The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

SK ss —— oe TIE MYSTERIES OF features; and his countenance, utterly devoid of the aquiline outline which so proudly character- ized his mother’s face, had something mean and ignoble not merely in its configuration, but also in its expression. His voice, naturally weak and inharmonious, was rendered still more unpleasant by an affectation of those cracked tones which are assumed by the abominable coxcombs of these days. Jt did not require a very searching look to read his character; a glance would fathom it. Frivolous-minded, addicted to vicious pleasures and dissipated pursuits—selfish, and utterly in~ capable of generous actions—vain, conceited, and insufferably impudent withal — ignorant, pre- judiced, and believing that because he was a nobleman, he must necessarily be a demigod towering above the common mass of humanity — spiteful, malignant, and vindictive, so as to bea cowardly tyrant to his inferiors, and an object of terror or dislike with all those to whom he dared manifest his miserable despotism—quarrelsome as a brother, disobedient as a son, and capricious towards everybody—the youthful possessor of the haughty name of Saxondale was as detestable a character as ever filled amidst the human species that same kind of place which reptiles occupy in the brute creation. As a matter of course, Edmund hadgone through all the various degrees and grades of training which constitutes an English nobleman’s educa- tion. At home, either at Saxondale Castle in Lincolnshire or at the town-mansion in Park Lane, he had from his earliest years been taught his consequence in being ‘ my-lorded ” by thick- headed tenant-farmers or obsequious domestics. He had passed through Eton with a tutor at his elbow to do his exercises for him, and save him from the kickings and cuffings to which his peevishness and malignity daily and hourly ex- posed him at the hands of other boys. Then he had spent a year at Cambridge, where he was tufted and toaded, and took degrees in debauchery instead of the classics; and then he drove fora few months over France and Germany in a tra- velling chariot, emblazoned on the panels to show his rank, and with his tutor to speak for him in the language which he himself but dimly com- prehended. Having returned to England after this trip, he was immediately caught up by Lord Harold Staunton, who had just sent the last human pigeon he had plucked to the Queen’s Bench, and who therefore considered the rich young Saxondale a perfect godsend at that par- ticular moment. And in this way had Lord Saxondale been qualified and was still qualifying to fill the post of an hereditary legislator, when ina year and ten months’ time the day of his majority would arrive. What advantage the councils of the nation were likely to derive from the assistance of such an individual, when he - should take his seat there, we must leave our readers to determine. But very certain it was that young Lord Saxondale was, as far as in- tellectual accomplishments went, an average sample of his class. Being ignorant of the laws of God, and nature, and humanity, it was not likely he should be better acquainted with those | of his country. He had learned to wrile, it is true; but his hand was scarcely intelligible—and this, by the by, is a proof of high-breeding, be- cause in fashionable life a good hand is clerkislh and it is ‘uncommonly vulgar” to be able to — _—~—— eee | 19 express one-self legibly upon paper. Then as to aritametic, he knew nothing; who ever heard ofa lord condescending to keep his own accounts ? He spoke tbe English language correctly; because this was a mere parrot-like qualification which he could not well help attaining: but as for any other modern languages, he only had the mexest smattering of French and the vaguest idea of German—the dead languages being considered the most useful at Eton and Cambridge. As for history, he only knew two things; one was that the Saxondales had taken their origin in the time of the Tudors, and the other that the English had beaten the French at Waterloo; and therefore he was proud of being both a Saxondale and an Englishman. Having thus sketched, as far as it is at present necessary, the character of Lord Saxondale—and having likewise previously glanced at that of Lord Harold Staunton—we may resume the thread of our narrative. ‘l'’o proceed, then, we must state that after an absence of three quarters of an hour frum the box where Lady Florina and her three young friends were seated, the two noblemen re- turned thither,—their countenances somewhat flushed and their breath having a vinous odour; for they had been drinking champagne (whick young Saxondale had paid for) behind the scenes. A close observer might have noticed that it was with something very much like a look of aversion and a sort of inward shrinking, as if of downright loathing and disgust, that the beauteous Florina met the half-insolent half-familiar gaze of her ac- cepted suitor when he thus re-entered the box in company with her brother. But his own egregious vanity would not permit him rightly to interpret this transient evidence of emotion on her part, even if he had perceived it; for he actually ima- gined that the beauteous girl was over head and ears in love with him. “ Well, Flo, did you miss us ?” asked her bro- ther, Lord Harold: “did you think we were lost ?” “To be sure! your sister was dying with im- patience till we came back,” interjected Edmund, before the young lady hadtime to make any answer. ‘‘ Now, tell me the truth, Florina,” hé said, bend- ing down over the back of the chair; weren't you watching the door in anxious expectation that it would open every minute ?” “T certainly thought that your lordship and Harold left us rather too long by ourselves,” an- swered Florina, in a soft, flute-like voice. THE COURT. * But while you were absent, Grisi has given us some splendid outpourings of melody ; and——” But she stopped short; for she was about to add that having been so much engrossed with the music and the singing, she had not particularly missed either her brother or her intended husband. Lord Saxondale turned to address a few obser- vations to the other three young ladies; and Harold, bending down till his lips nearly touched his sister’s ear, whispered hurriedly and angrily, =“ You should not treat Saxondale with such cold- | re ee ness. Hitherto his vanity has prevented him from seeing it; but he must observe it in time if it continues; and then——” “ And then what ?” asked Florina, turning partially round and fixing her eyes steadily upon her brother's countenance, “ And then he might break off the match,” plied Harold. ‘“ Not but that he is madly in luve with you é ———— ———————— | COMIC OOO© KS (CO)