The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 349: what you’re looking at

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

sue THE MYSTERIES. man— usually #0 cold-blooded, so selfish, and so callous, —this hardened voluptuary who had scarcely experienced a pang when he allowed his myrmidon to drive Mre. Fitzherbert from his palatial mansion, —this profligate, whose whole life was one monstrous egotism, ‘felt his soul touched and his heart subdued by the piteons spectacle of that fair young creature's exeruciating woe. Yea—he strained her to his breast: and for a few minutes she abandoned herself so entirely to him thet these catesses which he at first lavished upon her through the tenderest compassion, began to ac- quire the fervour of other and less chastened feelings. But, the instant that this fact burst upon her com- prehension, Octavia started from his arms — tore herself from his embrace,—and, while her counte- aance becartie searlet, her bosom palpitated, and her whole manner evinced a profound, angry agitation, she exclaimed, “ My heart is breaking, George—but let me die cherishing the thought that you have loved me not with a dishonouring passion, although dishonour has been my portion ” And, retreating a few paces from the chair which she had left, Octavia sank upon another seat. Her bonnet had fallen off in the half-struggle which had taken place when she thus wrested herself from the arms of the Prince; and that splendid flood of auburn hair which might have formed the glory of a princess adored arid worshipped as Tasso’s Leo- nora, rolled in heavy and shining masses over her shoulders. The sunbeams, penetrating between the rich curtains that shaded the windows, appeared to mingle with those luxuriant tresses, imparting to them so fine a gloes and ¢o golden a magnificence that the head of the fair being seemed radiant as that of anangel! Alas! alas! though the glory still cir- cled the brow, yet was the ange! fallen; and though heaven's own blessed light still shone around the head, yet had the heart changed into the cross ofearth. The serpent had looked in upon the Eden of her heart— had found its flowers rich in perfume and bright in hue—and had changed that fair paradise into deso- lation. The tempter had taught her to contemplate Love as the rose of the soul: she had plucked it from its stem—she had preesed it to ner bosom— and the hidden thorn had pierced deep into her heart! And new, as the Prince gased upon her—while she arranged that flood of glorious hair which swept over her shoulders—he felt that he could not lose a mistress so transeendently beautiful: nay—he even felt that he loved her more than he had ever yet loved a woman in all his life. “Octavia—eweet Octavia,” he said, after a long pause—and, as he spoke, he gradually advanced close up to her,—“ talk not of a breaking heart, I im- plore you! There are two persons in this room : and think you that there is only one heart which is afflicted? By heavens, you do me an injustice !” he exclaimed, in an impassioned tone, as he seized Octavia’s right hand and clasped it forcibly. “Oh! your sufferings, George, are light and tolerable indeed when compared with mine,” said the unhappy girl, with an expression of hopeless misery in ber deep blue eyes and on her exquisitely chiselled lip. ‘“ When affliction falls upon the heads of two persons who love tenderly, ’tis the fate of the weaker to bear the heavier load; and if the sacrifice of a broken heart be demanded, 'tis poor woman’s invariable doom to become the victim. Yes—all ORs Qe. ee wore ~ 0° Fer 8 1 the wretchedness as well as all the dishonour must be borne by her! Blasted with the lightnings ef her passion, she is stricken into an early grave! Oh! these are truths to which Man cannot close his eyes,” eXclaimed Octavia, with an agonised intonatien that betrayed all the poignancy of her anguish: “and yet does he petsecnte Woman with his unlawful love! Why did you make me your victim @ she demanded, with an abruptnees that was wild and almost fierce: “wherefore did you pour into my soul the poison of your own passion? You fouad me gay, and happy, and smiling—contented and innocent—an untutored creature seeking not the terrible experience of love: and what have you made me ?—to what have youreduced me? Where is the hope of my youth? Shivered, like glass, into a thousand pieces that now reflect, whichever way I turn, the hideous image of despair! Restore me to that pedestal of innocence whence you have dragged me down—give me back mine hononr! You are a Prince—the son of a King—one day to be a King yourself—and you have power to do more than ordinary mortals: else is your rank a mockery —your might a delusion! Prove yourself as great as the world believes you to be,” exclaimed the wretched girl, starting from her seat—half-maddened by the excitement of her over-wrought feelings: “release me from the spells wherewith you have en- chanted me—raise the terrible incantation that reats upon me ——” “ Octavia—Octavia!” cried the Prinoe, in a tone which appeared to have caught the infection of her wildnesgs—for the fear that her senses were abandon- ing her had driven him almost to despair: * I im- plore you—by everything sacred, I conjure you to tranquillise yourself!” "Qh! ’tis so easy for you to preach tranquillity,” she exclaimed, bitterly,—“ you who suffer ao lightly ! But the time may come, however,” she added, with a strange abruptness and an expression of counte- nance that seriously alarmed the Prince,—“ the time may come when remorse shall touch your soul— when the worm of compunction shall gnaw your heart;—and then, although your sovereign rank may gild your agonies, yet shall the memory of the poor girl whose love you won and whose heart you broke, return again and again to torture you wha stretched upon a restless couch you court slumber in vain, and when no eye sees you save His from whose presence no man can fly !” “Octavia! you are killing yourself with excite- ment,” cried the Prince: “and you are driving me to desneration! What means this change & humour?—why reproach me now? Scarcely ten minutes have elapsed since you were almost happy in.the conviction that my heart is thine—indissolubly thine——” | “No—no—I was not happy!” she exclaimed, struggling to release her hands from the grasp m which her royal lover again held them. “ And if I were, it was criminal on my part to beso! For new ideas spring up every moment in my mind— new intuitions give an impulse to my thoughts The walls of this room are dissolving into thin air,” she continued, stretching out her arms wildly and glaring with terrible excitement around: * the world without becomes revealed to me—the whole earth develops itself to my experience—the human heart is opened to my penetration——” “ Merciful God—she is raving !° oried the Prince, - 0.) ange WF —ee “ere - *‘ COMING OOOKS co