The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 66: what you’re looking at

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TIME MASTSNES. 51 may be made by others for the disposal of my band—and that I will live and die thy wife in the sight of heaven, if not In the eyes of the world * “The tongue of man has no language to express an adequate amount of gratitude for so much dis- interested love,” said Sir Richard Stamford, sinking epon one knee and pressing the fair hand of the Princess between both his own. “ Your vow is re- eorded—solemniy recorded, Amelia,—and I do not ask you to withdraw it. Your love is therefore pledged to me—and in return I pledge thee mine! Yes—dearest and most beauteous of women, ac- copt the tenderest affection united with the most fervent gratitude of my heart; and believe that I will perish sooner than cause thee pain either by word or deed.” * And these vows which we have exelkanged are irrevocable |” said the Princess Arnelia, in a so- femn tone, as she forced her lover to rise from his kneefing posture: then, throwing herself into his arms, she said, * Richard, I am thy wife—thy wife in the sight of heaven—and tho« att my husband!” ed CHAPTER CXXXVIL THE EXCIISMENT AND TERRORS OF GUILT. Ws must now return to Mrs. Brace and take up the thread of her adventures which we were com- pelled to relinquish for a moment. Although she continued to wear a smiling face in the presenve of het young ladieg—and although, when customers came, she assumed an exterior which was admlrably calculated to produce the im- pression that no wonmn in the anrrerse enjoyed a mental tranquillity more complete than het own,— yet throughonot the live-long day did she in realit endure the tortures of the damned. | Again must we observe that this poignancy of fedting arose not so much from remorse as from slarm, vexation, aud despatr at the perilous position in whioh she had placed herself. For every minute fecurred the question— What was she to do with the body ?—and the oftener she put this’interro. gatory to herself, the more bewildered did she be. come. Then, the necessity of maintaining a pleasant exterlor was a task very far from being unaccom- panied with difficuity; and she felt that was hard indeed — nay, fraught with a mental agony the most acute—to wreathe her ftps into smiles white a vultare was gnawing at her heart. In the course of the forenoon, Harriet applied to her fur the key of the bath-chamber that the housemaid might perform her usual duties there ; and Mrs. Brace was compelled to invent some ex- cuse the triviality of which made her blash up to the very hair of her head as she uttered it—and 4 ¢hen the colour disappeared as rapidly with the mortal terror that strucis to her heart. But Her- riet noticed not that the apology was ridicalvus or that there was anything peculiar in the manner of her mistress; it was oonscience which thus rendered the wretched woman a coward and made her not only suspect her own actions but like- wise the construction which might be put upon them. fn the afternoon an ilf-louking fellow called at the fashionable establishment in Pall Mall and in. sisted upon seeing Mra. Brace afone. He would mot state his business—nor yet sead'in his name; and when this doggedness of condact on his pert was conimunicated by aw domestic te tite milliner, she was struck by a mrertal chil as if Death had suddenly seised upon her. For the first tremendous thoaght which tho message ex- cited in her mind, was that her erfme hed heen some how or another suspected and trat an officer of justice was coming to seateh the howe. But at the next moment she discarded the ides av one which her terrors eould afone have generated ; and regaining her presence of mind by an almoesé preteriaman effurt, she commanded. the domestic to adinit the persevering visitor into her presence, The moment the fellow was sh@wn: te tte pariaur where she waited to receive him, she receguisted a man whom she had seen in Graneley’s company at Bow Street; and once more was eke nearfy eonk hilated bythe tremendous terror which fel? upon her like a dead weight Sinking back into the chair whence she had risen, she demamted the man’s buai- nese in x voice which despair alone endowed with ‘any dezree of firnomess Her emotion was not Iitely to eseape the leén glance of sc watchfal an fmiviiuat as MeB¥Os—for be the visitor was: but as there happened te be wine-decanters npon the table, it instantaneously struck the officer that Mrs. Brace had been in- du!ging somewhat too freely —-in plain terms, that she was drunk. He accordingly said withiu himself, “‘Grumley was right—she is a wery fite woman: but it’s a pity she dsinks so precious hard!” Then, having hasty made this reflection to him- self, Mr. Mobbs proceeded to observe that he was a Bow Street Officer, and that this was the reason he did not choose to send in Ais nante or profession —as he thought tat Mrs. Brace would prefer ‘granting him a persowwal interview rather than ex. change thessages titroughthe meditm oftive servant, The extreme civility witich S{obbs contrived te throw into his manner, and the language ia which he embodied the above very natural exyplazation not only reassured Mrs. Brace, but likewise allowed her the leisure necessary to recover Iter self-posses. sion; and, shocked at the idea that ste ltad ex. hibited emotions which must be either Ineompre- hensible to the man or upon which he must have put the strangest construction, she hastened to observe that she was suffering under a very severe iadisposition of whieh a bewildering head-ache comstituted a part. She them once more demanded the business which had brought Moebbs thither; and the man proceeded to explain himself in the following manner :— “ The fact is, ma'am, last night me and my master, Mr. Petor Grumley, the head officer of Bow Street, separates at your door—me going one way, and Mr. Gramiey remaining behind te pay his respects to yor. Bet he hagu’t made his appearance this morning at the Office or yet been heerd of at his lodgings ; and therefore I thought as how you might have sent him off somewhere on partickler business.” “Te is perfectly true that your comrade called upow me last night,” said Mrs. Brace, whe had now sitogetker recovered Iter presence of minds “bag he did not remain with me above ten minutes or a quarter of an hoar—and then he took his deperture.” (CO (C DOO (CO