The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 130: what you’re looking at

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ys Fe a ee THE MYSTERIES OF THD COURT. fast with them: and afterwards he communicated to the latter young lady his intention of proceeding on the Continent to obtain an interview with the Princess Caroline. He promised, however, to compromise Mary’s sisters as little as might be; and to use every endeavour to persuade them to withdraw from the detestable service in which they were engaged. Mary Owen thanked him with tears in her eyes for these assurances on his part; and having bade him farewell, she remained in the parlour while Louisa and himself walked alone together in the garden. Jocelyn now communicated to his beloved the step which he had taken in respect to the Hon- ourable and Reverend Bernard Audley; and he expressed his conviction that she would receive no farther molestation at the hands of that in- dividual. The hour for separation now arrived, Jocelyn having ordered a post-chaise to be in readiness for him at the hotel by mid-day. Long and fer- vid was the parting embrace of the enamoured pair,—deep and earnest the vows which they re- pested,— pure and tender the kisses which they exchanged. At length Jocelyn tore himself away from his weeping betrothed: she watched him until he was out of sight; — and then, hurrying to her own chamber, she gave free vent to her tears. — CHAPTER XXXITI. THE READING OF A CHARACTER. ir we look into the comfortable parlour at Mr. Lawrence Sampson’s house in Long Acre, at about ten o’clock on this same Friday morning of which we are now writing, we shall again be- hold the Bow Street officer and hie guest, Jack the Foundling, seated in conversation at the breakfast-table,—ample justice having been done to the repast. “Now, my boy,” said Larry Sampson, pouring out a glass of that same rich cordial wherewith he had regaled the youth on the preceding day and which had so much warmed the lad’s heart towards him,—“I begin to fancy that I have obtained a fall and complete insight into your disposition: and I will tell you exactly what it is, if you will allow me. {In plain terms, I will read you your character.” . “Do so, Mr. Sampson,” observed the Foundling; -® since you appear to wish it.” ‘‘ Yes—TI wish it,” replied the officer, * because I " want to convince you that whatever I may do for you, is done by me with my eyes open, so that you must not fancy you are able to outwit Larry Sampeon in the slightest degree.” “I don’t exactly understand you, sir,” said the Foundling, his face becoming scarlet, as if he now saw that the officer had penetrated into those secret thoughts which he had fondly and vainly fancied tw be well concealed in the depths of his soul. “ You need not annoy nor vex yourself with ap- prehensions concerning what Iam about to say,” continued Larry. “Rome was not built in a day —and you cannot get rid of evil habits, propen- sities, and thoughts in twenty-four hours. You gave been reared in a school of artifice, duplicity, 117 and deceit : and those tendencies cling to you with the inveteracy of rags upon a beggar. But now drink your cordial—and then listen to me.” “I am all attention, sir,” replied the lad, as soon as he had disposed of his liqueur. “ When I proposed yesterday morning, in Fleet Lane, that you should come and pass a day or two with me,” resumed Sampson, “Daniel Coffin was evidently well pleased—and he rushed after yous with the pretext of telling you to put on your best clothes. But in reality, when he was alone with you, he enjoined you to fish as much out of Larry Sampson as you possibly could :”— and as the officer thus spoke, he looked the Foundling very hard in the face. “ How do you know that, sir?” inquired the lad, colouring deeply. “Simply from experience,” was the calm re- sponse: “and now that tell-tale blush upon your cheeks confirms my suspicion. Well, I knew therefore that I was bringing a spy home to my house: bat I did not mind that. I had my inten- tions concerning you, because I pitied your lot— I also felt interested in your future welfare. You entered my abode with the purpose of making the best of all you might see and hear: but we had not talked long together before you forgot your original aim and grewabsorbed in the topics of our discourse. As the day wore on, you felt better and better disposed towards me: and last evening you had become modelled as it were to such an im- proved state of mind, that you were deeply touched by the pictures which I drew of the advantages of an honest life and a good character. We have now been conversing a couple of hours this morn- ing—and you seem anxious to enter upon a right path if you had the opportunity. Now, is all this true or not?’ demanded Sampson, again looking the youth fixedly in the face. “It is perfectly true, sir,” was the response. “Bat on the other hand,” resumed the officer, there are moments when yon think to yourself what a fool you are to give way to anything savour- ing of contrition for the past; and you feel a cer- tain restlessness and uneasiness which invariably accompany a transition phase in the human mind. Now it will take some time and trouble to redeem you thoroughly: but it would only need the temp- tation of a moment and but a few words of per- suasion on the part of the tempter to drag you back again into the slough of demoralization. You have been so trained in the school of duplicity and deceit, that a purely straight-forward line of conduct would become positively irksome, as it were, foratime. It is the difference between the mind's utter abandonment on the one hand, and a wholesome restraint on the other. But you are not so utterly lost that your redemption is impossible : and that redemption I will take in hand, if you will permit me.” “ Ah! sir, how can I refuse such an offer?” ex- claimed the Foundling, speaking with an impulse of the fullest sincerity at the moment. “Then you accept it?” said Larry, inquiringly. “J do—beyond all chance of recalling my words,” responded the youth. “ And yon will undergo the exact training which I shall specify ?” “Y will follow your commands and instructions in all things.” eg gf SS Tp TOI > | EOMICOOOKS. conn