The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 240: what you’re looking at

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THN MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. "929 since that intervicw with the physician the result of which Clarine hed hoped would bave a very different effect upon her friend. And now, as she glanced furtively at Zoe's countenance, while they were bending their way back to the Chateau, she could not help thinking there was something unnatural in the serenely ead and placidly mourn- fal air of pensive resignation whieh sat upon the features of Lady Octavian Meredith. CHAPTER CXXIX. Tz last beams of the setting sun, on that same September’ evening of which we have just been. writing, wert flickering in riaddy hues upon the ‘western dutskirts af one of ‘those great forests which are still to be foand ‘in the southern parts of France. The progress of civilization creates so many new wants for mankind, that it renders it needfal to redeem as much territory as possible from ite wild and savage primitive condition; and thus is it that the great foreste of all well-populated. countries are gradually yielding to the axe; and the space which has been occupied by giant trees, whose growth indicated the lapse of centuries, has been ively: brought into cultivation that the golden harvest might wave in ite juxuriance. But still, as we have just now said, there are many of the#é’grand old forests still remaining — and some in the south of France. We do not mean woods of limited extent, nor of puny growth —nor spaces with mere patches and isolated groups of stunted trees upon them—euch as in England we find dabbed by the name of “ forests,” and rather indicating what ‘might have once been there than what now exists. But-we are speaking of forests in the true meaning of the térm;—miles and miles of uninlerrdpted mazes of stately tives, forming in the warmer seasons of-the year one vast canopy of verdure through which the sun- beams cannot penetrate. - It was upon such a ‘forest as‘ this that the last rays from the wést were flickering in ruddy hues as a postchaise-and-fotr entered upon the road in- tersecting the vast mase of verdare. The horses had been changed at « viflage which ‘stool at the entrance of the forest: the two postilions cracked their whips to inspire the fresh animals, which appeared to be of somewhat slaggish disposition : a valet in plain clothes was seated on the bor; and a young man, of exceedingly handsome ap- pearance, was the sole occupant of the interior of the chaise. Not to obeerve any «annecessary mystery, we may as well at once inform our reader that this was Lord Octavian Meredith, who was on his way to the Chateau where he knew that his wife resided,—that wife whom he was prepared to rejoin! With arms folded across his chest, and in a profoundly meditative mood, was Lord Octavian lying back in the vehicle. The forest was plunged in obscurity, though not 60 complete as to render » the road diffeult to be followed, or to entail the | mecessity of having the lamps lighted. Besides, as there are always the same postilions for the same stages, these men were perfectly conversant with the route, and could pursuo it blindfold. | Yet the forest was obscure, as we have said; and inside the vehicle it was quite dark. If, how. ever, it had been possible to study Octavian’s cduntenance under such circumstances, it would have been perceived that though exceedingly pale and bearing the traces of a strong mental conflict of very recent date, it wore an expression of firmest resolve. Yes—he had determined to re- join Zoe: he believed that Christina loved him not—that she had triffed coquotishly with his feel- ings—that her heart was not eo thoroughly good and ingenuous as he had originally deemed it to be; and thus every hope being destroyed in that quarter, it warwith a epecies of desperation that he had plunged headlong as it were into the per- formance of the duty which he owed t» his wife. ‘Deeper into the forest did the equip g : ptoceed : the stage was'an unuaually long obe vr che an- broken maze of trees stretched onward for a dis- tance of thirteen or fourteen miled; and in the interval ‘there occurred no post-house for relays. The chaise bad accomplished about half that dis- tance — the obscurity had now deepened into almost total darknees—when on a sudden the equipage came to a stop, but with a jerking abraptness that threw Meredith forward from his stat. The next moment’ he heard the plunging of horses —ejatulatioie of tertor mingled with others‘ of ‘thréats=the~‘tratnplitly of feet—the sounds of blows—aud then the report of fird-arms. All theso: alarming nvises were so ‘rapid in sac- cdssion—or indedd’ might almos¢ ba described as so btended—that* Octavian found’ the conilict bver by thé time hi féaped forth from thé vehicle. ot a conflict it really -was, thougt’ fie ‘scarcely éom- prehented fts ‘cirotinstancty, and ‘knew nothing at all of ite results until a little while afterwards. And this was the ‘reabou,—that” ho soonbr' had he - aprung'forth, than’ desperate blow was dealt him, either by a bludgeon or the butt-érid of a pistol ; and he was stricken dawn sensetées.” ‘As Lord’ Octavitin -dfuwly ‘came back!‘ to ‘con- sciousness, le gradually grew aware that he was lying by the sille of thé road’: and the beams of a lautern moving about, showed him the dark shape of the vwehiolé, “He heard focteteps : they were those of & singlé pertdn ; and’ by‘ this person thie lanterri was being catried.. ' Mereditli’s tddas were at first-in a bewildering confasion ; but corispioucus ahonigst them vas the ‘serisc of extreme danger; and he therefore lay perfectly antil'he might glean something more of the circumstances which surrounded him. mo A pain in his head reminded the young nobleman of how he had been stricken down; and fortunate for him was it that he had on his hat at the time —or else the blow which merely stunnéd would have proved fatal. All was silent, with the excep- tion of those fodtstepes that acoompanied the move- mente of the lantern. There was not so much as the impatient stamping of a horse, nor thé rattling ofthe harness. But no wonder: for by the light of the lantern Meredith in afew minutes perceived that the horses had been detached from the chaise, and were no longer there. At‘the same time he observed that the lantern was borne by a fomale ; and that as she carried ft im one hand, she sup- ported herself with a etick held in the other. He could not as yet see her face: but he’ beheld ——) — COMME HOG cS) (CO