The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 271: what you’re looking at

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260 everything which took place between yourself and the ruffian who was your hired bravo. It was tha Lady Indora whose life was aimed at-——” “For God’s sake, be quiet!” moane’ the wretched Duke of Marchmont, rising from his seat and pacing the room with the most feverish agitation. “ Nay—since we are upon the subject, and you yourself have compelled me thus to refer thereto, it were better that you should hear me out. The Duke of Marchmont must have very potent reasons for desiring to take the life of the Lady Indora; and perhaps her ladyship herself would be thankful were I to give her such information as would prove that it is none other than the said Dake of Marchmont——” “She knows it! she knows it!” exclaimed the wretched nobleman. “Well, she may know it,” proceeded Mrs. Oxen- den, rising from her seat, and bending her looks menacingly upon the cowering Duke: “ but the tribunal of justice does not know it! She may have her reasons for sparing you: the law would have none! Ob you are so completely in my power, dare you play the niggard? dere you grudge me these paltry thousands which are a re- ward so well earned for keeping your secret P” “Enough! I beseech you to say no more !” ex- claimed the Duke. “We shall understand each other better for the futare! Pray forget that I remonstrated at all !’’ “T am perfectly willing that we should be good friends again,” said Mre. Oxenden, with the pa- tronising sir of an imperious mistress bestowing her forgiveness: “but remember, I must hear no more of these remonstrances when I take it into my head to spend a few: pounds.” The Duke of Marchmont—finding himself utterly beaten, and that Mrs. Oxenden was re- solved to wield her power most despotically over him—thought that the best course he could adopt was to conciliate instead of irriteting. He accord- ingly made all kinds of promises in accordance with the lady’s hamour ; and he took his departure, inwardly anathematising himeelf for having woven a tangled web of crime whioh day by day and hour by hour was enmeshing him more and more. The Duke of Marchmont had not long issued from Mrs. Oxenden’s house, when an old gentle. man knocked at the front door. When the sum- mons was anewered by a footman in gorgeous livery, this old gentleman said, “ Is Mra. Oxenden at home ?” “* She is, sir,” was the answer. “ What name shall I announce ?” “ What name ?”’ echoed the old gentleman, ner- vously. “No matter! Be good enough to intro- duce me to Mrs. Oxenden’s presence. [—I—knew her at Brighton.” The footman had no orders to refuse admittance to any visitor: he of course comprehended that the mistress whom he served, was mistress in another sense to the Duke of Marchmont; and he thought this old gentleman, having known her previously, might possibly have very good reasons for declin- ing to give his name. The lacquey accordingly hesitated no longer to introdace the visitor into the splendidly furnished drawing-room where Mrs. Oxenden was seated. “ Ab, ia it you?” sbe said, quite coolly and col- fee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. lectedly, as if it were a visit of mere ordinary ia- terest. “Pray sit down:”’—then, as the door closed behind the domestic, her manner all in an instant changed; and it was even with Serceness that she demanded, “ What brings you hither ?” “To assure myself with my own eyes,” re- sponded the old gentleman, “that the ramour which reached me is trae—that you are living here in gilded infamy ” Mrs. Oxenden barst oué into an ironical laugh. “Are you come to preach sermons to me?” she exclaimed. “If so, let me assure you at once that I am not prepared to listen to them. Betweed you and me everything is ended, so fer as the ties of husband and wife are concerned. But I did not leave you through any animosity: it was through self-interest. I am enriching myself; and if you like I can put you in a way of enriching yourself. Now do not be s fool, Mr. Oxenden! You must know very well that an old man such as you sre——Bat no matter! I repeat, I have no animosity against you; and therefore I do not wish to say anything to annoy. You can resign me withont a sigh; and as you are not overburdened with this world’s goods, you will not perhaps lose the opportanity of improving your position. This you may do at the same time that you will be benefitting me——” “What mean you?” inquired Mr. Oxenden, whose first feelings of bitterness were yielding to others of selfish interest. “I mean,” continued his wife, “ that as I have left you, never to retarn,—you may as well be separated from me legally as you are in fact. In plain terms, I recommend you to bring an action against the Duke of Marchmont for the seduction of your wife—claim heavy damages—I will take care that no defence shall be offered to the process; so that it will be neither a tedious nor acostly one; and all the favour I ask in return is that when the suit is finished you will render it the ground of another suit~—I mean a suit for a divorce. Come now, Mr. Oxenden, is this to be an understanding between us ?” “Let it be so,” answered Mr. Oxenden after a few moments’ reflection. “ But pray, tell me what object you have in view——” “No matter !” interrupted the lady: “it is suffi- cient for you to perform the part which I enjoin: and you will find that it isa lucrative one. Go to - a solicitor at once.” “TJ will, I will!” exclaimed the old man. “ Yes, yes—for more reasons than one!” “What do yon mean?” asked his wife con- temptuously. “You surely do not pretend that you are really affected by my having left you P” “We will not discuss that point,” rejoined Mr. Oxenden: “suffice it to say thet I shall be too happy to carry out your suggestions to the very letter. But as I have no money wherewith to com- mence this suit—and as I cannot suppose that any solicitor will enter upon it without eome guarantee inst loss on his own side——” “Enough!” interrupted Mrs. Oxenden: “ you shall have money :”—then as she opened her erit- ing-deek and took forth a number of bank-notes, | she laughed, exclaiming, “ Is it not singular to ase the Duke’s own money in bringing en action against himeslf? Yet eoitis! Here, Mr. Oxzen- den—take these notes. And now depart.” COMME HOG cS) (CO