The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 148: what you’re looking at

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e THE MYSTERIES OF THE OOURT. 135 were as difficult as they were urgent. Indeed, it was one of those positions in which a very decisive and almost desperate step could alone be taken. And such a step did Lady Florina make up her mind to adopt. Composing her feelings as well as she was able, the young lady descended again to the drawing- ‘ voom. Her object was to learn in the course of conversation what were her aunt’s plans for the evening. This was soon ascertained: Lady Mac- donald was engaged to a whist-party at an old dowager’s in the same Square; and Florina there- fore perceived with inward satisfaction that the evening would be entirely at her own disposal—for Lady Macdonald was by no means likely to re- quire her to accompany her to an “old people's party.” Hours passed away—hours full of poignant sus- pense and a torturing anxiety for the poor youny lady. Never had an afternoon appeared so long: never had the foot of time seemed to be so heavy. Talk of time having wings and flying fleetly! he had none then for Florina. By one only incident was the monotony of that afternoon relieved; and this was an incident that enhanced to a harrowing de- gree the young Iady’s affliction. It was when Deveril’s well-known knock sounded at the front door, and Fiorina almust immediately afterwards heard that door closed with an unusual degree of violerree. Good heaven ! the outrazo was consum- mated——if an outrage it wereP Because if Deveril were really unfaithful and incunstant, and if Lady Saxondale’s story were strictly true, then was it no unmerited outrage, but a well deserved punishment. The dinner-hour arrived; and Lady Macdonald, who was one of those persons that dwelt long upon a particular topic and reverted often to it, talked the whole time about “the over-weening insolence and laughable coxcombry of that upstart Deveril.” And poor Florina was compelled to sit and listen—and not merely to listen, but also tu veil the feelings which this constant harping on the same sensitive ebord tried so cruelly. Yes—she had to conceal her emotions from her aunt, and frum the domestics in attendance: but as she caught herself blushing and turning pale a dozen times in a mmute, she trem- bled to the lowest confines of her being at the fear | of being detected. That dinner was one of the crucliest ordeals through which she had ever passed; and never was relief more gratefully welcomed than when Lady Macdonald retired to dress fur the whist-party, and Florina thus fuund an opportunity of seoking the solitade of her own chamber. Unlike the Hon. Miss Furefields, Lady Florina Btaunton had no confidential lIady’s-maid. She had two lady’s-maids: but with neither of them was she accustomed to cunverse in a manner cal. culated to lessen her own dignity in their eyes, or diminish the respoct which they experienced to- wards her. For, considering the sphere to which she belonged, Lady Florina was assuredly one of the most artless, unsophisticated, and ingenuous ereatares m existence. Therefore, while she in- variably treated her dependants with the utmost affability and kindness, never even making them feel their menial condition, she at the same time avoided anything that savoured of undue familiarity. Whatecever secreta her heart might cherish, were treasured up in the sanctity of that chaste taber- nacle; and thus was it that Lady Florina had no confidante in the general acceptance of the term. The consequence was that she now felt herself involved in a perplexing and embarrassing position She was anxious to go out for a couple of hours; and she did not choose the household to be aware of the circumstance. How was she to manage? Though in the purity of her heart hating and scorning anything that bordered upon duplicity, she now found herself reduced to the negassity of schemimg somewhat in order to accomplish her pur- poso. After a little deliberation, the young lady decided how to act. She waited till her aunt had taken her departure to the house where she was to spend the evening; and then Fiorina rang the bell ef her own private chamber. Her principal ledy’s- maid, whose name was Sophia, immediately an- swered the summons; and Florina said, “I feel so unwell this evening that I mean to lie down for an hour or two. Do not let mo be disturbed until I ring for you.” Sophia, suspecting nothing, promised to obey her young mistroas’s ordera, and withdrew. It was now close upon nine o'clock ; and Florina, patting on her plaineet and simplest apparel—an unpretendiag straw-bonnet with a veil, and a dark shawi—glided down a back staircaso and succeeded in issuing un- perceived from tho house, there being a means of egress from the rear of the premises. We should add that she had locked the door of her own suite of apurtinents and had taken the key with her. On font did the young lady proceed to the Regent's Park, whieh, for the behoof of persons unacquainted with London, we may observe is at tio very great distance from Cavendish Square. As she went on her way, Florina was sevoral times on the point of turning back. She folt that in ono sense there was some impropriety in the step she was taking—that of a single young lady visiting a single young gentleman, and such a visit being paid at such an hour: but then she thought to her- self that after everything that had ocourred on the previous day betweon herself and Deveril, it was a duty she owed to hor own feelings as weil as to those of that individual to suffor no unnecessary delay to elapse ere she had an exp’snation with him. If ali the worst should be he surely would not aggravate the present evil of his conduct towards her by boasting elsewhere that he had received such a visit: and if he were enabled to defend himself completely against the allegations of Lady Saxondale, he would rejoice and be grateful for the step Florina was now taking. Thus the young lady found more arguments to induce her to continuo her way than to make her retrace her steps. She entered the Regent’s Park, and in a short time drew near the mansion where she had passed the previous evening. She stood for a few moments gasing up at the balcony whence she had wavod hor handkerchief to Deveril: and as her heart swelled almost to bursting and the tears started from her eyes, she said to hersel®, ‘‘Is it possible that within a few hours after making a declaration of love to Lady Saxondale, he could have been guilty of suck a hollow hypocrisy as to seek this spot in the hope of heing enabled to catch a glimpse of me? Oh! there is a strange, an unnatural contradiction ia all | ‘ COMME MOO (CO