The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

Florimel affected to be greatly agitated; and Pauline not only begged him to lay aside his bonnet, or rather gipsy-hat, but actually rose and unfastened the ribands with herown hands. Then, as the young nobleman felt the fingers of the beauteous girl touching his cheeks, and her form coming in con- tact with him as she thus rendered her aid to one whom she believed to be of her own sex, his blood began to circulate like lightning in his veins; and as he gazed up at the heavenly countenance which bent over him, while her very breath fanned his face, he experienced feelings of a softer, more tender, and purer nature than he had ever known before. The bonnet was laid aside; and Pauline, as she resumed her seat, could not help thinking what a beautiful head of hair her visitor possessed. More- over, there was something in Florimel’s appearance which enlisted her sympathies in his favour; and as she cast a rapid glance at his pleasing features, she thought that she beheld in them the indications of many engaging and amiable qualities. “I know not how to thank you sufficiently for your kindness towards me,” said the young noble- man, rendering his naturally melodious voico as femininely subdued in tone as possible. “ But what can have become of my dear mother” he ex- claimed, suddenly re-assuming an air of painful agi- tation. “Surely those rude people cannot have il-treated her?” “Compose yourself, my dear young lady,” said Paoline, rising from her seat. “I will cheerfully go and look for your mother ——” “Not for worlds, sweet Miss, would I have you sir out on my account!” interrupted Florimel. “There are several insolent men, who appeared to be very tipsy, parading up and down the road; and they pursued my mother and myself for a consider- able distance. At length they rudely assaulted us —and we were separated. I fled in affright— hastening I knew not whither-—-and so bewildered and confused that I did not observe for several minutes that I was alone. You may conceive my terror when on stopping short, breathless and ex- bausted, I found that my mother was lost to my view. At the same instant I heard rapid footsteps approaching—and, dreading farther outrage, I ventured to seek a refuge in your house, where I perceived light gleaming through the shutters. That refuge you have generously acoorded ;—and now suffer me to become acquainted with the name THE MYSTERIES. 6) the ef. “Iam delighted that you are pleased with my name. Yours is not less beautiful—Pauline Clarendon.” “Pardon me, Miss Florimel,” said the young lady, hastily, “for having been so thoughtless and frivolous as to dwell on aname, when I should be thinking how I can best aid you in your present em- barrassment. You will not permit me to go out and look for your mother? It is true that I am unac- quainted with her person—but ix she be wandering about in search of you, she might accost me to ask i I had-seen any one answering your doscrip- on ——” “I again repeat, my dear Miss Clarendon,” in- terrupted Florimel, “that I should never forgive myself if I allowed you to venture abroad and incur the chance of receiving such insults as those from which I have escaped. No—pray remain at home —and permit me to stay with you a little while.” “With infinite pleasure, Miss Florimel,” said the amiable Pauline. “ But your mother—will she not be uneasy ?” “She will hasten home, making sure that I have gone thither,” answered the young nobleman. “But it is a long way off—in the immediate vicinity of Blackheath~—and I tremb‘e at the idea of return- ing all by myself into such a lonely neighbourhood. The hackney-coachmen are all connected with rob- bers and bad people ———” “Do not distress yourself, my dear Miss Flori- mel,” said Pauline, in a voice expressive of deep interest: for the wily nobleman had made these observations in such a melancholy and plaintive tone that the generous-hearted Miss Clarendon was profoundly touched by the apparently painful embarrassment in which her new friend was in- volved. , “T thank you sincerely for your sweet sympathy,” returned Florimel: “but how am I to act ?”—then, after a few moments’ seeming reflection, he said, “If I only knew of some respectable lodging-house in the neighbourhood where I could obtains bed ——” “Oh! if that be all,” interrupted Pauline, in the most cheerful tone that ever expressed a winning hospitality of disposition, “ your difficulties are at an end. There is a spare-bed in this house at your service, my father being absent; and my sister, whom I expect home at about eleven, will be as much rejoiced as myself to harbour you as a | ag of my kind hostees, that I may mention it again | gues with gratitude elsewhere.” “ My name is Pauline Clarendon,” was the answer. “{ regret that my father should be absent in the country—for, were he here, he would speedily con- sign to the hands of justice the insolent brawlers who have thus outraged you.” “Permit me, my dear Miss Clarendon,” said the nobleman, who had thus acquired the assurance that her father was xot at home,—“ permit me to proffer you my friendship and solicit yours in re- turn. My name is Gabriel Florimel ——’”’ “Oh! what a charming name!” ejaculated Pau- line, quite involuntarily. “Gabrielle Florimel,” she repeated in a musing tone, and with that stress upon the final syllable of the Christian name which showed that she took it in the feminine gender. “Yes—Gabrielle Florimel,” said the nobleman, instantly adopting the same pronunciation, which consisted merely in laying a stronger emphasis on “Your kindnegs is such that I know not how to find words sufficient to acknowledge it,” observed Florimel, inwardly rejoicing at the success which his stratagem was thus experiencing step by step. But when he fixed his eyes upon the lovely being seated opposite to him, and read all the goodness of her heart in the lineaments of her candid and ingenuous countenance,—and while the musical tones of her sweet voice yet sounded in his ears, and her gay and innocent smile appeared to beam upon him with a species of heavenly influence,—a sudden pang shot through his breast at the idea of the black treachery of his present condnct. But, thrusting aside these unpleasant reflections, as a man brushes off a loathsome cob-web from the leaves of a charming rose which he desires to pluek, the youthful voluptuary continued the dis- course in a cheerful tone. Playing his part with the utmost caution, he COMNGLOO S COMM