The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

3 she continued; “and knowing that you would not think of coming to meet me until half-past twelve, I re- solved to surprise you by this visit—which perhaps speaks more eloquently ou behalf of my friendship chan of my discretion,” she observed, in a tone of embarrassment and with a blush again deepening the vermeil glow upon her damask cheeks. “My angelic friend,” exclaimed Sir Richard Stamford, now taking her hand of his own accord, ‘do not mar by any regret or compunction on your part the pleasure which this visit causes me to experience. Hitherto, amiable Princess, you lave performed towards me the part of the good Samaritan. You have poured the oil and wine of sympathy and consolation into the wounds of my | spirit: you have rescued me from the doom of misanthropy and the fate of cynicism ;—and, guid- ing me gently out of the bleak and desolate wil- derness of my own dark thoughts, you have tutored me to contemplate the roses of hope which yet broom in this world even for one who has endured vo muchas I. Had it not been for you, excellent Princess, I should have resigned myself to despair ——or perhaps have fown to that more terrible alternative to which the desperate have recourse, but oi which I now shudder even to think. Oh! how deep, then, is the debt of gratitude which I owe to you, generous-hearted lady ;—and how immensely have you augmented that obligation by the frank, in- genuous, and friendly manner in which you have now yisited me. Henceforth this room will appear to me under another and far more cheerful aspect; and when seated alone herein, contemplating your image, I shall retain the delightful remembrance that you yourself have lightened the darkness of my abode !” “You are addressing me with an enthusiasm which carries an ineffable pleasure into my soul,” said the Princess Amelia: “for I peroeive that I have been the means of restoring you at least to some degree of happiness.” “Dear lady, whenI am in your presence,” re. turned the baronet, gazing with admiration upon her, “the past—frightful as it is—appears only as a dream, or as somethiog which is so far off as scarcely to leave a black shade in the memory.” “ And when I am not with you, the gloomy cloud comes back to sit upon your soul aod brood the darkest thoughts?” said the Princess, her voice as- suming a tenderness which stole like elysian music upon the seases of the baronet and carried a soft ecatacy of feeling in unto the very depths of his soul. “ Alas! when Iam alone,” he observed, after a pause of nearly a minute and now heaving a pro- found sigh, “I have only your image to solace me! But then I ponder apon every word that bas fallen from your lips during the hours we have been to- gether—and I repeat a thousand times to myself the solacing assurance which you always give me at parting, that we shall meet again on the marrow. And we do meet thus day after day—and my exist- ence appears to have undergone so complete a change and haveentered upon a phase so thoroughly new that thero are moments when I cease even to regret the prosperity of earlier yeara.” “And in order to keep you in this happy frame of mind,” said the royal maiden, lowering her voice to a whisper that was only jast audible, as she bent down her head to conceal her blushes, —“and like- wise to prevent the return of the gloomy mood, I should never leave you.” “Great heaven! what words are these which you have uttered ?” ejaculated the baronet, start- ing in mingled amasement and alarm at the suddea intuition which sprang up in his mind—or rather at the light which was thrown all in a moment upon the state of his own feelings. “ Wherefore this excitement 7” asked the Princess, gazing upon him anxiously. “ Because you have just made an observation, dear lady,” responded the baronet, “which has opened my roental eyes to a truth unsuspected until now, aud the sudden revelation of which to my senses produced mingled feelings of surprise and terror.” “And that trath—what is it?” demanded the Princeas Amelia, trembling all over and still con. templating the baronet with those lovely azure eyes which appeared to swim in a delicious languor. “J dare not answer your question,” replied Sir Richard, now evincing much embarrassment and confusion. “If there be seorets between us, Richard,” mur- mured the royal maiden, “what becemes of the friendship which we have pledged each other ?” “Oh! what am I to say ?—what am 1 to do? exclaimed the baronet, his whole frame quivering with emotions of an indescribable ecstacy as he pressed the hand of the Princess in his own and gazed intently on her beauteous, blushing counte- nance; for this was the first tinte she had ever ventured to call him by his Christian name alone —and the circumstance amounted almost to an avowal on her part, or at least to an encourage- ment of such an avowal from his lips. “What are you to say ?” repeated the Princess, who herself felt as if she were bathing in a fount of blias and as if the gates of paradise were slowly unfolding to her contemplation all the joys within. “What are you to say, do you ask?” she mun. mured again: “Oh! answer me frankly and can- didly—and tell mo the nature of taat trath which has 80 suddeniy become apparent to your compre- hension ?” “But I may offend you, dear Princess—I may risk your friendship—that friendship which I value more than life [” exclaimed the baronet, bewildered how to act. “No feeling which you are capable of harbouring can possibly offend me, Richard,” said Amelia, her tone expressing the soft sensuousaoess which was diffused throughout her entire frame and was ex- pressed in the deepening hue of the swimming eyes and the glowing tint which spread its carnation richneas over her cheeks. “Then you command me to speak candidly, dear Princess?” said the baronet. “No—IJ do not command,” she responded, with an aogent of gentle reproach: “I beseech—I im. plore.” “Then hear the truth, adorable Amefta,* ex- claimed Sir Richard Stamford, throwing himself again upon his knees at her feet: and gazing up into her blushing, burning face with looks full of ineffable devotion, he said in a voice of fervent passion, “I, love you, Amelia —my God! I love you with all the power of a grateful soul and an adoring heart !” “You love me—you love me? murmured the Priacess, now enjoying the happiest moment of her life; and casting her arms around the neck of (COU DOO (CO