The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 324: what you’re looking at

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

— mama a a ae aa THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 309 will suffer law-proceedings to be instituted against her on my account: but if she be obstinate, Mr. Gunthorpe will do his best to spare your brother “Heavens! when I think of all you have gone through,” resumed Florina—and she still spoke in & murmuring tremulous voice, while the tears again streamed down her cheeks,—“ it is enough to | from as much share in the infamy as possible.” drive me mad. Stretched upon what was deemed| ‘Oh! William, I can no longer think of him as your death-bed—believing that I no longer loved | @ brother!” exclaimed Florina, weeping. “ And you-—smarting under the calumnies which an infa- | yet it is hard to be compelled to speak thus !” mous woman had spread concerning you——Oh! “TIfI forgive him, my well-beloved,” responded it was too much—it was too much, William—dear | Deveril, “you cannot refuse to do so. But is it William! All the love I bear you, immense as it | not strange that Lady Saxondale should have in- is, can scarcely prove an atonement—a recom- | cluded him in this invitation to Lady Macdonald pense !” !and yourself?” “Again I beseech you, dearest Florina, not to; “ The evening before last, soon after our arrival,” torture yourself thus. Let us hope that happy days | said Florina, thoughtfully, “ Harold and her lady- await us. In the depth of my own bitter sorrows, | ship walked for an hour together in the garden. there were not wanting some consolations. My | They were alone—and yesterday morning Harold sister Angela—an angel in disposition as well as in | departed suddenly for London again.” name—was ever by my bedside; and that kind-! “Indeed!” ejaculated Deveril. ‘“ Depend upon it hearted excellent friend, Mr. Guuthorpe, was un- | he has undertaken some fresh mission for her lady- wearied in his attentions. You know him, Florina | ship.” —you have seen him; and he has the highest} ‘Oh, my deluded, beguilec, unhappy brother !” opinion of you. He is acquainted with the secret | “Am idea strikes me,’ continued Deveril. of our love; and I know not whether it could be to | “ Doubtless it is in connexion with this threatened sooth my wounded spirit, or whether it were that he | law-suit : for her ladyship has received a letter from had really some design of his own to be worked ' her solicitors to the effect that an appeal to the out,—but certain it is that with the tone of the | tribunals was menaced. But fear nothing. What- fullest confidence he bade me to despair not—for you | 80ever Harold may undertake will most probably should yet be mine!” become known to Mr. Gunthorpe. The person “And I will,’ murmured Florina, the carnation {| Whose name attests that document which you have again deepening upon her cheeks, and her beauteous | read, is in Mr. Gunthorpe’s pay, Do not be afraid eyes being modestly bent down; then as a sudden | that this espionnage instituted upon your brother’s thought struck her, she looked up, and with a parox- | actions, is for any evil purpose. No, no—Mr. Gun- ysm of indignation, exclaimed, “To be sacrificed to | thorpe is incapable of wrong-doing: he is the most the son of that bold, bad woman, Lady Saxondale— ' excellent of men.” no—never, never !”’ “Since you have such perfect confidence in him, “And Mr. Gunthorpe declares that you shall | Wiliam, I must have the same. And notwith- never be so sacrificed,” rejoined William; “though | standing my brother Harold treated him super- what means he may have, or hope to have, in Ciliously on the first night he introduced himself to throwing any influence into the scale, it isimpossible | us—it was at the Opera—I was prepossessed in the for me to comprehend.” | old gentleman’s favour.” “ He-is an intimate friend of my uncle the Mar- “ He failed not to observe your kindness, Florina, quis of Eagledean,” observed Florina suggestively ; | in contrast with Harold’s rudeness.” “and perhaps he intends to invoke his lordship’s in- “And Angela Vivaldi—that beautiful creature terference.” whose very form is the embodiment of poesy—An- “It may be so,” said Deveril. “It was in ac- gela Vivaldi is your sister ?” cordance with his counsel—and I need scarcely add | “She is; and I am proud of her—but for reasons with my own earnest desire—that so soon as I was | which I will presently explain, we avoid appearing sufficiently recovered, I resolved upon making | before the world in the light of brother and sister. another attempt to procure an interview with you. | Although in that sphere the very air of which is Mr. Gunthorpe by some means ascertained that | generally believed to be full of blight for female you and Lady Macdonald, together with Lord’ virtue, yet she is purity itself. Oh! Florina, if on Harold, had suddenly been invited to pay a visit to that night when you visited my abode, no circum- Saxondale Castle; and he hurried me off the day stances had transpired to fill you with suspicions before yesterday. By accident I formed the ac- and drive you away from my threshold,—if you had quaintance of a young man who lives in Gains- | crossed that threshold—if you had entered my borough ; and with him as my guide, I came yester- home, you would not have disdained to give your day into the vicinage of the Castle to take a view of hand to the celebrated Opera-dancer. You would the grounds, and see whether there would be the have seen that her very look is chastity and inno- chance of throwing myself in your way should you cence—that she is a being of a superior order—and happen to walk forth alone. This morning I re- that in manners and conduct she is the elegant and turned hither in that hope; and, thank heaven, it well-bred woman. You have seen her upon the has not been frustrated. But, dearest Florina, [ stage: did you ever observe her cast a glance incon- think it would be prudent if you were to do your sistent with immaculate modesty ?” best to conceal from Lady Saxondale for the present | ‘“ No—never, never,’ replied Florina. “Angela the circumstance that you are acquainted with her Vivaldi’s virtue was proverbial; and you may con- infamy. Mr. Gunthorpe recommends and enjoins ceive the shock that it gave me when under a fear. this. I do not exactly know what his motives are; ful combination of circumstances, I was led to be- but he has assuredly good reasons for the advice he lieve everything injurious alike to her and to you, gives. He does not believe that Lady Saxondale But is she also acquainted with our secret? Of i SSS tsetse GomiiGivooksrteo