The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 309: what you’re looking at

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

erbs uhe gazed up into tke pountenence thet was bending over her. At first there was a dull vacancy in that look-— but the next moment the pupils of those sweet : eyes were lighted up with the resuscitating beams of intelligence ;—and secellecting all that had oc- ocurred, the Princess sald in a faint and tremulous tene, “I thank you, sir, for this kind aétention on your part. A mistake—a strange mistake——” And stopping short, as the reminisoence flashed to her mind that she had thrown herself weeping and sobbing upon the breast of a stwanger, she blushed the deepest crimson. “Your Royal Highness may rest assured that I am aman of henour,” was the earnest and impres- sive response, as the geatieman delicately and tenderty assisted the Princess te regain her fost ; “and tne words which fell from your lips ere now shall nevér be repeated by me. I can well uader- stand how the errer oecurred—for I am no stranger to the fact that a marvellous resemblanes subsists between myself and his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.” “So extraordigary a Hiceness I never beheld till now!” murmured the Princess Amelia, coasting ¢ timid loek upon the countenance which still wore en expression of extreme moarnfalness mingled with. a tender interest; then, hastily re-erranging her dress, she said, “ Again I thaak yon, sir, for the courtesy-—nay, the generosity of yenr beha- viour towards me. May I request to be made ac- quainted with the name of one to whom I shall over be under a great obligation ?” “Doubtless my romantic history and erue] mis- fortunes are not altogether unknown even to a lady 60 highly placed and so far removed from the world’s ordinary sphere, as your Royal Highness,” sald the gentleman. “For a short time was I the object of universal exoeration. A number of crimes, any one of which was sufficient to stamp a man with unredeemable infamy-——” “Ah! I ksow you, sir—and J sincerely, most sincerely sympethise with your misfortunes,” ex- claimed the Princess Amelia, a sudden light break. ing in upon her memory. “J read your case in the newspapers—and I now recollect full well that mention was made of the extreordipary likeness which you were said to bear to the Royal Family. That the report was indeed true, the incident of this morning has fully proved,” she added, casting down her eyes asa blush once more suffused her eharming countenance: but almost instantly look- ing up again, she observed with a tone and manner of winning artleasness, “ Sir Richard Stamford, you are aman of honour—and I need not blush like a guilty thing for an error inte which I fell so in- nocently.” “Your Royal Highness may look upon the in- cident which has just passed, as if it had never oo- curred,” said the baronet. “ Nay—it is not altogether in suoh a light that I wish to regard it,” exclaimed the Princess: “be- cause your conduct towards me has been too generous and top delicately attentive to permit such ingratitude as forgetfulness would be on my part. If you will become my companion to the Castle, I shall have much pleasure in presenting you to their Majesties_——” “Gracious Princess,” Sir Richard Stamford has- nel to observe, “you confer too much hononr ER MYCTERIES. upon me. With delight shall I attend upon your Royal Highness to the immediate precinct of the regal dwelling; but I crave your pardon if I ac- eompany you not beyond the threshold.” “Think you, Sir Richard Stamford, that you will be regeived with a cold and igy ony?” exclaimed the warm-hearted Princesa, “No-—-no: I ahall frankly and candidly inform my beloved father of the origin of our acquaintance—and he will thank you for your chivalrous behaviour t- wards his daughter, Come, Sir Richard Stam ford—you shall escort me to the Castle.” And the Princess Amelia, with the most amishle cordiality of manaer, but with all the maidealy dignity and graceful propriety of her rank and sex, took the arm which the baronet soasogly dared te offer her. “Your Royal Highness,” hesaid, as they proceeded nlowly towards the Castle, “has honoured me with an invitation which under any circumstances woeld amount to @ command, but which has been gives in a tone of such kindness that it were an vaper- donable rudeness and a coarse brutality on my part to offer an excuse. Nevertheless, ] must jaca the risk of your Royal Highness's displeasure—" “You are incapable of deserving it, Sir Richard Stamford,” hastily exclaimed the Princess Amelis, “If you do not wish to proceed beyond the thres- hold of the Castie, I shall give you credit for - tertaining some good reason for declining my i» vitation—and we shall not be on leas friendly terms on that account.” “Every word your Royal Highness utters me under a fresh obligation to yeu,” sald Richard Stamford. “Permit me, then, to explaia myself, My recent misfortunes have prodoced aa effect whieh cannot be immediately mitgated— and never can be altogether subdued. A fer weeks ago—and I was a happy husband, enjoying the blessings of a cheerful home and a wife whom I adored: now I am alone in the world—widowed in my love, and with my home awreck! Impelled by a sense of duty towards society as well a0 by those feelings of vengeance which the most virwou cannot altogether crush and annihilate at the bot- tom of their souls, I pursued my enemies until I sent them to the scaffold. Martin and Rameey rished by the hand of the public executioner: but at the same moment that the drop fell, lagact- ing them into eternity—then also ebbed away the excitement which the proceedings taken against them had kept alive in my mind. A deep despoo- dency supervened —and I felt that its influence was irresistible. I fled from the din of Londoa—l sought the retirement of the environs of Windsor. Here have I dwelt for some days d when the weight of thought becomes intolerable, I rash out into the open air—1 come hither—and in thls park do I wander for hours. - Sometimes I fear lest I shonld go mad: at others I seem to tremble upon the verge of suicide.” “ Great heaven ! talk not thus, Sir Bioherd Stamford,” ejaculated the Princesa, looking up inte his countenance with an expression of such sy™- pathy as a sister might evince towards a well-be- loved brother ; for she felt herself irresistibly drawn towards that unhappy gentleman whose misfortune had constituted one of the most extraordinary 1 mances in real life that ever became known to th world, ere e COMING BOOOKS (GO