The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Qqaeetee, Louisa instantaneously recognised the handwriting of Jocelyn: and the roseate tinge deepencd upon her lovely countenance as she read the following lines :— “ Piazza Hotel, Covent Garden, London. “ Tuesday evening, Sept. 17th. “ My ever dearest Louisa, ‘*T have arrived in this great city just in time to save the post with these few words, which I pen for the purpose of convincing you that your loved image is ever uppermost in my thoughts. To-morrow I shall call upon your sister in Stratton Street, and will write to you again. I hope to be able to return to Cantorbury on Friday, or Saturday at latest. “* Your sincerely affectionate and faithful * JOCELYN LOFTUS.” “Dearest Jocelyn !” murmured Louisa to herself, as a thrill of holy ecstacy penetrated her heart : then, placing the letter under her pillow, she said, “‘ And now, Mary, before I give you an account of the causes of my absence, tell me all you may have to communicate. Was not-some message delivered to you on Tuesday night to account for my sudden disappearance ?— and under what circumstances was I just now brought home again ?” “TT will tell you all I know, Misu,” returned the faithful and affectionate domestic. “ The clock in the kitchen had struck {en on Tuesday evening when I thought that you were staying out a long time in the garden—and I began to fear you would catch cold. I accordingly went out to scek you: but you Were nowhere to be found. I was very uneasy, but atill fancied that you might have gone out for a walk and strolled farther than usual. Three quarters of an hour passed ; and then a strange old crone, looking like a gipsy, called at the gate and said that she had come with a message from Miss Louisa Stanley. I asked her what the message was; and she said you had gone to stay two or three days with some lady- friends of Mr. Loftus, in the neighbourhood of Can- terbury, and that there was no cause to be alarmed at your absence. She then hurried away: but I con- fess that I was by no meaus satisfied—for I thought this was very unlike your usual conduct, Miss. How- ever, there was no help for it: but I passed a sleep- less night. All day yesterday I was still more un- easy—and the longer I thought of your abeence and the strange message, the more alarmed I got. When night came again, I could not for the life of me go to bed: I was restless, feverish, and ill. SolIsat by the side of your poor aunt, Miss—and then I went down iuto the kitchen—and everything looked so lonely and dull, I didn’t know what todo. It seemed as if there'd been a death in the house. Bat I won't spin my story out longer than I need. I was sitting by the kitchen fire as the clock struck two—and then E thought that I must go to bed or I should be tbo ill to-morrow to attend on your aunt. But just as I had come to this determination a carriage drove up to the gate; and I ran out in the hope that you had come back. So you had—but in a decp swoon: and a gentleman and a lady who were inside, told me that you had met with some accident—but I didn't hcar exactly what they said, for I was so flurricd and frightened to see you in such a state. Tho lady got out and helped me to carry you up-stairs; and when we had undressed you, she gave gave me,a sealed note, saying, ‘ When your young mistress has recovered her composure, bid her read this.’—She then went away and returned to the carriage which instantly drove og.” a7 “Where is the note?” inquired Louisa, with mingled curiosity and suspense. ‘‘ Here, Miss,” said the servant. “I would not give it you at first, till I had told you my story—because from what the lady in black said, I feared it contained something that might ruffle your feelings.” “ The lady in black !" echoed Louiza, struck by the reminiscence that it was a female clad in deep mourn- ing who had appeared so suddenly in the orypt. ““'Yes— she was a tall lady, dressed in black,” an- swered the servant: “ but as she had her veil down, and it was a very thick one, I could not see her face. But her voice was sweet and mild—Oh! so mild, and algo so melancholy, that flurried though I was, it quite touched me.” “ And the gentleman who was with her in the car- riage?” said Louisa, inguiringly. “Oh! I couldn’t seo his face at ali,” was the re- sponse. “ He remained inside the vehiclo—and as it was then quite dark and the moon had gone down, I only saw his figure as one may say—but his voice was agitated and nervous.” Leuisa now opened the note which the maid-ser. vant had given her; and she found that it contained the following lines, penned in an elegant female hand- writing :— “ The lady who is instrumental in delivering Miss Louisa Stanley frem a most outrageous and uodjustifiable persecu- tion, ventures to plead on behalf of tho offender. She is well uware that Miss Stanicy’s feelings must be excited to a most painful degree of indignation, and that she will pro- bably deem it her duty to communicate all tho ficts to those friends on whuse counsel she is accustomed to rely. But the writer of thjs note earnestly implores Miss Stanley not only to deal leuulently with the offender, but alav to urge her friends to throw the vell of oblivion upon the matter. This is the only reward which tho writer seeks or asks for Jelivering Miss Stanley from 4 serious danger and restoring her to her home: but she may confidently add that Miss Stanley has no occasion to apprehend a repc- tition of the outrage, nor any farther molestation or insult from the sainc quarter." “ This ie an appeal to my generosity—and it shall not be made in vain,” thought Louisa to herself. “ Nevertheless, for my own sake, I must give the fallest explanations to my faithful servant now, and to Jocelyn when he retarns. But I will place the seal of silence upou their lips.” Having thus mused upon the course which sho should adopt, the young lady procecded to detail her adventures to the car of her maid, who was shocked, surprised, and indignant at the treatment to whiicls her beloved mistress had been subjected. Sho how- ever agreed with Louisa that it would be ungencrous towards the lady in black not to comply with an appeal that was couched in terms of so much delicate earnestness. Secrecy and silenoe were therefore re- solyed upon—the more readily, too, inasmuch as the lady's note contained so positive an assurance against any fature onuse of alarm As for the blow which Louisa had received from her fall in the crypt, its effect had been rather to stun than injure her: there was a slight abrasion of the skin, and some blood had trickled forth—hat there was mo fear of any scar remaining to injure ber beauty. | COMuicooOolkxs.conrn