The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Linda, sobbing and weeping,—" you who are so kind and good to me!” “You speak, my love, as if you had deceived me im some way or another,” said the sanctimonious gentleman; and his countenanoe grew considerably elongated. “Pray be candid: let me know tho worst, whatever it is— yea, let me know the worst,” “It is true,” continued Linda, now wringing her hands, “that in one sense you have been de- ceived I mean that something has been kept back 33 “What? what?” asked Mr. White Choker, fidgeting very uneasily upon his seat. “ Madame Angelique told me you had only been once astray———” “Ah! it was not in this that you were deceived, my dear friend,” replied the weeping Linda: “ for that was true enough. Oh! I never can tell you !” “But you must, my dear—you must let me know the entire truth,” said Mr. White Choker. ** Ff can’t conceive what you mean—I can’t under- stand what it is you have got to tell. But pray be candid. You don’t know what a fidget this un- certainty keeps mein: I am all over with a tremble. You don’t think Snufflenose suspects” “No, nothing of that sort,” responded Linda. “It is not any of your acquaintances———” “Then some of your own?” hastily sug- gested “Mr. White Choker. “Oh! my dear, how could you have been #0 indiscreetP Don’t you know that I ama blessed saint, and that if the odour of my sanctity once became tainted by the breath of scandal Oh, dear me! dear me: what would they say of me at Exeter Hall ?” “TIT am very, very unhappy,” sobbed Linda, who as if her heart would break: “and I wish Thad never accepted your protection—for I am “ Afraid of what?’ asked the saint, still in a feverish excitement. } “ That if my husband were only to dicover 7 “Your husband ?”—and Mr. White Choker sud- denly put on such a look of blank despair that his appearance was perfectly ludicrous. Seized with consternation, overcome with dis- way, and picturing to himself actions for crim. con. and all sorts of evils, the unfortunate gentleman rolled off the sofa and tumbled over his stout cotton umbrella and his broad-brimmed hat. Then, as he afterwards expressed himself, he groaned in spirit: and wished that he had rather become the com- penion of Esquimaux and white bears of the North Pole, or of benighted cannibals in the islands of the South Pacific, than have re- mained in the more salubrious and civilized region of his birth to have fallen in with a married woman. Linda besought the saint to pick himeelf up: but as he exhibited no inclination to do any- thing of the sort, but only lay sprawling and groan- ing on the floor, with his head crushing his hat and his nose rubbing against his cotton umbrella, the considerate young lady thought she had better try her own hand at picking him up. The saint suffered himeelf to be over-persuaded; and pressing Landa in his arms, he covered her with kisses,— groaning and whining most fearfully for no less a period than five minutes. “And now tell me,” he said, in a voice as if it were a schoolboy whimpering over 4 task that he a OO OOO ee 75 could not work out,—“ tell me all about this, my dear. How came you to be married? where is your husband? whoishe? Is hea godly man? hath he the fear of the Lord before his eyes? But d—n him, whoever he is!”—and Mr. White Choker gave utterance to this ejaculation with an unction and emphasis which proved the sincerity with which this most ungaint-like malediction was expressed. “If you will listen to me,” said Linda, who still continued to sob and weep somewhat, “I will tell you all about it. You know I am a native of Germany. My father and mother were genteel people, living at Manheim ; and about three years ago an English gentleman was stopping at the hotel exactly facing our residence. He became acquainted with us, and visited us frequently. He was very rich—a Captain in a Hussar regi- ment 7 Linda started as if a voice from the dead had suddenly spoken in her ear: for Mr. White Choker gave a groan so deep and hollow that it was really no wonder the young lady was thus terrified. A captain of Hussars!’ Good heavens, that his malignant planets should have possibly opened the way to throw bim in contact with such a vessel of wrath, as the saint considered every military officer to bef A captain of Hussars. Why, he would sooner face*all the Snufflenoses in the world—he would sooner have s committee of inquiry ap- pointed by his Society to investigate his character, with the certainty that such committee should con- sist of all his sworn enemies—than stand the chanoe of facing a captain of Hussars! Hoe would sooner be scourged thrice round Hyde Park than encounter such an individual! In a word, an hour in the pillory, and being pelted the while }: with rotten eggs, were a pleasant little pastime in, I: comparison with the risk of being called to an ace count bya captain of Hussars! “Pray, my dearest friend, do nof make yourself so miserable,” said Linda, prying: all her little - artifices and wiles, all her wheedlings and coaxings, and all her cajoleries to appeaso him somewhat. “I am very soyry———I was going to have told you the whole tru(h}———but the instant I saw you, I conceived such an affection for you that I was afraid if you heard I was married ” “Ah, well-a-day! the mischief is done, my dear,” groaned Mr. White Choker. ‘ Love is the forbidden fruit—and you are the Eve that tempted this wretched Adam ”—and he alapped his breast == to fall.” “Let me continue my narrative,” said Linda, with one arm thrown round his neck. “This Captain—pray don’t groan so—this Captain of Hussars———-What? another groan ? Well, I must call him, then, by the name of Cartwright. Though many years older than myself, he sought me as his bride. I did not love him: I hated him from the very instant that I perceived his atten- tions began to grow marked. On the other hand my parents encouraged his addresses: he boasted of his wealth—he lived in good style—and they thought that such an alliance would be ensuring an excellent position for their daughter. It is the old tale: the child was sacrificed to the wishes of the parente—and I became the bride of the Hussar Captain——I mean of Cartwright,” Linda hastily added ; for another sepulchral groan came up from COMicooOolkxs.conrn