The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 113: what you’re looking at

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300 by illness, 9 illness, was unable long to endure a joy so great that it engendered a mistrustfulness of iteelf? No doubt this was the explanation of Mrs. Leyden’s feelings ; and in such a morbid mood it was also natural that she should entertain misgivings in respect to her daughter’s sudden and impulsive re-visit to the Opera. Dire misfortune had so warped the poor woman's feelings as to render her somewhat suspicious of every circumstance that might occur, and made her invest the commonest . incidents with an air of ominous importance. was anxious to display her change of circumstances to her acquaintances at the Opera, The reader will no doubt consider it wrong of Mrs. Leyden to fudge her daughter thus,—wrong to form such an opinion of the young girl whose sclf-denial had been ex- hibited in so many various ways during their period of poverty - especially on that very morning when she had purchased comforts for her brother and her mother, but not even necessarics for herself! Mra. Icyden felt, too, that she was wrong to give way to 4zvse fears and suspicions: but she could not help it—she was not mistress of her thoughts—and they ga.ncd upon her. She was naturally a good woman ; bat the best natures are liable to feelings and weak- nesses of this kind—especially when the physical energies have been impaired by sickness, suffering, and calamity. «An hour passed, and Mrs. Leyden seid to herself, ‘* Henrietta ought to return now.” Half-an-hour ee —— see She | accordingly began to fear that Henrietta, having | no sogner regained the possession of good clothing, | , your danghbter will not be long. Come, my little THE MYSTEEING OF THE COURT. aw Oe —— =e oe visitor, depositing himself in a chair. “How long has she been gone ?” “Two hours, sir,” returned Mrs. Leyden, endea» vouring to banish the expression of uneasiness from her countenance. “Two hours!” ejaculated the gentleman. “That's i rather long. It is now more than half past five,” he continued, looking at his watch. “Did aot the | porter tell you 1 should be here between five and six ?”’ ageiu——" “Nonsense! I don’t want thanks. I suppose fellow, you and I will look at these books together till your sistor comes back.” Another half-hour passed. Mrs. Leyden was suf- fering excruciations, which she endeavoured to cone ceal as well as she was able; and the vid gentleman began to grow impatient. Another half-hour—then another—till at length it was seven o'clock. Mrs. Leyden, who had frequently tarned aside upon her cua to cunceal her tears, now burst into a flood of weeping; and becoming dreadfully excited, declared aer conviction that something was wrong. The old geutleman said what he onuld to soothe her, and voluntecred to hasten off to the Opera and see if anything was really the matter. He secordingly sped away; end during his absence Mrs. Leyden became sc ill that she was compelled to lie down. Little Charley aow saw that something fresh had occurred to make his mother unhappy; and she was more elapsed—and still she did not come back. | not able to reasoure him. In a little more than half- Then Mrs. Leyden kept looking at the watch which , an-bour the old gentleman came back. He wore a had that day been restored to her; and this very | gloomy look—and Mr. Legies, af once caw that he watch, though affording a proof of returning proe- had no satisfactory tidings for her perity, became in another sense a source of pain and and | “Your daughter, ma'am,” be said, “has been to enxiety as it indicated the lapses of time during the Opera. She was theres little aftor four o'clock, which Henrietta returned not. The incident of the | but only stayed a few minutes while she delivered watch affords an illustration of all the circumstances , her letter aud spoke to the balict-master. She then of this world, none of whoee pleasures are without | tuuk Ler departure—but was joined at the stage pain and none of whose roses aro without thorns! ‘door by some geutieman whose name I could nut Half-past five o'clock! Henrietta had been ab- | learn, and with whom she went away.” eent two hours—and Mrs. Leyden’s excitement | At this intelligence Mrs. Leyden gave a iow grew intolerable. She felt very ill again—yet was | moan, and fuinted. The old gentleman threw water too nervous to lie down. Little Obarley, too young to perceive that his mother was suffering, and too innucent to understand how she could suffer now that she had good clothes and plenty of food again and was going away to a nicer place, as he had been assured,—was amusing himeelf with the pictures in one of the books which were amongst the things redeemed from the pawnbroker’s. Presently footeteps wore heard ascending the upon her fave, while Charley hastened down to summon the landlady. The unhappy mother re- gained her senses, but showed every symptom of being very dangerously ill. A doctor was sent for; and he doclared that it would be impossible to remove her for the presont. The idea of transferring the poor lady to another ludging was consequontly aban- dcned for that evening. The old gentleman remained at the lodging till ttairs; and the elderly gentleman of the morning ' past aine o'clock, in the hope that Henrietta would made his appearance. ireturn. But tho young girl came nut—and Mre. “Well, rua'am, Il am glau tc soe you are up,” he ' Leyden upbraided herself bitterly at the cause of immediately observed. “Ah! my little fellow, Woking at a picture-book--eh? But where is your ‘sister P” “ Henriette has gone to the Opers, sir, to leave a note of thanks for Signora Vivaldi,” said Mrs. Ley- jen, answering the question. what she believed to be her daughter's flight. “T suspected her virtue—I accused her wrong- | fully (” she exclaimed with wild accents and sionate gestures; “and the dagger which I planted in her heart has rankled there. Oh, heavens! is 1t possible that she has gone? has she left the mother “That's all very well and good,” interrupted the | who dared suspect her innocence? has she said to old geatteman: “bet she mivht have given it to me.” “That is what I suggested,” rejoined Mrs. Ley- den: “but she would take it herself.” “Tkea I suppose we roust wait for her,” said th , herself that it were useless to take a pride hence forth in that virtue for which she obtained not credit? Has she, in short, abandoned hereelf ta guilt in a paroxysm of despair ?” The old gentleman souht an esplangtion of these ElOOO (CO