The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

~ —_ guests who had been invited to the entertainment —or had at least found her way thither. “My explanations will not be very long, my lord,” she began; “and I repeat my assurance that your Grace hes nothing to apprehend. Indeed, that we may all the better understand each other, I will be very candid with you. My life has not always proved the most virtuous that can be con- ceived. I was once the mistress of an officer in the Guards—subsequently of a rich old Baronet, who very recently died at his country-seat near Ramegate. I am married: my husband is old enough to be my father—almost my grandfather ; and we are poor.” “You are poor P” ej ted the Duke, clutching eagerly at the avowal. “I will make you rich! I will make you rich! Bat proceed.” * Certain schemes in which I was embarked,” continued the lady, “and which I had hoped would all turn out to my advantage, failed most sig- nally. I came to London to stay with some friends: your Grace knows them—I allude to Sir James and Lady Walmer. I formed their ac- quaintance at Brighton; and they know nothing of the worst part of my antecedents. They re- ceived an invitation from the Duchess to her Grace’s ball this evening; and they brought me with them. We arrived late, having been engaged to dine elsewhere. We eatered her Grace’s saloons just as your lordship was retiring. In your lord- ship’s absence, Captain Walmer, the Baronet’s son, offered to introduce to me a partner for a dance. To whom should he thus present me, but that very officer of the Guards whose mistress I was a few years back |” “Who is he?” inquired the Duke quickly. , * Colonel Tressilian,” responded the lady. And you yourself, madam—your name? you have not yet mentioned it.” « Mrs. Oxenden,” she rejoined. “On being thus ted to Colonel Tressilian I lost not my pre- sence of mind; for I relied upon his honour not to ex me. He bowed as if to a stranger; and I thought that I was safe. He offered me his arm : bat instead of leading me to join the dance, he eonducted me into an adjoining room, where we found ourselves alone. Then he threw off the mask of a temporary dissimulation, and addressed me with a stern hauteur. It appears that he is acquainted with Sir Edgar Beverley, who has married my sister. Sir Edgar is in London with his bride; and accidentally meeting Colonel Tres- silien yesterday, he communicated enough to damage me irreparably in the Colonel’s estimation. Therefore Tressilian insisted that I should at once leave the Duchess of Marchmont’s ball-room—or else he should deem it his duty to expose my cha- racter to her Grace. It was rous, consider: ing the terms on which I had formerly lived with Tressilian: but he was inexorable. I besought him to spare mein respect to the Walmers’: bat with them also is he intimate—and all that I could obtain from him was a promise of forbearance and silence if in the course of to-morrow I quitted their abode. I withdrew from the ball-room; aml a domestic conducted me hither,—where it was my intention to wait until the Walmers’ car- riage should be announced. To the domestic I pleaded indisposition—but desired that my friends might not be disturbed or annoyed by the intelli- 133 gence in the midst of their own recreations. Your Grace’s domestic has gone to fetch the Walmers’ carriage, which was originally ordered to return at two in the morning: and it was the entrance of that footman which I apprehended when I re- quested your Grace just now to unlock the door.” “ And your husband, Mrs. Oxenden ?” said the Duke of Marchmont: “ where is he P” “At Brighton,” responded the lady; “and I care not if I never see him agaic. I have ex- plained to you the circumstances which brought me to this library. I had not been here many moments, when the door opened, and I heard s voice say, ‘Come in! quick, quick !’—I had been pacing to and fro in an agitated manner: and on hearing persons enter, I was fearful of being ques- tioned relative to the cause of my being here. At that moment I wasclose to the screen, and stepped behind it—thence gliding behind the window- draperies. I wonder that your Grace heard not the rustling of either the curtains or my dress ——But enough! You now understand how itis that I am here.” “ And what can I do for you ?” asked the Duke. “ Money in abundance—riches—gold—giftse-———”” “ Patience, my lord, for a few minutes!” inter- rupted Mrs. Oxenden: “for I have yet some ex- planation to give. When I married a man old enough to be my father, it was because I really wished to lead a respectable life—but more for the sake of my young sister than my own. Now,as I have already informed your Grace, certain projects on which I was recently bent, have utterly failed ; and my sister is alienated from me. I will not return to my drivelling dotard of a husband: I care not for the farce of leading what is called a respectable life for the future. On quitting Ramsgate, my mind was speedily made up. Availing myself of a long-standing invitation on the part of the Walmers’, I came to their house in London. My object in plunging amongst the pleasures of the metropolis shall be frankly con- fessed. Indeed, my lord,” added Mrs. Oxenden, significantly, “there is no need for the existence of any secrets between your Grace and me.” “No, no—certainly not!” said the Duke, in- wardly recoiling from the intimacy which had suddenly arisen upon the basis of a hideous crime becoming revealed to the ears of this woman who was so ready to take advantage of her knowledge thereof, and who could speak with such a mingling of bold hardihood and cold worldly-minded calcu- “Well then, my lord,” continued Mrs. Oxenden, “I am tired of playing the part of a virtuous and respectable wife, doomed to poverty; and I seek to become the mistress of some great and powerful personage who oan give me riches. For this ob- ject I came to Lendon: for this object I resolved to plange into fashionable society. Accident has favoured my purpose more readily than I had dared anticipate, even with the consciousness of « beauty which is not inconsiderable.” - “ Mrs. Oxenden,” replied Marchmont, “it shall be as you desire. To-morrow you will leave the Walmers’. Let it be in the middle of the day. Before noon you shall receive a note from me, in- timating where a suitable house is taken for your reception. But remember !|—the veil of inviolable seoresy-———” COM (G NOOK (CO