The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 127: what you’re looking at

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a ee a Gees Gee ee eee ee => 114 THE MYSTERIL3 OF THR COURT. question suddenly put shakes the nerves. However, already conjectured ¢:°. really take piace. You Lady Saxondale has evidently something to say «.s--, may conceive my aston.:..ment! But who would eerning that Mr. Deveril who gives you lessoruJ. | Eave thought it of this Mr. Deverill? A young Flo.” man Of his ixtelligenco to be so besotted !—a person “The most amusing thing in the world!” ex-: of his appacont good breeding to be so utterly claimed her ladyship, pretending rather to addrees | | norant cf the ordinary proprieties of life, or as herself to the aunt than to the niece, but furtively | least so fa> “a forget them! Is it not strange ” surveying the latter with a scrutinizing intentnees | from the corners of her eyes. ‘“ Would you believe ; donald. “And yet persons in ous sphere of life it ?—this Mr. Deveril who bas obtained such re-| are liable to the impertineness of presumptuous nown by his talents and is so extensively patronized | coxcombs——” in the circles of rank and fashion, seemsto have had| “That is exactly what Mr. Deveril is,” obecrved his head turned by his good fortune. For my part, | Lady Saxondale: and she saw that poor Florina I always considered him to be a well-behaved unas- | was literally writhing on her chair under these cruel suming young man, of a sufficiently independent | inflictions. “Phe poor silly fool, because he is spint tor one of his sex and intelligence, but totally | rather good-looking, has got some little talent, and devoid of any insolent pretensions.” has been petted and made much of in the houses “That is precisely the opinion which I had | of the aristocracy to which he has obtained admit- - formed of him,” observed Lady Macdonald; “ and | tance as a preceptor, fancies that the civilities I should reatly feel grieved to be compelled to alter | shown him are of a different character from what is What has happened ?” they seem——” ; Fiorina said nothing, but awaited with « tortur-; ‘But you have not yet told us,” interrupted ing suspense the reply that should be given to the , Lady Macdonald, “exactly what it is that this question her aunt had just put to Lady Saxondale, | Mr. Devoril hae done: although, from the remarks She was naturally filled with the strangest misgiv- | you have made, I have not much trouble to guess. ings; and even while waiting for the up of | In short, I suppose that he has dared to fancy that her uncertainty and doubt, she felt a thousand wild your ladyelip wee in love with fof conjectures sweeping through her brain ; for under} “Precisely so,” returned Lady Saxondale, who such psinful circumstances one secoms to live an | now had the secret satisfaction of noticing with her entire age in a single minute, and to te toxsed upon | furtive glances that poor Florina was so cruelly a sea of troubled emotions vast couugh to fill a cen- | tertured as to have been compelled surreptitiously ‘tury, although compressed at the time into the space | to wipe away the tears which had serie ah oan of a gw instants. She however did her bost to conceal ; eyes. “The incident happened yesterday,” she exp>‘enced. Her cunt was not noticing | tinued Lady Saxondale, dwelling with a Ler; rer cic indy faxondale appedr to be doing s0 | delight upon her words as she knew that every siner—though in reality the latter lost not a single | avilable fell like succcasive ¢rops of molten lead gieam or shade of those feelings that found a swift: upon the most sensitive fDres of Filorina’s heart. brief flitting expression upon the young sents | girls had gone out for an airing, and I was features. alone. Mr. Deveril was shown up, because I had a “You asked me what has happened, my dear | message to deliver from Juliana and Constance. friend P” resumed Lady Saxondale in reply to Lady : It was merely, as you might suppose, to make Macdonald’s question. ‘“ You really never would ' arrangements for the days and the hours when guees—and you will scarcely know how to believe | they would take their lessons in future. It struck me when I tell you. In one sense you will perhaps : me that there was something very peculiar in the say that I ought to feel complimented—in enotuer ' young man’s look and manner,—a flushing of the indignant and angry—and in a third sense wonder- , | cheeks—a trembling and a hesitation in the speech fully amused and diverted.” i—-an embarrassment and an awkwardness, as if he “ T already begin to understand your meaning,” wanted to say something but dared not. It natu- eaid Lady Macdonald in astonishment, « But is it ' turally occurred to me that he had some favour to really possible——” , ask,—perhaps an advance of money, or something “So possible,” returned Lady Saxondalc, “that of the kind; and feeling really willing to oblige it did actually take place.” | him, but little suspecting what was agitating in his All this was torture and excruciation f> poor mind, I said something to encourage him to pro- Florina; and Lady Saxondale sawit. Every varied ceed. Then he burst forth into the most impas- expression which swept over the young maiden’s | sioned declarations. I listened with astonishment, countenance, and every new effort which she mare thinking that he had either gone mad or was re- to conceal her emotions, tended to confirm Lady citing some rhapsody from @ novel. But as his Saxondale’s suspicion that she now knew who her language grew more vehement and his m rival was in the love of William Deveril. ‘There-' lees and less mistakable, I rose indignantly from fore, to deal in bare allusions without coming im- ' my seat. Then he threw himself upon his knees mediately to the point itself, was now source of before me, vowing thet his happiness—his very malignant pleasure to the jealous lady. She saw life—was in my hands, and that if I did not have . how sho was torturing poor Florina—how she was | | merey upon him he should kill himself in despair.” anglicg as i were with her feelings—and she on-' ‘‘I never heard of such a thing,” exclaimed deavoured to prolong this cruel game as much ae. Lady Macdonald. “And to think that I should possible. | have allowed such an irsproper person to give les- ‘Yes, my dear friend,” she continued, still ap- | sons to Florine, and to be alone with her !” pearing to address herself almost entirely to Lady' ‘But I had dono the same in respsct to ray MMacdonale, “what you in your shrewdness have daughters, without ever thinking that the yuung GOHMGIOO “Very strange indeed,” returned Lady Mac. | et a SRA a (CO