The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 239: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIEE OF THE COURT. never get on at thie rate. You must answer me. first. Whose livery do you wear ?”—and her looks became suddenly disdainful as she spoke: not dis- dainful of her brother—for Ais she carcased fondly at the same time; but disdainful in respect to that garb of servitude. “T am at Lady Saxondale’s,” he replied. “ Lady Saxondale’s!” she echoed, with something like a sudden start, and even a changing of the colour on her truly handsome countenance. “Yes. Do you know her?” oried Frank, per- ceiving those evidences of emotion. “No: buat the name is famiier to me,” returned his sister. ‘“ Dear Frank, I am s0 rejoiced—so in- ellably rejoiced to see you—you know not how mauch |” “ And now tell me, dear Elisabeth,” quickly ro- eurmed Frank, “why for the last four or five years you have not written to me? why have I never heard from you ?” “Why, my dear brother?” she exclaimed, now becoming red with indignation, and her eyes fiash- ing fire. “Oh, why ?——because I was given to understand that you were dead. Ah! my dear brother, you know not how bitterly, bitterly I wept for your loses! It was treachery of the foulest description: but I can fathom it all—yes, all! Heaven be thanked that you are alive! I could scarcely believe my eyes when they fell upon yet I knew you in an instant!” “Bat you spoke of treachery, dear sister,” said Frank, in astonishment. ‘“‘ Who behaved threagher- ously? What is it that you can fathom ?”’ “The story is much too long to tell you now, dear boy,” she replied, speaking with a sort of maternal air at the moment; for, as the reader has been in- formed, she was nearly eight years older than her brother. “ Besides, I am now somewhat pressed for time, and must hasten elsewhere, To-morrow, my dear Frank, you shail come to me: and that,” she added emphatically, “shall be the last time you wear this badge of servitude. Tell me, dearest Frank, have you been happy? But I am afraid to ask the question: for when I met you just now, you seemed to be absorbed iz profound and mielencholy thought.” . “JT cannot easy, dear gster, that I have been alto- gether happy. I have been much troubled by your unaccountable silence: but that source of grief is lighted to behold you again, and to seo by your ap- pearanee that your circumstances must be good. But tell me, dear Elisabeth, have you obtained any clue to-——” “The reading of past mysteries?” said his sister, anticipating the question. “No—nwt the slightest. | hood “Upom that enbject I was pondering when your voie—your dear voice, so quickly recognised—fell wre Had anything oceurred to plunge new thus fato such deep abstraction P”’ . ™ “Oh, yes! I will tell you. You remember,” con- tinued Frank, “that when I joined gou at the school at Southamptos—that was upwards of ten years ago—TI told you how I had been taken to a otrange-looking red brick building, where I saw that lady again, and where « nobleman with a star upun his breast spoke to Mrs. Burnaby? Well, I have since found out that the red brick building was &. James's Palace.” “ Ah!” ejaculated Ehizabeth: “was itso? Thea she whom we believe to be our mother, was con- nected with the Court ?” “ Listen,” resumed Frank. “ You recollect that the same nobleman with a star upon his breast was the one who took me to see that lady at the bean- tiful country-house the last time I ever did sce her—and he then conducted me to the school at Southampton. You remember I told you all this, Elisabeth ?” - “Certainly. How could I forget it? But go on, dear Frank—go on.” the situation of a page at, Buckingham Palace— how he had there recognised the two ladies whom he had formerly seen in company with the one whom he believed to be his mother, but how they had denied axntly knowledge of him. Then he de- scribed how he had accosted Lord Petersfield at the antecedent circumstancee—and how through his lordship’s aid Frank had obtained the situation as Saxondale House after his summary though not relative to the portrait in the Court Beauties which have just been described. “It is of the highest impartance to procure that portrait,” said Elizabeth, who had listened with the deepest attention and most absorbing interest to her brother’s narrative. “It will be.certain to afford us a clue to the discovery whe the lady was; and if once we ascertain that point, we may follow up the investigation so as to arrive at the truth whether we indeed have any right to regard hee as our parent. You say that the publisher gave you no hope of obtaining a copy, and that Lord Peters- field showed no inclination to give you his own P Well, eve shall ssof You will come to me to- zaorrow, Frank: and perbaps I may be enabled te show you the portrait then. Oh! my dear boy, you need, uot look so surprised : depend upon it I will do my best to obtain one, And now I repeat, you must come to me to-morrow. Let it bein the after. noon—and with or without Lady Saxondale’s pere maission, it matters not; for you shall return to her no more. But now I am going to astonish you somewhat. When you come to me to-morrow, you will find yourself in the home of your ghild- “What! is it possible?” cried Frank. “I am pened it ?”’ “Simply thatthe cottage was to let and I took it eome time back. But perhaps you have never econ it since you quitted it when eight ypars old ?” “I had altogether forgotten where it was: but it will give me unspeakable pleasure to behold it agsia to-morrow.” His sister now gave him her card; and as he glanced upon it, he cried with a new outburst of astonishment, “Then you are marzied, dear Hlisa- beth! And yuur husband?” GON GoOO CO