The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 378: what you’re looking at

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ie a ae eee lll ob4 as long as I am able,” returned Emmerson. “‘Indeed, were he my own brother or father, if he had given offence to you, he should be punished with all possible severity.” * You seem never wearied of giving me proofs of your affection,” said Lady Curzon. “ And yet I am always taking advaniage of your kindness— your goodness towards me. Indeed, this very night have I a favour to ask~—” “Name it, name it, dear Editha,” said the infa- tuated Emmerson: “tell me what I can do to prove my devotion.” “Most humiliating and distressing for me is it to speak of money matters,” said Lady Curzon, affecting to be overwhelmed with confusion: ‘ but you know how I am situated -——” “Say not another word,” interrupted the bill- broker. “But may I not have the pleasure—the ineffable pleasure—of writing you a cheque this very night for what you may require, so that your faithful Gertrude may procure you the amount at my banker’s the first thing inthe morning? Will you not, 1 ask, afford me that opportunity?” he urged with a look of deep meaning and in a tone of im- passioned entreaty. * Ah! can you not imagine that I have already made the necessary arrangements ?” said Editha, with downcast eyes and blushing cheeks, while she played archly and coquettisnly with her fan, *Yes—I dared to anticipate this happiness— this renewed experience of paradise!” returned Emmerson: “and therefore I am not expected home at Clapham to-night.” ‘Gertrude will come hither at midnight,” said Editha, with alook of intelligence: “half-an-hour afterwards you must be at the corner of the street with a hackney-coach.” Emmerson threw upon his charming mistress a look of intoxicated delight; and they then quitted the card-room, returning to the more spacious saloons where the dancing was in progress. Here they separated tor the present,—Emmerson join- ing a group of gentlemen with whom he was well acquainted, inasmuch as their promissory notes were all in his strong box in Nicholas Lane,—while, on the other hand, the Countess of Curzon ac- cepted an invitation from some nobleman to join the dance. A little after midnight Editha watched an op- portunity to steal away, unperceived, from the brilliant throng in the splendid saloons: and as- cending a staircase, she threaded a long carpetted passage with the air of one to whom the place was quite familiar. Opening a door at the end of this passage, she entered a bed-chamber where a cheerful fire was blazing in the grate, and wax- tapers were already lighted upon the table. Her own ermine cloak was likewise there, lying upon the bed. Carefully locking the door by which she had entered, Editha opened another one exactly facing it. This second door communicated with a back staircase, feebly lighted by a suspended lamp. For a few minutes the Countess remained standing at the head of this staircase, as if in expectation of some arrival. Such was the case. A small bell was heard to tinkle: and at the signal—for a sig- nal it assuredly was— Editha hastily descended the Staircase and uolocked a door at the bottom. ‘his door opened into a bye street; and a female te ee ~—-_ —-—— - - + mee eee ee ee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. figure, muffled in an ample cloak and wearing a thick black veil, at once crcssed the threshold. The door was closed and locked again; and Editha, followed by the muffled figure, hastened up into the bed-chamber. The new-comer now threw off her bonnet, veil, and cloak, and revealed the bewitching person of Miss Gertrude, the lady’s- maid. A somewhat singular scene now took place: for on theone hand, Lady Curzon began to put off her magnificent apparel, while on the other hand Gertrude likewise proceeded to undress herself, Had' any concealed observer been nigh, and in a position to peep at all that was going on, he could not fail to have noticed that the lady and the lady’s-maid were exactly of the same height, but that the figure and bust of Gertrude were the least thing fuller and more swelling than the lightersym- metry of her mistress. Nevertheless, the gar- ments of the one would fit the other—as was indeed very soon shown on the present occasion ;, for while Editha assumed the modest apparel of her dependant, the latter proceeded to deck her- self in the brilliant vesture of the Countess. Even to the very pearls and other ornaments did Ger- trude take as it were the place of her mistress ; and during the exchange of garments a great deal of roguish Jaughter and a great many sly looks passed between the lady and the lady’s-maid. At length, when these mysterious toilettes were completed, Editha assisted Gertrude to envelope herself in the splendid ermine cloak, the hood of which the girl drew so completely over her counte- nance as most effectually to shade it. She then issued from the chamber—not by the private door and back staircase by which she had entered, but by the other door openivg upon the long carpetted passage. Thus apparelled in the shining amber-coloured robe and enveloped in the splendid ermine cloak, with a stray curl or two of her own beautiful jetty hair peeping forth from beneath the hood, Ger- trude might well indeed have been taken for the Countess of Curzon. To enact this part was all the more easy, inasmuch as at that particular pe- riod the cloak-hoods were entirely the fashion for ladies, on issuing forth from balls, parties, thea- tres, &c; and like the Spanish mantillas or the Turkish veils, they were used so completely to conceal the countenance as to afford no mean auxiliary to the intrigues of gallantry. Lady Lechmere, who was deep in all the secrets of her friend Editha, was waiting on the first landing for the appearance of the disguised Gertrude ; and making a signal to a servant who stood in the hall below, the ery of “Lady Curzon’s carriage!” wass immediately sent forth into the street. “ Now, my dear Countess,” said Lady Lechmere, as she accompanied the disguised Gertrude down the stairs, and thence through the hall as far as the very threshold of the mansion—“ you do well to wrap yourself up in this manner: the night is bit- terly cold—and coming out of hot rooms, it is enough to give you your death, susceptible of the chill as you are. Good night, my dear Countess,” she exclaimed more loudly still. And Gertrude, enacting the part of the said Countess, shook Lady Lechmere by the hand with every appearance of the most friendly cordial ty : ee oY GOmiGcsdoo (C Ss ©