The Mysteries of London; or, Lights and Shadows of London Life — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LONDON LIFE. addressed to her a few words in that language to she had been earliest accustomed, and which a peculiar significance from his lips. torrent of remembrances now rushed as she heard that voice again, and those sounds that he who was now as the same that had led her, an outcast, from the streets of Naples into misery and crime! “That the horrible had occurred to her on the preceding now received its dreaded confirmation, with whom she was there conversing was who, by threats and coarse ion, had solicit alms from the wealthy and benevolent encountered by the roadside. But when he aside to a more unfrequented spot, and con- Thay i and ts FEES 5) Hit 4 : tinued the story of his following her step by step through her career, watching with exulting gratifica- tion the gradual advance she made in public favour, and nightly witnessing her most brilliant successes, she listened as one spell-bound by the power of a frightful fascination, and involuntarily yielded the obedience he had exacted of yore. He ascribed his = desiring an interview in such a manner and to the wish he felt that her mind prepared by degrees to receive the intelli- he had now to impart, and it was not till that he had established beyond a of her being really the same person he had been so long desirous of dis- i i EF zg E 3 i os now,” faltered Celestine, as he paused in the recital of those circumstances that possessed for her an interest of a thrillingly exciting nature, “since you have related sufficient to convince me that you are traly the person whom you represent yourself to be, what is this intelligence to which you have alluded» and against whom is the revenge you first spoke of to be directed ?” “ Against her who has stolen yeu from those who had a better right to your services,” returned Bazzini ; “I swore it to your mother before she died.” “You!” ejaculated the gitl, astounded by such a speech; “ surely my heart cannot have deceived me— it is not possible that yon”—and a shudder of repul- sion that passed through her frame as she contem- plated the frightful suspicion which had forcibly recurred to her, checked its utterance. “Yes,” asserted Bazzini, “I can comprehend your wish. You hoped to have found a handsomer and a better man than me to call your father; but although I see you bave a reluctance to own me, the truth must be told nevertheless. I swore to your mother that I would not rest until ] learned tidings of you, Your mother was my wife, and though it has cost me time and trouble enough to seek you, I have kept my oath, albeit she is no longer alive to see how famously it has been redeemed.” “I must have the most satisfactory proofs of the truth of what you allege,” cried Celestine, her firmness sinking under the painful ordeal to which she was subjected, and her voice failing with it; “ until those proofs are brought before me, and logally supported, I can acknowledge no such claim as this.” “The proofs, of course, I have brought over with me,” said the Italian, “and I have a witness besides who can swear to all that I have stated. Your real mame is Beatrice Bazzini. You were born near Naples; we were then very poor, and unable to pro- vide for you, we got you received in the charitable asylum, where you remained until! your eighth year. - ee ee Se -——— _ 101 I drew you away by stealth, as you will remember, and we were then looking to you to assist our broken fortunes. I need not remind you what occurred whilst I was away from the tavern where we stopped. I had left you for a few minutes whilst I went to in- crease my funds by selling a silver tankard I had bor- rowed from the landlord, and you were carried off by a fine madam, who it appears has made you despise the humble parentage from which you sprung.” “And against this worthy lady, who has been my benefactress, you would now dare to display your ani- mosity ?” “ Not if we are to be on good terms with each other, and you‘choose to plead for her,” rejoined the Italian, “but she has raised you above your proper station, she has taught you to forget what you origi- nally were, and though fortune has smiled on myself since then, I do not mean to forego the authority that I have a right to exercise.” ‘And your own means of subsistence—what are they?” interrupted Celestine, shrinking from the belief that was gaining possession of her mind, despite the personal aversion she entertained; ;“‘ if money is the cnly object you have in claiming this relationship, perhaps it may be in my power to assist —to relieve you.” “Perhaps you are not far wrong there,” bluntly replied Bazzini; “but no small sum will suffice for me, You are young, and have charms enough to fascinate any nobleman you choose. Let me hear of your having his purse in your keeping, and I shall then be able to secure the amount that it would now be only useless to name.” | This admission of the mercenary principles by which he was actuated, and the brutal coarseness of the suggestion by which it was accompanied, so shocked the ears of Celestine, that for a minute she was in- capable of reply; and the man, either misunderstand- ing her silence or wilfully misinterpreting it to suit his purpose, continued :— “You see, mademoiselle, that I have to expect from you not only a fair share of your present earn- ings, which, as I have been told, are considerable, but I have also to claim the arrears of the time that has elapsed since we last met, and which ought to have been mine, as the one most entitled to profit by your exertions. However, as you seem inclined to take my case into consideration, I shall not be too pressing upon you, and will therefore depend on your gene- rosity, and the affectionate regard which a daughter feels for her parent, to regulate the amount that you may think proper to give.” “ Leave me, sir,” interrupted Celestine, no longer able to suppress the indignation she felt at his impu- dent demand; “I will not suffer this conversation to continue another instant, nor will I degrade myself by listening to a further declaration of your infamous designs. I did not from the first believe in the assertions you made, and am now still more con- vinced by the nature of your last proposal that this is merely a scheme for extorting money. I hoped to meet one that would be able to give me the informa- tion he promised, and was willing to have liberally rewarded my informant; but I did not expect to be insulted by a false statement. So grossly improbable that it defeats even its very object.” “As you please,” answered the Italian, with cool effrontery ; “it was my wish to spare ‘you from an exposure that might lead perhaps to disagreeable ex~ planations; but since you prefer a public toa private settlement of the question, I shall now consider my- ~~ ee ee ee ee ee ee ee me rm + + wee eee ee ee -—S—ts CORNICLOO@ “S (EC) im a —