The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 350: what you’re looking at

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a ee a ee 344, THE MYSTEBIES OF THE COURT. to write it; and now more forcibly than ever did I | peared, from what I could gather, to Lave been recollect my uncle’s imperious injunctions against | instructed to keep a watch over her movements. followiag in my late father’s footsteps and marrying | Moreover the day was a rainy one; and there was a penniless girl. But love has hope and faith | no pretext for Louisa to issue forth. ‘he maid amongst its elements ee undertook to deliver my note; and I returned to “Tt has,” thought Christian Ashton to himself, | the barracks, wondering what this sudden journey as the image of the beauteous Isabella Vincent | on Mrs. Maxwell’s part could mean—but con- rose up in his mind. necting it with my own love-affair. On reaching “And therefore,” continued Edgar Beverley, “I | the barracks, I strolled into the mess-room, where flattered myself that my uncle would be moved on | four or five of my brother-officers were in conver- my behalf when I assured him in my letter that | sation with a gentleman in plain clothes, This my happiness was centred in that fair being, who, | gentleman was an officer in the Guards, and had though without a fortune, was a model of loveli- | come down to Brighton on the previous day for a ness, amiability, and virtue. When the letter was | short trip. At the moment I entered, he was re- finished, I sent it in an envelope to Mrs. Maxwell, | lating an anecdote, which speedily became vitally that she might peruse its contents and then de- | interesting to me.—‘I was up just now at the spatch it to the post. You may be sure, Mr. | railway-station,’ he said, ‘to make some inguiry Ashton, that I waited the reply with a considerable | relative to a lost carpet-bag; and while I was degree of suspense, although I endeavoured to | lounging there, waiting to see a train go off, I fell persuade myself that it would prove favourable. | in with an old flame of mine. I knew her inti- The return of post brought me the answer: it was! mately some nine or ten years ago: she was a singularly brief and laconic—and was to the effect | lovely creature then—she is a splendidly handsome that my uncle had an attack of the gout, or he! woman still. She passed from my hands into the would have come personally to Brighton to see | keeping of a rich old Baronet. Stop a moment, into the matter and explain his views; but that he | and I shall remember his name !’—He reflected had other means of instituting inquiries, and that | for a few instants; and then suddenly recalling in the course of a few days I should hear from him | to mind the name which he sought, he mentioned again. Within an hour after the receipt of this; that of my own uncle. My _ brother-oflicers letter, a note was handed to me by my servant at | laughingly informed him that he was thus speak- my quarters: it was from Mrs. Maxwell, request-| ing in the presence of the nephew of the old ing that I would abstain from visiting at the house | Baronet whom he had just mentioned ; and he in until I should hear from her again. ‘This requi-|a similar laughing mood exclaimed, ‘ Well, I am sition struck me as singular, but did not fill me} sure that Mr. Beverley, if he happens to know this with despair. I remembered that Mr. and Mrs. | lady, will admire his uncle’s taste. Let me see: Maxwell had been acquainted with my uncle: I| she married afterwards, and turned quite steady, thought therefore that they might have written to| I believe. Who was it that she married? Ah, I him by the same post which conveyed my own| recollect! an old fellow with years enough to fit letter, and that they perhaps had received | him to be her grandfather, but with some little a reply in such a sense as to originate| property: and so she became Mrs. Maxwell.’—I the request that was now conveyed to me. | should here observe that my love for Louisa had I persuaded myself that my uncle was taking | been kept altogether a secret from my brother- time for reflection —or perhaps waiting to| officers; and thus they neither knew how interested ascertain through some channel or another whether | nor how pained I was by the startling disclosure Louisa was in reality all I had represented, and} that had just reached my ears. My endeavour to therefore worthy of becoming my wife. I said to| laugh and seem unconcerned was but a sickly one; myself that if these conjectures were right, my} and I sped to my own room, there to give way to uncle was sure to give a favourable response,| my reflections. Could the tale be true ?—but because he could only hear everything that was| dared I doubt it? Did it not corroborate the calculated to enhance the amiable Louisa in his| whispers that I had already heard in respect to estimation; and I even thought he was acting a| Mrs. Maxwell’s character? and did it not fully prudential part in taking time to make such in-/ account for her strange behaviour towards me quiries, inasmuch as though he had known the! while labouring under the idea that I all along Maxwells, yet he haa never seen Louisa herself, as| knew of her former equivocal connexion with my she was at school at the time her sister and her! uncle? Wor less did it account for the strange brother-in-law were acquainted with my uncle in| language in which she had addressed me on the London. Still I was somewhat restless and uneasy | morning when she had surprised Louisa and at being debarred the pleasure of visiting Louisa} myself together in the garden. I also compre- for the present; and I penned a note to her for| hended why she had so readily accepted my pro- the purpose of conveying comfort during a separa- | posal to show her the letter that I was to pen to tion which I besought her to hope was only tem-| my uncle: she doubtless wished to be sure of the porary. I did not however know precisely how to| terms in which I should speak of herself, so that convey this note: but as I sauntered near the| sbe might positively ascertain whether I was Maxwells’ dwelling—taking care not to be seen} sincere in professing my ignorance of her ante- from the windows—I met the friendly servant-|cedents. I was deeply grieved to think that maid. From her I learnt that in consequence of| Louisa was so closely connected with such a a letter received in the morning, Mrs. Maxwell| woman ; and then I blamed myself for this feel- ad suddenly set off on a journey, and that it ing, inasmuch as I knew Louisa herself to be the as not known whither she had gone. I was like-| most immaculate of beings. While pursuing my wise told that Louisa was sitting with her old! reflections, methougnt that Mrs, Maxwell’s jour- brother-in-law in the drawing-room; and he ap- ney might now be explained; and I conjeciured fen COMMIClLOOlKS. EO)