The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 233: what you’re looking at

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220 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. . ‘pou iny soul—my head begins to turn, and I feel all no-how looking at these pictures and images. Why, the purest virgin that ever stepped would leave this gallery as corrupt in mind as if she had passed through twenty years of debauchery and pro- fligacy. Nell Gibson, who frequents the dark crib at the Folly Bridges, isn’t so bad bat that she'd be made worse by a ten minutes’ walk up and down this gallery. And everything is so beautifully done too—the paintings as well as the statues! What a mint of money ali this must have cost—and what a lot of sculptors and artists must bave been em- ployed to furnish eo many different things! Aye, and doesn’t the old Marquis come at times and gloat over them. .What a many women have no doubt lost their virtue in consequence of a visit to this place: and what tales these walls could tell if they only had the gift of speech! But only sup- pose that a poor devil was to be seen selling cheap pictures and printe half so bad as these great ex- pensive paintings—wouldn’t the constables be down upon him in a jiffsy, and no mistake !” While thus musing, Mr. Daniel Coffin brought his iaspection of the gallery to a close; and issuing forth, he returned into the reom containing the “ Well, I think one of these concerns will be even more comfortable to sleep in for the night than the sofas in the room beyond,” he thought to himself as he glanced slowly around. “ Besides, I always sleep too heavy when I lay down—and I musn’t stagd a chance of being surprised napping.” Having come to this conclusion, the Hangman placed the wax-candle upon the table, and then de- posited himself in one of the arm-chairs. But scarcely had he dropped his person upon the vo- luptuous-looking cushion, when a sharp click, like aclock giving warning, struck his startled ear; and at the same instant his wrists were caught in the manacies and his shoulders were fast griped by the strong steel bands that sprang forth from the wood-work of the treacherous chair. “Perdition !” ejaculated the Hangman, with a desperate struggie to release himself. But his efforts would not have been more vain er fatile, had a tremendous boa-constrictor sud- denly wound its massive coils around him: the manacies were immoveable—the steel bands held his shoulders in an inextricable gripe—and the very chair iteelf was solidly fastened by the legs to the floor. Finding that his esdeavours were useless, and exhausted by their anavailing strenousnes, the suddenly desisted from any further struggling with the treacherous chair and its po- tent mechanism: and as a subdued imprecation fell from his lips, the chill sweat of profound terror barst forth all over him, saturating his very gar- ments and making his shirt cling to him like the eold clammy gravoe-clothes of the dead ! ‘CHAPTER LXI. ERNESTINA AND THE PRINCE. iv was about eleven o'clock in the forenoon of the day following the incidents just related; and Er- nestina was alone in the Crimson Drawing Room. She was seated near a harp—and it was evident from her looks and her manner that she was study- ing a part which ehe had to play. We do nots mean aught in reference to music, although the instrament was there close at hand—bnt in re- ference to coquetry and seductive allurement. Her hair was arranged in massive bands over her alabaster temples, and gathered with a gracefal sweep in such a way that it showed the small and well folded ears. She had selected a dress which displayed her fine form to its most exciting and — sensuous advantage, leaving the white plump shoulders bare, and allowing the grand fulness of the bosom to swell in more than half ite giowing amplitude above the body of therobe. Bya gentle inclination of her figure towards the harp, she was enabled to give her bright and polished neck so swan-like a curve that nothing could exceed the beauty of ite arching gracefnlness ;—and, with an admirable prescience of coquettish effect mingied with a seductive languor, she knew that this position would enable the eye of a beholder to trace the symmetry of that sweet neck in its gradual and downward expansion into the noble foundation on which it rested. The volume and voluptuous form of her bust were in this manner developed to the fullest advan- tage: and as she leant towards the harp with all the seeming ease and gracefulness of this really studied attitude, she threw into her looks a melan- choly softness which added to the power of her great beauty. Her whole figure was thus sen- suously languid and voluptuously drooping: her eyes were half-veiled by the long lashes benesth which their expression became all the more wanton —and the ripeness and falnesas of her shape bespoke a subdued passion as profound and as inxurious as the looks that shone from under the softly drooping lids. It was a very cold, damp, raw October day, with @ leaden sky and a misty atmosphere: but the air of the Crimson Drawing-room was warm and perfumed. A cheerful fire blazed in the grate— and the porcelain vases exhaled a delicious fra- grance that stole upon the sense without overpow- ering it. But why, just as the time-piece upon the mantel struck eleven, did Lady Ernestina Dysart assume that studied air of mournful pensiveness and sen- suous languor, as she bent towards the harp? Because a carriage had that moment stopped at the front-door—and she was at no loss to conjec- tare who the visitant was. In Res than a minute a domestic entered, an- nouncing his Royal Highness the Prince Regent. The man immediately retired, closing the door behind him: but Ernestina retained that pensive attitude, as if she were so profoundly absorbed in her reflections that she heard not the entrance of the Prince nor the annunciation of his name. We must here pause for a moment to state that his Royal Highness had called in compliance with Ernestina’s note. He was not aware that he had as yet ever seen this lady: bat he had heard much of her beauty—and he was not the man to let pass the opportunity of satisfying himself whether re- port spoke truly in that respect. Besides, he fancied that her ladyship might have something important to comuunicate from her uncle, the Marquis of Leveson, of whose abrupt departure for the Continent ba was already aware. Severe CONNIE OOO© (C SS CO