The Mysteries of London; or, Lights and Shadows of London Life — page 375: what you’re looking at

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

| ‘Gf Abi iiansion out hort bia speech. He was puzzled. There was in her manner something different from any | thing he had ever encountered before. He could not “IT would have spared your vanity this rebuke,” “but you will forceme. Know then at the only thing which can render our intercourse 2 hateful to me is your never mentioning the ove again. Love!” she repeated ; “earthworm! can he know of the passion who regrets the iz of dross to the object of his choice? I have | aietificed—bat no matter, I wish not to speak of myself.” + The count is a happy man, lady,” faltered the suitor. “Fe is a miserable wretch, whom I hate as only an outraged woman can hate. I would beggar him— see him rot—die—starve—stifie the last prayer on his accursed lips! God!’ she added, “*I should be miserable if I thought that even thy mercy could save him.” * Your husband!” “ He is not my husband.” “Cool, at least,” thought her visitor. “ Nor my paramour,” she added proudly; ‘ but he bolds a secret which chains me—makes me the | accomplice of his villanies, but not the slave of his passions. Never has the threshold of my chamber been passed by him.” | “And yet the world believes ——” “Any thing it is taught,” interrupted the lady; “but it is necessary for my project that you should understand me. My youth was passed in the sunny city of Florence. At the age of sixteen I left my con- vent to espouse my cousin. To say I loved him would ill express the feelings of my young heart. It was idolatry—vworship !” “ And he?” demanded Wilmott. “Loved another. The arrangement was a family one; for I was rich in that which all men love—in lands and wealth,—and he was poor. Not a month had passed after our ill-assorted union before I per- | ceived a marked coldness in his manner. Ho was | frequently absent from me for days together; end when he did return, his air was dissatisfled—he | seemed uneasy at my presence. Lov, they say, is | short-sighted. It was with agony that I perceived the change. With gold at my command, I surrounded | him with spies, and found that his hours of absence | were passec at a cottage on the ban«s of the Arno, _| where, in the embraces of a peasant girl—a thing of y, a being without soul or energy—he forgot the | bride he had vowed to love and honour—the creature whose existence was entwined with bis! I cannot | paint the change which came over the dream of my | young life when first convinced of his infidelity, | From a timid girl I became a resolute woman. Tears, remonstrances, and entreaties were tried in vain. From the moment I found it impossible to win him back, I resolved upon revenge; and when an Italian forms her resolution, the deed is half accomplished.” “ Revenge!” repeated: ber visitor. “% What else was left me?” interrupted the countess, | “In the neighbourhood of Kiorence was a man long | as being the chief of a daring band of mis- | creants. I found him out, and boldly declared my purpose, Gold was not wanting; that I found with | a lavish hand; and my burning thirst was satisfied at _ “How satisfied 2” LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LONDON LIFE. 373 “The cottage of his paramour was wrapt in flames; doors and windows were well secured; he perished, miserably perished, in her arms, whose wanton caresses he had preferred to miue, I stood by and looked on—heard their despairing cries—and yet my resolution never once failed me; they were music to my ears. Long ere succour could arrive I trampled on their ashes.” “ Your revenge indeed was fearful!” “Not more so than my injuries,” she resumed. “But I was betrayed; a villain of the band, dissatis- fied with hie share in the large price I paid, denounced me and the leader of the troop. Orders wero issued by the grand duke for my arrest. JI was mad—mai with grief and terror. Farnished with a few jewels aid what money I cculd collect, I left Italy with the instrument of my crimes for ever—became the ac- complice of a miscreant in his schemes of plunder on the unwary, but never his mistress! Oh! never, n3ver!” “And that instrament, doubtless, was Paulo—the count, as he calls himss lf?’’ “Right. Tae bond which united us was of hate, i not love. I was necessary to his schemes as he had beer to my vengeance. After years of misery and ————— = 2 ee degradation, I once more found that I hada heart to love. A young Englishman wes lured here. I thought to win him by gifts and kindness, and at last was happy. God, how happy!” “ You mean Henry Stair? I have heard a whisper of your passion.” ‘Paulo perceived if, and with devilish art—for he still cherishes the hope of one day calling me his— contrived to ruin him. The bey loved me devotedly, madiy loved me! His destroyer teld him all the tale of my dishonour and my crime; the next morn- ing he was a suicide, and [ a wretch for life, hope- less, withered at the heart! Do you wonder that I hate the man who taught his soul to scorn me?” 6s No,” “Or that I seek revenge?” “ Still less.” “ Hear then my project. Paulo is at the head of a gang of sharpers. His object is to fly to the New World as soon as he has sufficiently plundered his dupes in Europe; and he has threatened to denounce me unless I consent to accompary him, His flight must be prevented.” “ How ?” “By reducing him to poverty, depriving him of his ill gotten gold, the idol of his worthless nature. For the future we must appear as little intimate as possible, Frequent our assemblies, and whenever you see me stand bohind the chair of his partner Marotto, play upon rouge; if bebind Paulo’s, noir. Pisy high. If you Jack gold I will supply you with the,means; for I am still, although he knows it not, rich, fearfully rich. Break his bank, ruin him, crush the viper, and ina second fortune gratify my hate and retrieve your past folly. Is it a compact?” “] were a fool to refuss it,” said Wilmott, whese feelings of Jove, or rather passion, were cooled by the fearful tale to which he had bees listening. “ Bat will not my continued success create suspicien ? The count, if I mistake not, is a cool hand.” “ Fear not, I know him well; he is so devoted to his hellish trade, that he would risk his soul rather than give it up. While a marvedi remains he will play on. His fortane is already much reduced, for Fortune lately has betrayed him. When he is CORMICLOOOKS (CO)