The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

56 knew that there was a Monsieur Angelique—I always thought that Madame was either a widow —or at least passed as such. Tell me, my dear— ugh! ugh! ugh!—this cough will be the death of me—ugh! ugh!” “Madame Angelique is a widow,” explained Eglantine: “but nevertheless I have an uncle. I will tell you how it is. Madame Angelique’s sister married an English gentleman: I am the issue of that union. My parents are dead, as your lord- ship has already been told; and I was taken at their death into the care of a distant relative. She also died; and then my aunt Angelique took care of me. My late father’s brother has for a long time been abrced—first in the army-—then holding a high situation in the civil service of India; and he is shortly to return home—even if he be not at this moment in England. That is the uncle, my dear lord,” added Eglantine, with a profound sigh, “whom I dread so much.” ‘‘Te he a very stern man—ugh! ugh !—is he so very formidable ?” asked Lord Wenham: and then he was seized with such a violent fit of coughing that it was a wonder he was not shaken into the next world. “‘T have not seen him since I was about ten or eleven years old,” replied Eglantine, when the fit of coughing was over; “and then my uncle came on a year’s leave to England for the benefit of his health. Oh! I never can forget that countenance of his—so stern—-so threatening—so fierce! Do not, my dear lord, judge all the other mombers of my family by my aunt Angelique—nor by what I myself have become.” “‘ Nonsense, nonsense, my dear!” ejaculated Werham: “don’t talk in this way of youreelf. You seem to think—ugh! ugh !—that you have done something most dreadfully bad by living with me. Nothing of the sort—ugh! ugh! ugh! this cough—ugh ! ugh!—of mine! I¢ is not as if you had been a wild giddy girl, with a number of lovers—or as if you had been one of the regular inmates of Madame Angelique’s establishment. But innocent—ugh! ugh!—and virtuous—ugh ! ugh !—as you were——” “Ah! still, my lord,” said Eglantine, with another profound sigh, “I have fallen—I feel it—and how can I look my uncle in the face, should he find me out on his return to England P” “‘But why need he find you out?” inquired the old nobleman: “why—ugh! ugh !—should he dis- cover—ugh! ugh |—where you are ?” ““How can it possibly be avoided?” asked Eglantine. “He will come to Londun—he is unmarried—childless—and I believe well off. He will ask for his young relative—he will not submit to the evasions and equivocations which my aunt Angelique is sure to use. He is terribly violent—resolutely determined—fierce almost to savageness. He is persevering too; and if he do not extort from Madame Angelique a confession of all that has occurred, he will leave no stone un- turned in order to find me out.” “Ugh! ugh!—my dear—then we must hide you,’ said the old nobleman: and as his voice abruptly rose from its wonted mumbling and stam- mering into a positive shriek, ho yelled forth, “ I couldn't pert from you!—they shan’t tear you from me! they shan't tear you from me!” “Oh, how kind and good your lordship is!’ murmured Eglantine, apparently melted to tears: and starting from her seat, she threw her arms round the old dotard’s neck, lavishing caresses upon him. “You do love me a leetle bit P” said Wenham, looking up into her face with gloating eyes, and inning like an ancient goat. “ Ah! until now I esteemed you,” Eglantine: “ but at present I feel—yos, I feel that I love you!”—then gliding back to her seat, she flung upon her old protector a look that seemed to vibrate with mingled tenderness and gratitude. “You are a good girl—ugh! ugh !—a very good girl,” said the nobleman; “and we will go out presently in the carriage to the splendid shawl. shop in Regent-street—where—ugh! ugh !—you shall choose whatever you like.” “ Ah, my dear lord,” exclaimed Eglantine, “now you will understand the impossibility of keeping myself concealed from this terrible uncle of mine, whenever he begins to search for me. How can I retmain in-doors all day? how can I debar myself the pleasure of accompanying you in your drives? I care not for society or gaicty: with you I can be happy :—but complete loneliness and seclusion [ can not endure! Myuncle must sooner or later find me out-——” At this moment the door opened; and a shriek pealed from Eglantine’s lips. Lord Wenham at first looked aghast: but on perceiving in which direction the eyes of his young mistress were bent, he turned himself round in his chair, and beheld a formidable-looking personage advancing into the room. We may save ourselves the trouble of much description, by declaring at once that the intrader was none other than Captain Cartwright: but on the present occasion he was dressed in plain clothes. Scarcely less fierce however was his aspect than on the preceding day when he presented himeolf to the Hon. Augustus Softly and Mademoiselle Ar- mantine. His countenance was stern and impla- cable; and on advancing into the room, he banged the door with such terrific violence that it made the old lord shudder and quake from head to foot with a startled sensation that was immediately followed by a fit of coughing which lasted for several minutes. Meanwhile Egiantine had covered her face with her hands: and Captain Cartwright, with arms folded across his chest, stood surveying her with the sternest severity. “ And is it thus,” hesaid, “ that I find my niece —the pensioned mistress of a nobleman! I came to England for the purpose of giving you a happy home, and making you the heiress of my wealth: I had buoyed myself up with a thousand fond hopes, —hopoes of happiness in my declining years, in the society of a niece who would be unto me as @ daughter, and for whom I should find an eligible hasband. But all these hopes are destroyed—and my deceased brother’s daughter has dishonoured the name of Cartwright—that name which never was dishonoured before !”” “Spare me, dear uncle—spare me!” oxclaimed Egiantine, flinging herself with every appearance of the wildest grief at Captain Cartwright’s feet. “ His lordship is very kind to me ” “ Kind to you, Eglantine ?” ejaculated the Cap. tain scornfally: “what means such kindness ag this ?”” renee iterate tarmac THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. CONNIE LOO co