The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 274: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 260 | requisition—and he accordingly at once proceeded to strike a light. The candle was lighted—-he held it over the | countenance of the lady who was stretched upon the floor—and an ejaculation burst from his lips! Heavens—was it indeed possible?—and was the half-suspicion which he had ere now expressed, so signally confirmed ? But at that ejaculation which thrilled from his lips, the lady herself opened her eyes—looked up —and then gave vent to a wild cry of mingled dis- appointment, rage, and terror: for she saw that detection had overtaken her sooner than she had purposed or anticipated;—and thus did accident reveal to Jocelyn Loftus the identity of the false Laura Linden with the depraved though beautiful Julia Owen! CHAPTER LXX. TUE PREFECT AND HIS GUESTS. Wer must now inform our readers that on this same memorable night when Jocelyn Loftus and Laura Linden— alias Julia OQwen—were thrown together, the Prefect of Police entertained a few special friends at a choice supper in the saloon belonging to his own magnificent suite of apart- ments. The Prefect himself was in uniform, he haviag attended the Legislative Assembly that day in his ministerial capacity ; and the gentlemen whom he was thus regaling with the elegant little banquet, consisted of his own two Private Secretaries, the Under-Secretary of State for the Department of the Interior, and three well-dressed young men who had no ostensible profession nor any visible sources of income, but who nevertheless lived well and cut an excellent figure in the French metro- polis. In plain terms, these last mentioned indi- viduals were pensioned spies, or mouchards, secretly attached to the Prefecture of Police. We need hardly say that all the guests thus assembled were Frenchmen; and the conversation flaeeed not during the meal, as it usually does with Englishmen when similarly employed. On the contrary, the gastronomic proficiency of the Pre- fect’s cook, displayed as it was in substantial specimens of the art now served up on massive | silver dishes, afforded not only delicious food for the palate but also for the discourse. ‘The wines were of the most exquisite description and circu- lated freely: but with true French refinement in apician indulgence and epicurean luxuriousness, the party lingered a long time over the banquet, drinking the healths of all the most beautiful women of the day, and pledging each other with brimming glasses and fervid pressures of the hand, in the true French style of cordial, heartfelt con- viviality. Now, as it was eleven o’clock before this festival commenced, it was some time past mid- night ere it terminated. The Prefect and his companions then passed into an adjoining saloon where the table was spread with a choice dessert — another and still more rare selection of wines— coftee—and burnt punch. “I thought, my dear friend,” said the Under- Secretary of the Interior, addressing the Prefect of Police, “that you promised to have that enor- et ee ee mee = mously rich English nobleman, the Marquis of Leveson, here to-night ?” “Such was my intention,” responded the Prefect; ‘and I believe it will yet be fulfilled. The Mar- quis would have joined us earlier, but is obliged to be at the ball given by the British Ambassador | to-night. He however promised that he would get away soon after twelve and then come and join | Be” “Ts he making a long stay in Paris?” asked the | Under-Secretary of State, whose name was Jules © Martignac. ‘“‘ He has been here about a fortnight, on business of a somewhat particular and delicate nature,” re- turned the Prefect, with a meaning smile, ‘ * No doubt M. Jules Martignac is as well ac- quainted with that business as ourselves,” observed one of the Prefect’s Private Secretaries, “ No, indeed I am not,” exclaimed the Under- Secretary of State. “ Of course I could be if I chose, inasmuch as there are no secrets at the Pre. fecture which are not known at the Ministry of the Interior. But totell you the truth, I have been so very gay lately——” “ Ah! Jules, you have doubtless found a new mis- tress?” exclaimed the Prefect, laughmg. “ But was there ever such inconstaney as vours !” “It is not in my nature to remain long faithful to any woman,” observed Martignac, who was as vain and conceited as he was really handsome in person and elegant in manners, “ But I was telling you that I have not lately had time to look over the secret reports from the Prefecture to the Ministry of the Interior—and therefore [ am not entirely acquainted with the object of Lord Leveson’s visit to Paris.” An inkling thereof I have gleaned, it is true, from what has been said in my presence on two or three occa- sions, by the Minister and his Confidential Secre- tary——”’ “ Well,” exclaimed the Prefect, who from the first moment he sate down to table with his friends, had thrown off all official reserve, and who now laughed heartily at the thoughts which the present discourse had conjured upin his mind,—* with regard to Lord Leveson’s visit to Paris, I can safely say that of all the amusing incidents which ever came to my know- ledge, certain matters involved in this affair are the most eminently diverting !”’ “TI presume his lordship’s visit to our gay capital,” said Jules Martignac, “is in some way or another connected with the mission of those three young English ladies —the Misses Owen, 1 mean—who were appointed to proceed to Italy in order to occupy certain situations about the person of her Royal Highness the Princess Caroline ?” “ That is to say, the wife of the present Prince Re- gent of England,” added one of the gentlemen- spies. “‘ Precisely so,” continued the Prefect. “ Well, and then these three girls—these Misses Owen—fall in with a certain young gentleman calling himself Jocelyn Loftus: and he, with more generous candour than astute discretion, tells them in plain terms that he has embarked in the Quixotic enterprise of thwarting all their schemes and preventing them from proceeding to Italy to fulfil their mission.” “The insensate Englishman!’ exclaimed Jules Martignac. “ But after all, whether he had thus re- vealed his purposes to the young ladies, or not, would scarcely have signified in thelong run; for the mo- + eee + tienen | | ' a —_ eS SO Oe reese . : Gom 1eLNOOLKS (Go)