The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 51: what you’re looking at

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Pee THE | and highly accomplished; and he speedily became a frequent visitor at the Manor. I insensibly expe- rienced a great regard for him: his good temper, unvarying gaiety, affability, and extensive know- ledge, rendered him a welcome guest. Mr. Martin, who was an elderly man, had been intimate with my parents, and was considered by me as one of my best friends; and thus you will not be surprised to learn that when the two partners mooted certain pro- posals to me of a financial nature, I listened with much attention and interest. In a word, they re- presented the amount of benefit which a liberal banking and loan system would confer upon the farmers of the surrounding districts,—by saving that class of the industrious population from the rapacity of money-lenders, and from the necessity of forcing sales of their grain at large sacrifices. I cordially approved of the scheme; and the partners, having succeeded in making this favourable impression upon me, began to throw out hints relative to their want of adequate capital to carry out these philan- thropic views. The bait took—and I ingenuously assured them that such an obstacle should not be allowed to stand in their way, as I would cheerfully advance any reasonable sum that they might require. I was rich, and had the means,—too rich and too well contented with the fortune I enjoyed, to be in- fluenced by any selfish motives. It was therefore animated only with the desire to prove useful to a most deserving class, that I suffered myself to be drawn into a partnership with Martin and Ramsey. This connexion rendered us more intimate, if pos- sible, than ever; and Ramsey in particular scarcely ever suffered an evening to elapse without calling at the Manor. Shortly after the settlement of those financial matters, the death of my relative in De- vonshire called me into that county; and my wite being somewhat indisposed at the time, could not accompany me. I was absent for nearly two months ; and on my return, Eleanor welcomed me with an enthusiasm which at the time filled my heart with joy, but which I now look back upon as the affecta- tation of a vile duplicity. I learnt that Mr. Ramsey had been constant in his visits during my absence ; and I remember that I thanked him with friendly warmth for the attentions he had thus shown to my beloved Eleanor. Insensate fool that I was! how could I have been so blind? My return was seized upon by my wife as an excuse for giving a grand festival; and I soon began to perceive that a fond- ness for company and pleasure was gaining a rapid ascendancy over her. She grew expensive in her dress—her jewellery—her equipage—and her enter- tainments ; and the once quiet and tranquil Manor was in course of time transformed into a scene of incessant gaiety. I never remonstrated with Eleanor so long as her proceedings involved no expenditure that exceeded our income: for I loved her too devotedly—too tenderly to thwart her in anything that afforded her gratification. Neither did the slightest sentiment of jealousy animate me when I saw that Ramsey was constantly by her side,—ever her partner in the dance, ber companion in eques- trian excursions, and her right-hand neighbour at the dinner-table. But if I ever reflected at all upon the subject, I saw nothing improper in such assiduity on the part of a young man whom many circum- stances placed almost on the footing of a brother to us both. Thus three or four years passed away; and 1 became so accustomed to the gay—I might MYSTERIES. even call it dissipated life which we led, that plea- — sure grew as necessary to me as if I had plunged | into it voluntarily, instead of being drawn into the vortex by the example of a wifewhom I adored. In the meantime, Martin was constantly assuring me that the bank was in a highly prosperous condition ; and, as I never interfered with him in the manage- ment of the business, I had not the slightest sus- picion that the affairs were otherwise than as he represented them. Indeed, the luxurious mode of life maintained by himself and Ramsey appeared to confirm the statements thus made to me; as it never struck me that they were capable of living beyond the incomes produced by their legitimate share of the profits. But a storm—a fearful storm was brewing over me,—ready to burst with an appalling violence !” Sir Richard Stamford again ceased speaking for a short period; and Page began to imagine that the dreadful charges subsisting against the baronet would be disposed of in such a manner as to shift the bur- then of guilt entirely from his shoulders to those of others. “Yes—the dark clouds were gathering rapidly,” resumed Sir Richard; “and I beheld them not— suspected them not! Oh! how terrible is the fury of that tempest which explodes so suddenly upon a dead calm, and without even the previous warning of a single drop of rain! Thus was it in my unfor- tunate case; and I must now summon all my courage—all my composure—all my self-command to aid me in approaching the fearful incidents of Monday last. I rose on that day with a heart as light and free from care as if there were no such thing as adversity in the world—as if no storm ever swept over the unruffled ocean of life! Eleanor was gay, tender, and affectionate as usual,—nay, more so—for she had an object in view! My God—when I think of all that duplicity into whose depths my mental perception can now plunge as if it were a crystal stream transparent to its pebbly bed! While we were seated at breakfast, she turned the con- versation upon Lady Wentworth’s beautiful pair of grey ponies, which her husband Sir William had purchased for her last week; and by degrees did imy syren-wife lead me on till I promised that she should be enabled to vie with—if not eclipse her friend in the graceful attractions of her equipage. Then Eleanor told me how Mr. Ramsey had casually mentioned to her that a similar pair of ponies was to be procured at a certain dealer’s in Aylesbury ; and after breakfast I set out for the town with the view of procuring them at any price. For never had Eleanor seemed more seductively beautiful—never more charmingly captivating than on this occasion. O Woman—daughter of Eve!—why art thou ever loveliest when thine heart is most filled with guile?” And Page knew by the sounds which he heard that the baronet was wringing his hands bitterly—bitterly, as he uttered those last words in a tone of penetrating anguish. “ Unsuspicious, frank, and confiding, I went forth to purchase for my wife the objects of her phantasy,” continued the baronet, growing more excited as his narrative approached its catastrophe; “ and in this disposition I rode into Aylesbury, followed as usual by my groom. Having put up my horse at the livery- stables, and dispensing with the attendance of the servant for a couple of hours, I called at the bank to procure a new cheque-book; and there I learnt that —_—_e._.ec50u0l——. a COLMA Ghooksscom