The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 246: what you’re looking at

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

240 “nor did I, when leaving you in the morning, think that I should see you again until the even- ing. But my father was called into the country on unforeseen business scarcely an hour ere I arrived; and then I received a message requesting me to postpone my visit till the day after to- morrow.” “T hope it is nothing unpleasant?” said Zoe, with that amiable placidity and soft mournfulness which had characterised her tone and manner ever since the accident that led to her illness. *“ No—nothing of any great consequence,” an- swered Octavian,—“ merely a suddenly discovered defalcation in the accounts of his bailiff: but it is to no serious amount.” The young nobleman then proceeded, with well- bred facility, to glide into a conversation on general topics,—and in which Zoe bore her part, if not with cheerfulness, at least with an apparent in- terest: though Christina could not help thinking it was really to prevent the discourse from flagging and thereby causing embarrassment to perhaps all three. The young maiden herself spoke but little: the mere necessity of keeping continuously on her guard, so as not to betray that sense of awkward- ness that she inwardly and strongly felt, was at times hurrying her to the very brink of confusion. She sat with her eyes bent down, or else with her looks averted in another direction from the spot where Lord Octavian was seated. She did not choose to meet his regards. Not that she in this respect mistrusted herself: it was impossible for that pure-minded girl to display any significancy of look under such circumstances: but she knew not how Octavian might gaze upon her, or into what increased embarrassment and awkwardness he might plunge her. Thus half-an-hour passed: Christina glanced at the time-piece—still two more hours must elapse ere the carriage would come! Did Lord Octavian intend to remain in the drawing-room the whole time? It appeared so. All of a sudden Zoe directed Christina’s attention to a portfolio of new and splendid prints which lay upon the table; and the young maiden, infinitely relieved—and half suspecting that Zoe meant purposely thus to relieve her—hastened to look over them. In doing this, she seated herself in such a way that without absolutely turning her back in rudeness towards Octavian, she nevertheless could without restraint avoid meeting his looks. By these means another hour was passed; and then Zoe requested Christina to favour her with an air upon the piano. The young maiden was compelled to advance towards the instrument: but she did so with a visible embarrassment; and Lady Octavian sud- denly exclaimed, “No, my dear Christina: it is too bad that I should thus task you when you come to visit me out of friendship—and we have so short a time to be together !” “T see,” said Lord Octavian, rising from his seat, and endeavouring to smile—though the at- tempt was but a sickly one after all—“ that I am one too many here: but I know that you ladies have your little secrets. Ishall bid you farewell, Miss Ashton.” Again he presented his hand: again hers was given hesitatingly: he held it but for a moment— and then somewhat hurriedly quitted the room. Christina resumed her seat close by Zoe; and it ee — A ee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. struck her at the moment that the amiable lady was forcing herself to suppress a sigh. At that same instant, too, our heroine’s gentle bosom was so full of emotion that she could have thrown her- self into her friend’s arms and given vent to her feelings with a gush of tears. But by a mighty effort she conquered this weakness. Zoe at once glided into conversation ayain; and her manner was, if possible, more kind and more sweetly affable than ever towards Christina. At length the carriage came ; and when the two friends was about to part, Zoe said, “I am in hope, dearest Christina, to be enabled to return this visit in a very short time :” but she did xot add that if this hope were disap- pointed, she should expect our heroine to renew her own visit to the Regent’s Park. They embraced warmly, and separated. Chris- tina was half afraid of finding Lord Octavian down stairs in order to hand her to the carriage: but he was not there—and she took her way back towards Bayswater. While seated in the vehicle, she re- viewed every incident which had occurred within the last four hours. Scarcely a doubt remained in her mind as to the fact that Zoe had penetrated her husband’s secret: and now a reminiscence suddenly flitted into Christina’s brain. She won- dered that she had not thought of it before! For, on that day when the accident with the phaeton occurred, it had struck her for an instant that she beheld Zoe’s eyes suddenly close as she turned to- wards her immediately after those passionate ex- clamations had burst from Octavian’s lips. Ah! doubtless Zoe’s ear had caught them !—they had revealed to her the secret of her husband’s love for another !—and if Zoe had really thus known it all along, it would account for the entire tenour of the admirable lady’s conduct since that moment which struck a fatal blow to her happiness. “Good heavens!” thought Christina to herself, shuddering and shivering at the bare idea that her surmise was correct; ‘‘ what a sacrifice of feeling is the generous-hearted Zoe making in every way! She knows her husband’s unlawful and disastrous love—she knows that I, though heaven can tell how unwittingly, am its object—and yet she does not hate me! No: she is too magnanimous! And she will not make her husband blush in her presence by suffering him to perceive that she has penetrated his secret. Perhaps she pities him,— perhaps she feels for him, making al- lowances for a heart that has no power over its own volition? And now she is cherishing this secret—she locks it up in her own bosom—she studies by every action, word, and look, to excite the belief that she suspects it not! Admirable Zoe! Ah, no wonder that there is sadness in her tone—soft plaintiveness in her looks: for these it is impossible she can altogether control!” And then, while still seated in the carriage which was bearing her homewards, Christina wept scalding tears of anguish,—wept as if she herself were a wilfully guilty destructrix of the amiable Zoe’s happiness ! (EO) ECOMIIGEGDOOKS