The Mysteries of London; or, Lights and Shadows of London Life — page 206: what you’re looking at

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

A 200 “Darwin, I will be frank with you, for dissimula- tion is not my forte. It would ill boefit a fellow like me to assume the moralist; but there are bounds to folly as well as vice, and ‘when passed, the former degenerates into the latter. You last night read me a useful lesson, I never felt before how disgusting brutal obscenity could become, for I had never before listened to it from the lips of a hypocrite. If you are offended at my plainness, I can’t help it. You have my card.” The speaker bowed to Lord Linton, and walked on. “Weel, weel,” exclaimed the Scot, quietly enjoy- ing the expression of shame and rage in his com- panion’s face, ‘that beats cock-fighting! Lord Harry a reprover of the sins of the world! We shall have him standing for proctor next!” “It was all owing to your officiousness,” said Dar- “He would have forgot the foolish affair in a week, and now he has compromised both himself and me. Will you take a message for me?” “Willingly, provided it’s neither a challenge nor _ gnother invitation to dinner.” SN eee ooo “The former, certainly,” said Darwin; “JI must meet this affair promptly.” “Had ye no better, then, commence with those who gave you the first insult?” demanded the Scot, who was really much attached to Lord Harry. “Shoot Digby and Fitzgerald, and then it will be time enough to send a message to the other.” “No,” answered his excited companion, “I have determined. I will call out Heartley.” “Then ye mun find another messenger,” said the Scot, who trusted by the refusal to creep out of the acquaintance of the now contemptible Darwin; “ for to speak plainly, I cannot say that I altogether ap- prove of the line of conduct ye have shown; it’s na such as I can lend my countenance to.” ““Hal ha! ha!” laughed Darwin, bitterly incensed, almost to madness, by the last unexpected rebuff. “Your countenance! your countenance! Poor worm! do you imagine that I value it?” “Since it is so valueless,” replied the Scot, nettled at the contemptuous manner of the speaker, “I wonder ye were so anxious to secure it to cover your disgrace. Good morning.” “Stay, our walk is not yet ended. You remember the alternative.” “First come, first served,” observed his lordship, coolly turning upon his heel. ‘“ Digby, Fitzgerald, and Lord Harry, have all insulted ye in my presence; when ye have redeemed your honour with them, it will be time enough to think of impugning mine.” And the wary Scot, chuckling at the tact with which he had extricated himself, walked haughtily away, leaving Darwin a prey to doubt, indecision, shame, and rage. “Lord Harry!” exclaimed Linton, as he overtook him with several of the party of the preceding evening, “I have just had a pretty tilt on your account, The creature Darwin, I am thinking, is demented. He wanted me to bring you a challenge, but I refused, knowing that Digby and Fitzgerald had given him the cat direct before ye, and conse- quently had prior claim.” “You have acted very honourably,” observed the _ Jast-named gentleman, who was of the party; “ but I suspect Darwin will soen have something else than duelling to think of. The master is in a furious rage; the jest of the cow is known through the university. He threatens expulsion.” “Weel, weel, I for one ha’ done wi’ him. Is it lteeeameettll — se er ee THE MYSTERIES OF LONDOX . ‘ . certain the master will expel him? 1! am doubting if Speculative will no stand his friend.” ; “On the contrary,” added a second, “ it was Specu- | lative whomade the report, He encountered him on the back ef the cow this morning, and described it all to the bishop. They say that his lordship’s nose has been at an angle of forty-five ever since.” The prediction was right; Darwin received in- | formation frem his private tutor that the offended | dignitary would listen to no apology, but was re- | solved on his expulsion. As is usual in such cases, | the sentence was intimated a few hours before being | made public, in order to enable the offender to escape | to Oxford before the arrival of the fatal letter to the sister university. Darwin jumped into a chaise, and reached Oxford before it. Lord Linton, with his usual kindness, took care to forward the various squibs and caricatures which appeared on the occasion to the sister university, and in one or two letters given to particular friends gave more ample details, so that in a few weeks Darwin was as‘well known there as in the place he had quitted, and shunned in consequence, That same evening Fitzgerald was indulging in a quiet stroll across the common, when his reveries were | broken by the imploring accents of a female voice, | half exhausted from distress and terror. He stoppad. | It proceeded from the opposite side of the hedge. “Unhand me! pray unhand me, if you are a gen- | tleman—if you are a man!” “ Nonsense, pretty one,” replied a male voice; “I~ must have a kiss first !” | Our hero found his way through the thick hedge, and saw, to his astonishment, a young and beautiful girl, whose dress was that of a gentlewoman, in the embrace of his old enemy, Lord Moreton, who, flushed with the wine which he had indulged in pretty freely at the fellows’ table, despite her tears and almost frantic resistance, was endeavouring to ravish a kiss. The muslin neckerchief which veiled her bosom had been rudely torn aside; and the sight of her heaving charms had only increased the fierceness of his desire, the brutality of his passions. With a spring like the bound of a deer, our hero be- tween them, and in an instant released the trembling girl from further outrage. ‘' Moreton became livid with rs . ‘Begone, ruffian!” exclaimed Fitzgerald; “lest passion takes the rein from reason and I ae: as you deserve,” The infuriated nobleman, doubly excited by It and disappointment, rushed upon Fitzgerald, whl embarrassed by the weight of the fair creature cling- ing to him for support, fouud it’ impossible to avoill the shock. He had, however, too cool a head and too quick an eye to permit himself to be taken et a dis- advantage; he met the attack of his assailant baie blow which sent him reeling on the grass t from both mouth and nostrils. The nodle lord was too much cowed by the c tisement he had received te renew the colmieat 54 sense, too, of the disgraceful position in wich had placed himself had some influence on. his retr which he made by quietly with drawing into the muttering curses as he went. : a. As yet our hero bade never loved ;, woman t ap peared to him,but as some beauteous riddle, to studied and solved perchance at leisure. He k seen, admired, and forgotten many of the ae and beaming eyes which, begs falling stars or ¢ n sunbeams, had flitted comicbooks.. i i i a. Pot