The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 266: what you’re looking at

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

THS WYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 255 “Oh! rest assured,” exclaimed the young. to do,” responded Finette; “and you will not be damsel, “that all my precautions shall be taken ' long ere you learn my object. I do not think that with the moat careful regard as to the result. And you wil] then be angry. You must know, dear now farewell for the present! You will be sure to meet me heré ” “ And you, Finette, will be sare to come P” “Within the hour that is passing,” she re- joined: and giving him her hand for a moment, she glided away from his presence. Finette issued from the wood, and sped back into the town. On arriving at her uncle’s house, she found her father sitting in a gloomy mood in the parlour, up-stairs, above the shop. “Where have you been, Finette ?” he angrily demandéd: for through ‘vexation and disappoint- ment all his irritable feelings had suddenly revived against hie daughter. “I will not have you wan- dering about by yoursolf——you will get into mis- chief—and even worse things will happen to you than what has already taken place.” “No, father—nover!” exclaimed Finette vehe- mently. “Then if you mean to keep yourself steady and respectable for the future,” continued her sire, * you would do well to look out for some employment, or else for a situatiun. I cannot keep you in idle- ness I mean to take a situation myself, how- ever hamble it may be; for I will not live as a burden upon your uncle, who seems to grudge us every morsel of food we put into our mouths. Oh, Finette! you have been my ruin !” “Say not eo, father! And yet it is too true! Relative to that shop which you thought of taking ” ‘‘ Nonsense, the shop!” vociferated the ex- turnkey: “you know that I have not the means— and it is just the same as if you were throwing my poverty in my teeth.” “But is it not possible,” proceeded Finette, “ to raise by any means what you require ?” “Ah! if I could make a thousand stones into as many francs,” exclaimed the ex-turnkey, with morose bitterness, “I might enter in possession of the shop to-morrow. But as it is, that idea is all yain! And now, Finette——” “Father,” sho interrupted him—at the same time gazing on his countenance with a peculiar significancy,—* will you follow my instructions P— I mean, will you act according to the advice I am about to give you ?” “Why, what does the girl mean ?” exclaimed her sire, thinking for a moment that her intellects were affected. ‘You must ask me no questions, but do as I suggest :"—and there was something in the dam- sel’s Jook and manner which induced her father to attend very seriously to the words sho was about to speak. “What am I to do, Finette ?” he inquired. “Procure a stout cord,” she replied; “ and in half-an-hour come to the verge of that grove which you perceive at the extremity of this long street. Do not penetrate into the grove until you hear me call you.” ‘¢ What child’s play is this ?” demanded the ex- turnkey angrily. “I thought you were going to tell me of some means whereby to obtain employ- ment, and which had perhaps accidentally come to your knowledge.” | “It is a simple thing, father, which I ask you a a Th father, that whatever my faults, I am incapable of making you the object of a jest.” “Well then, Finetts, I will act according to your bidding. A stout cord, you say? and I am to remain on the outskirt of the grove until you summon me into itedepths? I cannot for the life of me conceive-——” “ Father, I will give you no explanations now !” interrupted the damsel. “ Do what I have said— and you will thank me. Fail—and you will be sorry !” Without waiting for any response, Finette hur- ried from the room. She proceeded to her own chamber, where she packed a number of articles in a tolerably large market-basket ; and slingivg this to her arm she again went forth from the house. Proceeding straight to a tavern she purchased a bottle of wine, which she placed in her basket. Shoe there repaired to a chemist’s, at whose estab- lishment she bought some fluid drug: and havin also consigned the phial to her basket, she conti- nued her way. On emerging from the town, she stopped in a sheltered place—a sort of open shed —and there she remained for a few minutes, while she poured forth a portion of the wino and filled fip the bottle with the contents of the phial pro- cured at the chemist’s. She then sped to the grove; and plunging into its depths, found De Margaux anxiously expecting her arrival. “ ‘You are come, dearest Finette !” he exclaimed, springing forward to receive her; “and all your preparations ate complete,” he added, glancing at the basket. “Yes,” she replied. “T have not kept you long in suspense. But whither are wo to goP in which direction are we to bend our way? and how are we to travel ?” “It depends, dear girl,” said De Margaux, “on the extent of our resources. To speak frankly, I am utterly denuded of funds until we reach Switzerland; and there-——-But methought you spoke of a few hundred francs ?” “Yos,” rejoined Finette; ard then, with an air of ingenuousness, she asked, “Will such a sum suffice to take us into Switzerland P” “To be sure!” exclaimed De Margaux; and greedily anxious to ascertain the amount which, through the medium of Finette, he thought him- self able to command, he added, “ But let us as- certain precisely the state of our finances. Come, let us sit down for a few minutes; and we will deliberate on our plans.” The damsel sat down accordingly; and De Margaux pleced himself by her side. Holding the basket in her lap, she opened it, as if about to produce her money and jewels;—and lest the mention of jewels in respect to a Freoch turnkey’s daughter should appear strange to the English | reader, wo may as woll observe that there are fow fomales of the humbler class in France who do not possess their trinkets of this description. | “Ah! what have you there?” exclaimed De Margaux, who, the instant the basket was opened, caught sight of the bottle which was lying on the top of all the other articles that Finette had packed together ere leaving the house. “It is a bottle of wine which I have purchased COMME HOG cS) (CO