The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

STO Re em eS Ee er em G+ THE friendship for you if you were not all that I repre- sent? Oh! I am sure that you will be happy in the affection that you have formed—for to know you is to love you!” “ Dearest Pauline,’ murmured Florimel, in a tre- mulous tone, “ I may repeat all your own words and apply them to yourself—for to know you is to love you also!” “ We will love each other as very sincere friends,” said the young maiden; and while she was thus giving utterance to words that were the outpourings of her artless and ingenuous soul, she was simulta- neously laying aside further portions of her dress— until she stood in a state of semi-nudity in the pre- sence of the disguised nobleman, who was a prey to such varied and conflicting emotions that he was rivetted as it were to his seat. “ Yes—we will love each other as sincere friends,” he said, his voice so full of profound feeling that the beauteous, unsuspecting Pauline was touched to the very soul by its soft and» melodious tones; and throwing her arms round the traitor’s neck, she im- printed a fervent kiss upon his forehead. But how did Florimel restrain his feelings now ?— how exercise the least control over a passion that was excited almost to madness? Tor by the young maiden’s moyement, his very countenance was brought in contact with her virgin bosom—and her naked arms encircled him. “© Pauline—Pauline,”’ he exclaimed, “ you know not how much I love you!” “Tt affords me an indescribable pleasure to receive that assurance,” said the charming girl, now with- drawing her arms from his neck, and again ap- proaching the toilette-table. “But can you conjecture wherefore I love you so ardently ?—can you divine wherefore I could fall down and worship you?” asked Florimel, in an im- passioned tone: then, without waiting for a reply, he said, “ It is not only because you are so beautiful and good—but it is also because you are the living coun- terpart of the object of my affections. Oh! if you and I love each other thus sincerely, would it not be a joyous event if some fairy could suddenly start up from the floor, and change one of us into a being of the opposite sex ?” “QO Gabrielle, what a strange idea!” exclaimed Pauline, turning round towards her companion, with a sudden feeling of uneasiness springing up in her soul. “Nay—do not reproach me, my angelic friend,” cried Florimel. “ You will find that I am a roman- tic creature, fond of giving my imagination full play, and at times somewhat dreamy and visionary. But you will bear with mein all that, Pauline—you will not chide your friend on this account! Suffer me to in- dulge in the delicious thoughts in the stream of which my soul was being gently borne along, and whose current leads amidst flowery scenes to the very por- tals of elysium. I was conjuring up a beatific vision when you interrupted me:—lI was fancying that if all we have read of fairies and good genii could pos- sibly be true, how delightful were it if one of that powerful race would suddenly appear before us— touch me with a magic wand—and say, ‘ Zhou adorest Pauline—become a man—throw thyself at her feet—and claim her as thy wife ? * “ Gabrielle—I implore you not to continue in this strain,” cried Pauline, gazing strangely upon the flushed cheeks and flashing eyes of her companion. “You terrify me—-[ know not why ;—and yet a ania LN ET I ———— a ++ a eo a MYSTERIES. vague apprehension—a feeling of increasing uneasi- ness has come over me——” “Give not way to these idle fears, my beauteous friend,” interrupted Florimel, whose looks were fixed upon the bosom of the virgin whom he sought to make his victim: “do you think it possible that my vision can be realised? And even if it were, Pau- line, should you be vexed ?—should you be annoyed ? Ere now you told me that you had never yet ex- perienced the passion of love; and I assured you, in reply, that earth’s greatest happiness was, in that case, still unknown to you. But you lave declared your friendship for me—and I have proved to you that friendship itself ripens into love. Now, suppose for a moment that the fairy could come forth—could touch me with a wand—could change my sex—and could endow me with a proud name and a colossal fortune,—suppose all this, my sweet Pauline,—and then imagine that you saw me at your feet—that I declared my fervent and unalterable love—that I im- plored you to become my wife, the partner of my rank and the sharer of my wealth,—tell me, my deafest Pauline, what would your answer be 2” Gradually as the young nobleman thus developed a theory which was in itself more or less a revelation, —a suspicion, at first faint as the ringing of far- distant bells in the ear, rose up in the mind of Miss Clarendon: then, as the idea which had flashed to her brain received confirmation from the concluding words of the nobleman, her countenance became convulsed with terror—a faint shriek escaped her lips—she staggered a few paces towards the window, her impulse being to open it and cry for help—but her limbs failed her, and’ she sank almost insensible upon a chair. Florimel sprang from his seat—threw himself on his knees before her—and endeavoured to take her hand. But, with the instinctive prompting of virgin modesty, Pauline crossed her arms over her bosom ; —and, bendmg a look full of mournful reproach upon the nobleman, she said,“ You are not what you seem! Tell me who you are, and the purpose which has brought you hither?” “ Adorable Pauline,’ exclaimed Florimel, “the fairy has accomplished the task—and it is a devoted lover who kneels at your feet !” The young maiden started from the chair. A pro- found sense of danger inspired her with sudden energy; and seizing a shawl, she hastily threw it over her shoulders, wrapping it across her bosom: then, drawing herself up to the full height of her noble stature, while her countenance, losing its ex- pression of alarm, assumed a sovereign dignity alike interesting and imposing, she said, “ Whoever you may be, I command you to leave me this moment !” “Sooner than thus quit you—sooner than leave you mortally offended against me,” cried Florimel, who had risen from his suppliant posture at the same moment that Panline started from her seat,— “J will commit suicide in your presence! My God, have pity upon me! I love—I adore you, Pauline—and your indignation, if wnappeased, will reduce me to despair.” “Tt is impossible that this interview can be pro- longed,” said the young maiden, her tone becoming a trifle less severe and her countenance losing a small portion of its inflexibility. “1 again command you to leave me—as the only condition on which you may ever hope to obtain my pardon for this black treachery and cowardly outrage.” 1 an ene eee eee em ood s COMA EloOOKS. .EORN