The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 193: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “But he suspects nothing?” said Malpas, anxiously. “ Nothing — absolutely nothing,” replied the Countess, emphatically. “Indeed, how can he? All our precautions are so excellently taken. But pray explain the urgent matter-——” “You are well aware, dearest Editha,” said Malpas, “that I am always longing to be with you —always unhappy unless in your society—and never happier than when clasping you in my arms. Therefore, it is not surprising that I should have been so urgent to meet you this evening—especi- ally as some days have elapsed since last we met. But there was another inducement which prompted me to be so pressing with regard to an interview for this evening: in fact, I wished to have some serious conversation with you——"” “ What about?” inquired Editha, quickly: and her large black eyes were fixed with a sort of un- easiness upon the countenance of her paramour. “ Those bills, my dearest love,” answered Malpas. “Ah!” ejaculated the Countess, becoming visibly troubled. “You surely do not require any more assistance in that shape?” “Listen to me with patience for a few moments, Editha,” said the Colonel. “You are aware that I obtained the money for those bills from a gentle- man named Emmerson——” “Yes—and my husband has likewise received money from that Mr. Emmerson,” interrupted Editha. “He told me so this morning. But it was evident from his manner that he did not know you had been dealing with the same money- broker.” “* He does not know it, Editha—and very fortu- nate is it for me,” added Malpas, with a profound seriousness of manner, “that he is thus ignorant.” “ Of course it is, Percy,” exclaimed the Countess, — very fortunate for us both. If he knew that I had given the bills to you, ne would as a matter of course instantaneously suspect tnat there is some very close intimacy between us. When you first communicated to me your extreme pecuniary embar- rassments and stated that the Earl had refused you the service of his acceptance to a bill ot ex- change, I told you that I could procure his name to a promissory note for my own use——” * And I promised you,” observed the Colonel, “that I would place that note in the hands of a gentleman who would advance the money upon it and not breathe a syllable to a soul relative to the transaction. I kept my word——" “No doubt,” interrupted the Countess: “and you also undertook to provide the funds to redeem the security even before it should become due, so that the bill might not be presented to the Harl at all;—otherwise, if presented, he would of course see your name upon it.” “True, my dear Editha,” said Malpas. “And you gave me several bills at short intervals, with the Earl’s acceptance to them.” “ But I cannot see the utility of this recapilulation of circumstances so well known to both of us,” ob- served the Countess, with the glitter of uneasiness in her luminous eyes. ** The whole matter is summed up ina few words. You were exceedingly pressed for money, and required a collateral security. All these things you explained to me, as I knew little or nothing about bills and promissory notes previously. I told you that } would undertake to wheedle the Earl out of his acceptance, alleging that I required it to satisfy some pressing liabilities due to my jewellers and dress-makers. Knowing that the Earl would not be in a condition to meet the bill, I was obliged to assure him that one of my sisters had promised mea large sum of money in a month or two, and that I would provide for the bill by the time it should come due. This was the pretext: but in reality I relied upon ‘your obtaining the re- quisite funds—and [I sincerely hope yon will be 179 | | enabled to doso. Tell me, Percy, is there any doubt | upon that point ?” “My dear Idditha, I shall obtain the funds some how or another,” answered Malpas: “but that is not the immediate question. I am afraid that prompted by your affection for me, and in order to save me from arrest and degradation at the tine——” “What do you mean?” inguired the Countess, with all the petulance of intense uneasiness. “ IT mean, dearest,” answered the Colonel,—* that— but do not be offended———that your husband did not sign those bills———” “And what makes you think so?” demanded Editha, actually gasping with the vain and ineffectual efforts which she mads to conceal her terror. “ Because Emmerson suspects something of the kind,” returned Malpas. “ He has compared the Earl’s signature with that upon the bills which [ placed in his hands——” “O God! I am lost,” cried Editha, no longer able to keep down the effervescence of her hatrowing © emotions: and covering her face with her hands, she burst into tears. “ Compose yourself, for heaven’s sake!” said the Colonel. “ Nothing is yet known—Mr. Emmerson is agentleman and possesses a kind heart—everything can be repaired and remedied! Only do, I conjure you, my Editha—do tell me all the truth.” “ But is it yet time to prevent this storm from bursting over my head?” she exclaimed, removing her hands from her countenance and gazing up pit- eously in the face of her paramour. “There ts time, Ll can assure you, Editha,-—plenty of time!’ answered Malpas. ‘“ Do not give way to erief, which is now uuavailing—but let us look the whole affair boldly in the face. Mr. Emmerson only requires to have the payment assured—and Le will never breathe a word relative to the transaction. But pray tell me everything without reserve.” ‘‘T will,” said the Countess, endeavouring to com- pose her looks and her feelings. “‘ You communi- cated your embarrassments to me—and I was dis- tracted at the thought of seeing you borne off toa debtors’ prison. I therefore resolved to adopt a desperate course in order to save you. And yet it neither seemed to me so desperate nor dangerous after all» because, from what you told me, I under- stood clearly enough that if you provided the funds in time to take up the bills, the Harl need never know that his name had been made use of at all. And that you would so provide the funds in due season I felt confident. Well, I obtained from the Earl's file of papers an old bill which he had honoured some time since; and LI imitated his sig- nature, after some practice, to the best of my ability. You had previously told me that if I obtained his acceptance to the blank stamps, you would fill them up. Now, you must forgive me, my dear Percy,” said the Countess, in a tone of impassioned entreaty, ECORMELOOOLKS CO