The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

i614 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. apoplectic fit ;—and when luncheon was over, Dr. Copperas took his leave to pay his aflernoon’s round of visite and seek every opportunity of run- ning down Professor Gargie, according to agree- ment with his friend. Dr. Tharston was alse thinking of going out on Ais tour, when a carriage drove up to the door, and a lady alighted. The footman showed her up to the drawing-room, and then hastened to inform his master that Lady Fiorimel desired to see him. “Lady Florimel!” muttered the physician to himself, as he ascended to the drawing-room. “Ah ! I recolleet: she was one of those Miss Clarendons who used to live in the Edgeware Road, and at whose house——” But as his musings reached this point his fingers . were upon the handle of the drawing-room door ; and putting on his most pbysician-like look and his best professional smile, he entered the apartment. “TI believe that I may have the honour of claim- ing your ladyship as an acquaintance of former times,” he said, bowing with mingled solemnity and arbanity : and he then seated himself near Pauline. “Jt is many years since we met, Dr. Thurston,” observed the lady: “and the object of my visit is relative tos certain incident—an incident which you cannot possibly have forgotten—-—" . “Ah! I know what your ladyshbip means!” said the physician, in a subdued voice of mystery: and his countenance fell. “Ts he alive, Dr. Thurston?” asked Pauline, a deep misgiving smiting her at the moment as she observed that sudden alteration in the physician’s looks. “Lady Florimel,” was the answer, delivered with mach evident uneasiness, “I am utterly unable to giye you avy information respecting that child— who indeed would be a young man now, if alive——” “Dr. Thurston,” said. Pauline, surveying him suspiciously, “ what means this singular—this un- accountable—this alarming maoner in which you speak of the being confided to your care 2?” “Hear me patiently—judge not hastily! ex- claimed Thuraton. “The affair may seem suspi- ‘cious: but 1 take God to witness mine innocence of any harm or neglect towards that child! It was stolen—stolen from its nurse in its infancy——” “Stolen!” echoed Pauline. “Ah! and the mother is now anxious to hear tidings concerning him !” “Her Royal Highness the Princesa Sophia !” said Thirston, in a low deep tone: then, perceiving by Lady Florime!’s countenance that he was not in error, he continued, “A few months after I re-: moved to May Fair, which is upwards of nineteen years ago—soon after the child was entrusted to me—I saw her Royal Higtness riding in her car- riage in the park; and I felt assured that she was indeed none other than the Mrs. Mordaunt of the Edgeware Road.” “I do not—I will not—attempt to deny the truth of this discovery,” said Pauline. “The religious inviolability with which you have kept so grave and important a secret, Dr. Thurston, convinces mé of your honour—your integrity—your conscien- tiousness; and I beseech your pardon for the mo- mentary manifestation of suspicion which I may have shown. Pray tell me, then, how the unfor- tunate child was lost,” EE “A few months after it was entrusted to my care,” said the doctor, “the nurse was one day taking it out for the accustomed airing in Hyde Park, when a ferocious-looking man end a boy stole the babe from her. But the man used the most horrible threats. He declared that the child should be reared in the stews of vice and the dens of infamy—that he should be trained in all the hideous ways of demoralization—and when, on the lapse of years, his mind had become thoroughly imbued with these dreadful teachings, he should be restored tome. From that moment, however, uo intelligence of the lost one has reached me.” “Oh! thisis indeed frightfal—frightfal,” ex- claimed Lady Florimel, with a cold shudder. “ Let us hope that the unfortunate victim died in his in- fancy, rather than that the hideous intentions of that monster should have been falfilled !” “That dreadful man doubtless thought he was stealing my own child,” observed the physician: “for he had conceived a spite against me for rea- sons which I need not now explain. I never heard of him afterwards. At the time, I gave information to the authorities—circulated hand-bilis offering a reward for the recovery of the ochild—and adopted all imaginable means to regain the hapleas lost one. But I forebore from advertising my own name in the matter, for fear the incident should come to the knowledge of the child’s mother, whose reel name and rank I did not then know. Here is one of the proofs of my statement.” And unlocking a writing-desk, Thurston dis- played to Pauline one of the printed bills of which he had just spoken, and which bore the date of June, 1795. | ‘| What am I to do ?—-what course can I adopt {* asked Lady Florimel, profoundly affected. “I cannot reveal the tremendous truth to the Princess —and I cannot stoop to a falsehood? What is to be done, Dr. Thurston ?” “I know not how to advise your ladysbip,” said the physician. “But I must inform you that I have many times thought of renewiog the inquiry after the lost one. There is at this moment at the head of the London constabulary, a man of extra- ordinary tact and discernment, and whose fame in his special sphere has never been excelled— scarcely equalled. 1 allude to Mr. Sampson, the Bow Street officer—an individual whose respecta- bility I believe unimpeachable, and who might be entrusted with the investigation of this delicate matter.” “ But it is not necessary to inform him that the subject of the inquiry is the son of her Royal Highness?” said Lady Florimel. “ Assuredly not,” returned the physician. “I will represent to Mr. Sampson that the youth, if he be alive, is my own son; and I will proffer a thou- sand guineas as a reward for hia discovery.” “I rely upon your taking these measures with- out delay,” said Pauline. “In the meantime I must reveal the trath to her Royal Highness, sup- pressing however the dreadful threats which were uttered at the time by the man who stole the child,” “ And I will at once repair to Bow Street and obtain an interview with Mr. Lawrence Sampson,” observed the physician. Lady Florimel then took her deperture. COMME OG CO