The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 305: what you’re looking at

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

| 292 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Hee A Aaa aaa aaa aaa cata taammcaaaceatacaaaea eeteatl s ! in the presence of this tremendous iniquity to which she had lent herself. Not many moments, however, did she thus give way to her painful reflections, ere she was startled by the entrance of a footman, saying, “Sir Douglas Huntingdon requests an immediate interview with either my Lord Marquis or your ladyship.” Ernestina was about to desire the domestic to say that neither she nor her uncle was at home, when the Baronet, who had followed close behind the footman, now walked unceremoniously into the room. The lacquey accordingly retired: and this sin- gular behaviour on the part of Huntingdon so increased, or indeed so completely crowned Ernes- tina’s agitation that, all woman of the world though she was, she felt covered with confusion. “Pardon this intrusion, my lady,” said Huat- ingdon, who spoke in the tone and with the air of aman bent upon the performance of some deci- sive part: “but I must see the Marquis imme- diately.” “My uncle is particularly engaged,” faltered Lady Ernestina, a deep blush suffasing her cheeks and running up even uato her forehead, so that it was lost beneath the massive bands of her light brown hair. “If I cannot see the Marquis, then,” resumed Bir Douglas Huntingdon immediately, “ your lady- ship will perhaps have the kindness to afford me an interview with Miss Louisa Stanley, who is now staying at Leveson House.” Ernestina gave a visible start as this demand smote her ears: and with the instinctive impulse of a guilty conscience, she cast her eyes rapidly towards the door communicating with the private suite of apartments. Sir Douglas, who was keenly alive to every look or gesture on the part of the lady, and who saw in her increasing confusion something calculated to excite the most alaruning suspicions, failed not to observe that glance which she involuntarily flung towards the door. He was no stranger to the existence of that suite of apartments: as one of the most intimate friends of Lord Leveson, all the treacherous or licentious mysteries thereof were well known to him;—and it was therefore natural that he should now suddenly argue the very worst. He had been told that Leveson was particularly engaged—his visit had evidently over- whelmed Lady Eruestina with confusion and dis- may—and that tell-tale look which she had flung at the door of the private chambers, at once seemed to afford a clue to all that was passing. *Ah! I undetstand,” exclaimed the Baronct: '‘ my friend the Marquis is in those rooms—and as I am no stranger to the mysteries of his mansion, I will, with your ladyship’s permission, at once seek him there.” As he thus spoke, Sir Douglas Huntingdon hastened towards the door of the private apart- ments: but Lady Ernestina sprang after him and eaught him by the arm, exclaiming, “ No, sir—you must not intrude upon my uncle’s privacy !” “TI am well aware, a3 a matter of course,” said Huntiogdon, “that my behaviour may seem some- what extraordiuary ; but it will be your ladyship’s fault if it now merge intw downright rudeness.” * Rudeness! what do you mean, sir?” ejaculated Ernestina, a deeper crimson thau before suffusing yew ew” =" CEEe-G. E. Cet eo = = ae her face, and her eyes flashing angrily: * ys surely, as a gentleman, are incapable of rudeness towards me, a lady ?” “Then, as a lady,” cried the Baronet, in a stern and even imperious tone such as perhaps he had never used in his life before,—“ conduct yourself like a lady, and depend upon it I should never dream of treating you otherwise.” “ Again I demand of you, sir, what you mean by this insulting observation?” cried Ernestina, now labouring under a terrible excitement. | “TI mean,” responded the Baronet, with a signi- ficance of look and a determination of manner that made her quail and recoil in dismay,—“I mean that if you prevent me from entering those rooms, I shall suspect that you are acquainted with all the mysteries which they contain; and this will not be highly creditable to you! Moreover, if I dis-' cover that anything outrageous or vile is now passing in those rooms, I shall be justified in set- ting you down as the accessory and the accomplice.” Ernestina fell crushed and annihilated upon a chair, burying her face in her hands: for it ap- peared to her as if her whole heart was suddenly laid bare in its boundless depravity to the view of that man who addressed her in a tone of such haughty confidence, stern remonstrance, and ter- rible menace. The Baronet, having thus silenced and subdued that lady whose complicity in her uncle's licentious proceedings was now too evident, lost no time ia opening the door leading into the secret apart- ments, and which Ernestina had ere now left un- locked after conducting Louisa thither. * * ¥ * ¥ * % * . Meantime the Marquis of Leveson, perceiving that Louisa Stanley was rapidly losing her con- sciousness, and that she was indeed fainting in that chair which so treacheroualy held her captive, stood for a few moments gloating upon the charms of which he hoped so soon to become the master. Her head hang down upon her bosom, of which his lustful eyes caught a slight glimpse; and the bands, clasping her shoulders, held her back in such @ manner that though her charming head thus drooped like a flower on its tall slender stalk, yet her form was retained upright in the chair. Therefore his gaze could slowly wander over the graceful symmetry and virgin contours of that ex- quisite shape,—a shape that possessed all the light and airy elegance of the sylph, with just sufficient fulness to denote that the last stage of girlhood was bursting into the luxuriant bloom and ripeness of womanhood. But just at the moment when the Marquis of Leveson fancied that our heroine was sinking into a profound insensibility, and while all his detestable passions were boiling up to a frenzied degree at what appeared to be the close consummation of his diabolical project,—just at the instant, in fact, that he believed himself to be touching on his crowning infamy,—Louisa appeared to be startled suddenly back to full consciousness. Raising her head, she gazed for a moment— a single moment—wildly around her: then, all the tremendous truth flashing to her recollection and all the incidents of her position recurring vividly to her comprehension, she gave vent to another, loud, long, and piercing scream. Es op CONNIE OOO© - = ss crm ep i i Pe A SS ST | SS CO