The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 270: what you’re looking at

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

a ee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT, CHAPTER LIV. THE TETE-A-FETE IN THE TRAVELLING-CARRIAGSE. Tau carriage pursued ite way st a rapid rate through the stzects of the metropolis: the suburbs were reached and passedy-and the open country was gained. Nearly an hour had elapsed since the a single word was spoken inside, Lady Saxondale had thrown herself back in the corner of the carriage, and had remained perfectly motionless from the commencement of the journey : ber veil was etill over her countenance, so that Juliana was totelly unable to obtain the slightest indication as to her mother’s feelings or what was Presently Lady Saxondale slowly raised herself from that reclining posture, and as slowly lifted her veil. Juliana mechanically turned her eyes upon her mother, and gave a sudden start—indeed, could absolutely were all convulsed with a teeth gleamed between her contortion kept apert—her nobly were corrugated—her lofty fore- head was contracted into wrinkles—while her eyes glared, or even glowered in a manner horrible to contemplate. “Ah! you are frightened, detestable girl!” she eaid in a thick husky voice: then as her counte- “ Perish Constanee !” ejaculated Lady Saxondale, vehemently. “TI cast her off—I abandon her for evor! I discard her: she is nu longer a daughter of mine! Let her go, to become the paramour of a turer is tired of her, he will thrust heroff. She will perhaps come back to me, full of contrition and re- morse: I will spurn her. Then she will go and fiing herself into the arms of some new lover; and he in turn will cast her away from him when satiated. Perhaps she will come back again to me: I will spurn her with my foot as before. Then she will continue in the ways of profligacy, passing 252 who was in @ state, from lover to lover, but each time descending lower and lower in the social scale—till at length she will take her infamy with her into the streets. And there,” added Lady Saxondale, with accents of bitter irony, but which were almost immediately succeeded by a strange and unnatural laugh resem- bling an hysterical shriek—* she will drag herself on through all pollutions--there tho daughter of patri- cian parents will suffer all insults and all ignomi- nies, till at length her wretched career will close in a ditch or a laszar-house !” “I have listened to this tirade of your’s, mother, with unspeakable horror and the deepest disgust,’ said Juliana, at first somewhat frightened by the terrible vebsmence with which Lady Saxondale spoke, but afterwards showing an air of loathing and abhorrence. “ Whatever Constance may have this day done, it was your tyranny that drove her to it; and as for the picture you have drawn, it is quite clear thaf in your malignant wickedness you depict what you desire should happen.” “You are adopting proud and haughty language towards me,” said Lady Saxondale, now bending upon Julians looks as ferocious as those of a tigress. “ Infamous girl! what diabolical did you practise during the past night!” “And what a fearful secret did I learn, mother,” retorted Miss Farefiald. “Ah! a secret—yes: I know that you discovered it: I know that by means of the most dotestable artifice you wormed i¢ out of that woman who, cunning as she generally is, was nevertheless thrown off her guard by your matchless duplicity. Weil, that secret—go and proclaim it if you like}, Are you disposed to do so? = On my soul, it has cost me 40 much to keep it, that it would now take but little to induce me to procleim it to the world at once. Therefore, Juliana, do not think that by the knowledge of this secret you have got me in your power, eo that I shall henceforth cringe to your tyranny. If you imagme this, you are very much mistaken,” Lady Saxondale hed spoken with extreme volu- bility, and in such @ state of frensied excitement that her daughter had never seen her exhibit before. She would perhaps have gone on longer: but ex- hausted and breathless, she sank back in the cornor of the carriage. “It is no use, mother, for you to affect an utter reckleseness with regard to this secret,” said Juliana, in a voice thet was spiteful in its very coldnew. “You know perfectly well that all you have just been saying is not only false, but purely nonsensical. As long as you cling to life, will you cling to tha secret: but even if you had made ap your mind te suicide, you would not tell that secret to a living soul ere you accomplished the work of selif- destruction. You might leave the secret, or rather its elucidation, written upon paper, so as to exercise a posthumous revenge against one whom you hate most cordially: but ‘you would not dare look the world in the face and explain all the past.” “You know not what I shall dare—you know not what I shall be goaded to!” exclaimed Lady Saxon- dale, quivering all over with a terrible rago, whicts appeared as if it must vent itself by doing her daughter @ mischief—for it was the rage of the tiver-cat. “Why are you here?” she suddenly ex- claimed, after a few moments’ pause; “why did you GON GoOO