. The impuise which urged Pauline at the instant was entirely in his favour: the frank aad ingenuous remark of Octavia had dispelled all hesitation on the side of the young maiden—and the lovers precipitated themselves into each other’s arms. “Dearest, dearest Pauline" exclaimed Flori- mel: “at length we meet again |” “And the past is forgotten, Gabriel,” murmured the young lady, as she gave back the joyous and enraptured kisses which the nobleman imprinted upon her lips, her cheeks, and her brow. Octavia clasped her hands together fervently, and the tears ran down her cheeks: but it was through joy—through emotions of gladness at the spectacle of her sister’s happiness,—and this was the first real gleam of sunshine that had dawned upon the soul of the unfortunate young lady since the dreadful day on which the full measure of the Prince’s perfidy became known to her. When the first ebullition of feeling on the part of Florimel and Pauline was over, the nobleman paid his respects to Octavia, whom he treated with the affectionate interest and kind sympathy which a brother wou'd devote to a cherished but afflicted sister: then, seating himself by the side of Pauline, he took her hand—pressed it to his lips —and emo ee Se SSS (COU (C DOO (CO