The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 386: what you’re looking at

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NS ..0808080889898—8—8989.aG™ |. ~ Da) ol2 for the present. To-morrow—or another time—— Ah! my darling Gertrude, I love you—yes I love you: and I will forgive your taciturnity—your silence—if you will continue to lavish those tender kisses upon me!” # # About an hour afterwards, when all was still and quiet in the boudoir, some one cautiously unlocked the door and stole forth, closing the door as noise- lessly again behind her, but now leaving it un- locked. The person who thus stole forth, was Gertrude : and ascending to her own chamber on the storey above, she procured a light. With the candle in her hand, she once more descended: and this time she stole guardedly and with spirit-like tread to the Eacl of Curzon’s own apartment—that apartment which he had ere now left to seek the boudoir. In this apartment Gertrude forthwith instituted a minute search; and after some delay, she found what she sought concealed amongst the linen in one of the Earl’s drawers. Joyous as if she had discovered a treasure, and triumphant as if she had just achieved some important victory, the damsel stule up again to her own chamber; and before she retired to rest, she set fire to a quantity of papers and threw them into the grate, gaily and cheerfully watching them till they consumed to tinder. She then extinguished the light, and laid down to repose. But in about three hours Gertrude awoke; and it being now daylight, she got up. Having ar- ranjyed her beautiful hair, so dishevelled and dis- ordered by the prominent adventure of the pre- ceding night, and having refreshed herself with ablutions in the chill water, she put on the plain but neat and becoming apparel of her station. When she had thus concluded her toilette, she went down-stairs to the servants’ hall, to wait till her mistress’s bell should ring. The light of the new-born day had already ren- dered everything plainly visible within the bou- doir, when the Earl of Curzon awoke from a slum- ber where the image of Gertrude had seemed to be strangely mingling with scenes in which his faith- less wife and Colonel Malpas also figured. He rubbed his eyes—threw a hasty glance around the reom—and on recoguising where he was, all the incidents of the past night came trooping in with rapid march upon his memory. Turning towards his companion, a sudden ejaculation of astonish- ment and dismay burst from his lips, when he encountered the arch and mischievous looks—not of the lovely Gertrude, as he had expected—but of his own wife, the Countess Editha! ‘“ Heavens! what means that exclamation, Charles?” said her ladyship, affecting to be con- cerned and even terrified at the suddenness of her husband’s cry. “Ts ita dream? can it be a dream ?” muttered Curzon, pressing his hand to his brow and endea- vouring to concentrate all his thoughts in one focus. * Have you been labouring under some unplea- sant dream ?” asked Editha, now assuming a look of tender anxiety, while at the same time, unper- ceived by her husband, she pulled the bell-rope that hung behind the curtains of the bed. “TJ cannot understand it—it is unaceountable !” * ” * #* * Yo ———— ee ee ee ee THE MYSTERIES CF TIE CUURT. said Curzon: then turning his eyes suddenly upon | Editha, he demanded abruptly, “ How came you here ?” ; ' ’ ’ : * * “How came I here!” she echoed, with a tone | and look of amazement. “Is it not my own room | —the boudoir where I sleep when we do not pass — the night. together ?—and therefore should I not rather ask how came you here?” “ Perdition! what means it all?” exclaimed the Earl: “am I mad? or have I really been dream- ing ?” At this moment the door opened ; and Gertrude made her appearance in answer to tne summons of the boudoir-bell. Her looks were as composed, tranquil, and sedate as if nothing extraordinary had occurred during the past night; and when the Earl thus marked her unruffied mien and saw that there was nothing sly, arch, or mischievous there- in, he became more bewildered than ever. Again he pressed his hand upon his brow to steady his thoughts; and Gertrude availed herself of that opportunity to dart a sudden look of intelligence at Editha. Then did her ladyship’s countenance become lighted up with an expression of joy and triumph: for she understood full well the meaning of her devoted abigail’s glance—and she knew that she was saved! * Did your ladyship ring ?” asked Gertrude, in a tone as tranquil and respectful as usual. “No,” answered Editha: “you can retire.” The abigail accordingly withdrew; but scarcely had the door closed behind her, when the Earl of Curzon, starting up in the couch, exclaimed, “Ah! your Jadyship has manceuvred well! You were doubtless anxious that a witness should thus be- hold us together, so that there may be what the lawyers call a condonation on my part in respect to your by-gone infidelities ?” “My lord, this to me!” exclaimed Editha, her eyes flashing fire, but rather with the triumph that blazed up in her bosom than with the anger which she assumed. “Yes,” continued the Earl of Curzon, springing from the couch and hastily huddling on the slip- pers, trousers, and dressing-gown in which he had soucht that boudoir during the night: “you think, madam, that I am either to be deceived by mysti- fication or over-reached by stratagem? That things have occurred which I cannot understand, I do not deny: but you will lean upon a fragile support if you fancy that because I have been seen in your bed after the discovery of your infidelities, I have deprived myself of legal remedy. Ah! fool that I was ever to have fancied that you, is- suing from such a precious stock, would do honour to the name of Curzon! But thank God! I pos- sess the proofs of your infidelities and crimes: and you will perhaps understand me,” he added with a sardonic malignity, “when I declare that to the guilt of adultery have you superadded the black gurpitude of forgery !” “ My lord!” exclaimed Editha, the richest crim- son glowing beneath the soft duskiness of her skin, and mantling thus warmly not only upon the brow and the cheeks, but also the neck, the bare shoui- ders, and the naked bosom of the patrician lady: “you are a coward thus to insult a defenceless woman! If I had a dagger or a pistol at hand, I would lay you dead at my feet.” “Editha!” exclaimed the Earl, bending upon 2 a MICLOOOKS (€@) (©)