The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 382: what you’re looking at

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= - a 376 earnestly upon her sister’s countenance, as if seek- ing for the assurance that a real affectionate sin- cerity characterized all that she had just said ; and Mrs. Oxenden could scarcely prevent her looks from quailing beneath that gaze of artless inno- cence. “Yes, my dear sister,’ resumed the wily woman, taking Laura’s hand and pressing it between both her own as if with the tenderest cordiality, “I am indeed studying your best interests in everything that I suggest or propose. Suffer me—for the THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT, struck her that it was useless as well as impolitic to argue upon the point; inasmuch as she was secretly resolved in her own mind never to wed Sir John Steward—and inasmuch too as against her fluttering heart rested the billet which had that day brought assurances of love, of succour, and of hope. “ T see my dear girl,” continued Mrs. Oxenden, who did not righily comprehend what was passing in her sister’s mind, “that you are doing your best to exercise a becoming control over your feel- last time, I hope—to reason with you a little upon | ings—and that when they threaten to get the certain points, and thereby aid you in strengthening your mind and assisting you onward in that better course of feelings which you have for the last few hours displayed. You know, Laura, that Mr. Oxen- den’s means are limited—that it is a Government pension which he enjoys—and that it will die with him. Therefore at his death—which according to all natural probabilities will take place long before my own—lI shall be left with such small income as will arise from my husband’s present savings and from an insurance on his life. Hitherto, my dear sister, I have been enabled to support you in comfort if not in affluence; and upon this ground alone I might claim some right to your dutiful obedience, as if I were your mother. But let us view the matter in a different light. You are now of an age when you ought to think of settling in the world. If Mr. Oxenden were to die soon— before you were thus settled—that income which would be a bare maintenance for me, would con- stitute absolute poverty for yourself and me; and without the means of going into society, how could you hope to form an eligible alliance ——” A burning blush overspread the countenance of the young maiden,as she said with more firm- ness than her timid nature was wont to allow her to display towards her sister, “‘ You know that my heart is already engaged: think yon therefore that I can possibly listen with a very pleasant feeling to this language of yours, in which you speak of eligible alliances as if they were such mere worldly matters ¥ * And so they are!’’ interrupted Mrs. Oxenden vehemently: for she in a moment saw the neces- sity of re-asserting her empire over her delicate- minded sister. “I know full well to what you allude—you would speak of Edgar Beverley: but have I not already told you that according to some long-lost document which has recently come to light, and the existence of which was pre- viously unknown or forgotten, Sir John Steward is enabled to cut off the entail of his estates and to bequeath them to whomsoever he may choose ? Have I not likewise informed you over and over again that his solicitor is already taking the neces- sary steps for this purpose, and that he will most probably he here the day after to-morrow with the marriage-settlements completed and likewise,” added Mrs. Oxenden impressively, “ with the draught of Sir John Steward’s will—that will by virtue of which you are at his death to inherit the great bulk of his wealth,—a comparatively small sum being bequeathed to me, and which I am sure my own sister will not grudge me P” “Ch, if you knew how painful it is to me,” cried Laura, with a visible shudder, “to hear you thus speculating upon death 7 But then she stopped suddenly short, as the idea which I have adopted towards you before. better of you, you magnanimously check yourself, I am sure that this reiteration of all I have pre- | viously told you, has its uses and its advantages: and therefore—for the last time, I hope, as I just now said—I will recapitulate those reasonings You are aware tuat Sir John Steward sent for me from Brighton, declaring in his letter that he hada most important communication to make to me; this communication was to the effect that as the conduct of his nephew had been most unduteous in many respects “4 “Do not vilify Edgar Beverley!” interrupted Laura, unable to restrain herself when aspersions were thrown out against her lover. “Well, Laura,’ continued Mrs. Oxenden, “I will speak in terms as delicate as possible. Put- ting all Sir John Steward’s reasons out of the question, the substantive fact remains that he des termined to avail himself of the recently discovered document to break off the entail and dispose of his property—which is immense—according to his own goodwill and pleasure. It is his purpose to make such a settlement that will leave Mr. Beverley in possession of the two hundred pounds which have hitherto been granted to him as an allowance. It is true that at his death Mr. Beverley may, under certain circumstances, succeed to the title: but even if it should be so, what is a title without wealth adequate to its support? A mere encum- brance! To what, then, is Edgar Beverley re- duced? To the condition of a poor subaltern, with a couple of hundred a year besides his pay. Would you throw yourself into his arms, when on the other hand you may become the bride of a man who is enormously rich, and whose rank will be reflected on yourself?” Laura was again on the point of giving a hasty and even indignant answer to these cold-blooded mercenary calculations of her sister; when she was once more struck by the inutility of the course, as well as by the impolicy of saying aught that could possibly excite a suspicion in Mrs. Oxenden’s mind. “As yet Mr. Beverley,” continued the latter lady, who, with all her penetration and cunning, could not fathom what was really passing in her sister’s mind, and who therefore believed that her own arguments were making the wished-for im- pression—*“ as yet Mr. Beverley is in total ignor- ance of the existence of that document which enables his uncle to disinherit him. He clings to the belief—as indeed he himself assured me at Brighton not long since—that he is the heir pres sumptive to Sir John’s estates, which he supposes to be inalienable so far as the rigour of the entail is concerned. But he will find himself mistaken. Sir John does not however wish that the intelli+ (e(6) 0(0\(0)|x< (Eo) =|