The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 352: what you’re looking at

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

318 THE COURT OF LONDON self, Gabriel?’ he said, in a somewhat severe tone, as he eyed me suspiciously. ‘ Very much,’ I answered, wondering what was uppermost in his mind. ‘ But why did you send word that the carriage was not to return and fetch you away?’ he demanded, fixing his looks keenly upon me. | started in amazement, for I had sent no such message at all. But the truth flashed to my mind in an instant; and I comprehended that my fair unknown must have been the — authoress of that message countermanding my brother’s carriage in order that hers might take its place and perform its part, as indeed it had so effectually done. ‘ You have been in bad company, Gabriel,’ continued my brother, observing the changing colour of my cheeks and the emotion of my manner, and utterly mistaking the cause. Nor did I choose to enlighten him upon the subject, but I allowed him to read me a long lecture on the impropriety of staying out until seven o’clock in the morning, and when he had concluded, I hastened off to call at Devonshire House. For I will candidly confess that an invincible feeling of curiosity had by this time sprung up within me, subduing the chival- rous resolves which I had previously made never to seek to penetrate the mystery of the night’s adventure; and, under the plea of leaving my card at the ducal residence, I made certain inquiries of the gatekeeper and the hall-porter, who had superintended the marshalling of the carriages when the party broke up. Those inquiries I of course instituted in a very guarded manner; and I was even enabled, in consequence of my intimacy and relationship with the duchess, to question some of the footmen and pages belonging to the ducal establishment. No one, however, recollected the particular incident of a strange carriage taking me up; and, in fine, I could glean in that quarter nothing at all calculated to throw any light upon the subject. Fifteen months have elapsed since that period, and I am still as much in the dark as ever.” “Then your fair unknown never fulfilled her promise of contriving another interview? ’”’ exclaimed Lord Mont- gomery. “ Never,” replied Florimel. ‘Again do I pronounce the adventure to be one full of the most charming romance,” said the earl, “‘ and I am not surprised that it should have been so vividly recalled to COmicloooksS.