The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 51: what you’re looking at

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a to the contrary, she could mot possibly have ever regretted him atall. Nor did any measure of re spect for his memory furnish a hypothesis to solve the mystery of this perseverance in maintaining the weeds of a widow; and therefore was the cir- cumstance evidently a secret belonging to herself —and to herself alone ! Wealthy, handsome, highly accomplished, and of a reputation unsullied by even the slightest breath of scandal, the Marchioness of Bellenden had as a matter of course received many offers of marriage during her long widowhood: but she had refused them each and all, though some were of a nature so eligible as to have appeared beyond the possibility of experiencing a negative. And on those oocasions, when thus pressed for a decision iu 80 delicate and important a matter as an invi- tation to change her condition once more, she would glance significantly but not hypocritically down at her mourning garb, aad observe with a singular and almost martyrised air of resolution that she had determined to carry those weeds throughout her earthly career, unto the threshold of the grave itself! In personal appearance the Marchioness of Bel- lenden was a woman who could not fail to create a feeling of interest even in the mind of the most cal- lous observer of the female sex. She was tall—well- formed — slightly inclining to emboxpoint — but characterised by so much elegance and grace that every attitude and every movement had its own peculiar charm. Her bust was of full and volup- tuous proportions: the slope of her shoulders was admirable ;—and her arms, though robust, were ex- quisitely symmetrical and dazzlingly white. But the high corsage and the long sleeves veiled the superb neck and the polished arms: yet the beauty of the throat and the faultless formation of the suowy hands, aided also by the shape which the black dress took from the rich contours of the bosom, allowed ample scope for the exercise of delicious imaginings in respect to the charms thus modestly concealed. The countenance of the Marchioness of Bellenden was very handsome; and its beauty was so well pre- served that, despite even of the widow’s weeds which certainly have a tendency to mar the appearance of youthfulness, she did not seem to be more than thirty. Her eyes were large and of a soft liquid blue: her hair, which she wore in bands and did not permit the close-fitting cap altogether to conceal, was of a derk cheanut—not particularly luxuriant, but with a gloss shining on its surface as the lustre of a lamp displays the richness of velvet ;—her teeth were white as ivory and faultlessly even;—and there was a vermilion freshness upon the lips which must in- evitably bave made the admirer of the sex think within himself bow great was the pity if no tender kisses were ever more to be gathered there! The manners of the Marchioness of Bellenden were not too elegant to be cordial nor too fashionably refined to be winning: elegant and refined they assuredly were—but not with that glacial formality, chilling reserve, and ceremonial haughtiness which seems to calculate the distance between individuals with a view to decide what amount of civility may be vouchsafed or how much cold constraint is to be assumed, No—Lady Bellenden kaew full well how to manifest that graceful condescension which made ner inferiors feel at their ease in her presence; while ne THE MYSTERIES. to her equals she exhibited an afability and amiabi lity which, though always as it were showing through a certain settled melancholy alike of expression and mannes, nevertheless endeared her to ali her friends and acquaintances. Such was the Marchioness of Bellenden — the lady to whose care George Woodfall introduced the orphan Rose Foster ! And, as he had foretold, cordial—most cordial wae the welcome which the much-persecuted girl ex- perienced at the hands of the benevolent lady. An elegant chamber was assigned to Rose on the southern side of the Priory ; and when she awoke on the following morning a milliner with a quantity of ready-made apparel was introduced into her presenca New and excellent raiment for the orphan’s imme- diate use was thus provided; and the dress-maker had the orders of the Marchioness to take Mies Foster’s commands for the completion of everything that was necessary for her toilette. In the afternoon George Woodfall called at the Priory to pay his respects to the Marchioness and inquire coucerning the health of Rose;—and her ladyship insisted that he should stay to dinner. Thus at the time that poor Caroline Walters was undergoing the examination before the Lambeth magistrate, Rose Foster was conversing with the Mar- chioness and the young artist in one of the elegantly- furnished parlours of Bellenden Priory. CHAPTER CXXXIL THE AMOROUS CONSTABLE, Tue clocks at the West End were striking eleven when Mr. Peter Grumley and his man Mobbe stopped at the door of Mrs. Brace’s establishment in Pail Mall. “ Now I shall say good night to you, old feller,” observed the head constable to his factotum : “cause I promised to call and let Mra. Brace know that the young gal had succeeded in escaping. And be- aides,” added Mr. Grumley, lowering this voice to a significant whisper, “she’a a uscommon pleasant lady, is Mrs. Brace—and I shan’t mind a spending half-an-hour or so with her.” “Well, I wish you lack, Mr. Grumley,” said Mobbs. “We shall meet in the mornin’ at the Office. Good night, sir.” “Good night,” repeated Grumley, as he knocked at Mra. Brace’s door, while Mobbs hurried away to his own abode. The summons of the head constable was almost immediately answered by the discreet lady'’s-maid Harriet; and he was forthwith ushered inte the parlour where the milliner was anxiously awaiting his arrival. Harriet withdrew; and the moment the door closed behind her, Mrs. Brace demanded in a gaick tone, “ What news !—have you succeeded f” “ Kverythink as right as a trivet, ma'am,” was the prompt reply: for Mr. Grumley saw that the lady was labeuring under considerable suspense. “ Caroline is at liberty?” she exclaimed. “As free as you and me, ma’am,” rejoined the head constable; “and as safe toa, if so be she has)/ made proper use of the disguise which was pro- vided for her.” “ Which she has no doubt done,” observed Mrs. (COU DOO (CO