The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

— 6 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. flush spread, like a stream of lava, over her face —her neck—her very bosom ;—and the volup- tnous flood of light poured into her magnificent eyes. Starting from her seat, she extinguished the lamp—opened the casement—and then took trom a drawer a ladder made of silken cord. Having fastened one end to a strong iron bar which was used to secure the shutters when closed, she gently lowered the ladeer out of the window. All this was the work of a few mo- ments; and the proceeding was accomplished with as much noiseless precaution as celerity. The lady had placed the iron bar in such a manner that the ends rested against the upright joints of the window-frame; and as the silken cord was strongly knitted, the means of ascent to the chamber were thus rendered perfectly safe. The moon was shining—the night was clear, calm, and beautiful: but the villa stood so far from the main road that no one passing along it could have observed what was taking place at the open window, now that the lamp was extinguished inside the room. In a few moments after the silken ladder was lowered from the casement, a gentleman ascended and made his entry into the apartment. The ladder was instantaneously drawn up—the win- dow was closed—and the lady and her lover were locked in a fond embrace. We have already said that she was ravishingly beautiful: we must now observe that the gentle- man was remarkably handsome and of a fine commanding figure. He was perhaps as much as forty-three or forty-four years of age—but his appearance was that of a man considerably younger: for his hair was black as jet, without a single streak of silver—his teeth were superb— and his noble brow was as smooth and free from wrinkles as that of the Belvidere Apollo, And his was one of those full rich voices which, when breathing the accents of love and the vows of passion, no woman can hear without an emotion—searcely with impunity. His manners, too, were fascinating to a degree—his conversa- tion was invested with all the charms that a brilliant intellect could supply—and his expe- rience of human nature rendered him an adept in the practice of all those little artifices which are too well calculated to secure and rivet the affections of a tender, weak, and confiding wo- man, It was not extraordinary, then, if this gentle- man, 80 handsome in person and so polished in manners, should have won the love of a being so many years younger than himself. And that she did love him—fervidly, fondly, adoringly—was evidenced by the impassioned warmth of the embrace and the glowing ardour of the caresses wherewith she welcomed him. “At length we meet again, my well beloved,” he said, in the most melting accents of that voice which seemed to sink deep into her soul every time she heard it. “It is an age since last I pressed thee in my arms and experienced a ee eee eC oe ee Ot absent for two days! might never return! home “QO God! if he should suspect—if his absence were a mere pretext——he will kill me—he will kill me !” mour, summoning all his presence of mind to his aid. covered anything too well taken.” paradise in the rapturous enjoyment of thy kisses !” “ Yes—two long months since last we met in secret,’ returned the lady : “and no two years of my life ever seemed longer! But hz,’ she added, evidently alluding to her husband, to breathe even whose name would have appeared to her a desecration of this love which, criminal though it were, was so ineffably sweet in com- parison with any feeling she would possibly en- tertain towards that husband,—“ but Ae has been so much at home lately that I began to fear he had grown uxorious and intended to tie himself to my apron-strings.” ‘* But at length he has afforded us an opportu- nity of meeting again!” said the lover, as he that splendid countenance upon which the slanting moon-beams fell through the casement. you cannot imagine the joy which filled my heart this morning when I received your dear note telling me that your husband was to be Would to heaven that he But all day long I have been tormented with the fear that he might change his intention—that he might remain at and it was not until the moment that I reached the boundary-wall of the garden ere now and saw the signal-lamp burning in your cham- ber—this chamber, dearest, where I am at length able to fold you once more in my arms ” But at the instant that the lips of the lady and her lover met in another burning, impassioned kiss, a furious knocking at the door and ringing of the house-bell startled them terribly and filled their souls with consternation. contemplated with unfeigned rapture “My husband !” cried the lady in despair. “Courage, dearest—courage !” said her para- “Tt is impossible that he can have dis- our precautions have been “But you must fly, my beloved—you must fly!” exclaimed the lady. “Ah! the house- hold is already disturbed the footman is descending to open the front door——My God! in a few moments it will be too late——” “Conceal me somewhere, dearest—anywhere —and let us trust to chance!” said the lover, as he sustained his terrified mistress in his arms and endeavoured to reassure her with the fondest caresses, “Conceal you!—where ?” she murmured in utter bewilderment: then, as a thought flashed to her mind, she said in a rapid whisper, “ Ah! 1 recolleet-——come—the bath-room !” “ Yes—in the bath itself,” observed the lover, catching joyfully at the idea: “and when he is fast asleep, you can give me my release.” The arrangement was instantly carried into effect. The guilty pair exchanged one fond DT SVEOMIGHbOoKs.co “Oh!