The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 400: what you’re looking at

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

ATALANTA 365 took a phase by no means uncommon; it turned from love to hate, and he secretly set himself to work to find out who Mademoiselle Atalanta really was. He succeeded; he communicated with her family, and for the third time was she carried off when leaving the opera, but on this occasion by her father and brother. She was taken back to her convent. This was what the Englishman desired, and he found means of causing a letter to be conveyed to her, intimating that if she would consent to fly with him, he would effect her escape. She showed the letter to the superior; it was conveyed to the police, and the Englishman was turned out of France. Circumstances recently brought Atalanta to London. This very day she has encountered the Englishman, and he has threatened her with his im- placable vengeance unless she chooses to place herself under his protection.” “ And the charming Atalanta,’’ exclaimed Softly, “is, as I all along suspected, the equally charming Armantine? ’”’ “ Put all the charmings out of the question,’’ responded the young lady, with a smile, “‘ and you are right. Now, my dear Augustus, you are acquainted with one episode in my life.”’ “Yes, and Madame Angelique told me that your father is a marquis,” he immediately added. ‘Ah! pray do not speak of him,’’ murmured Armantine. ‘Tf I were married, it would indeed be very, very differ- ent.”’ ‘And Madame Angelique,” pursued Softly, ‘‘ helped the Duke of Marchmont to carry you off from the convent two or three months back.” ‘Tf you see Marchmont,’’ was the wily French girl’s guarded response, “‘ he will tell you all about it.” ‘““T saw him just now,’’ rejoined Softly. ‘‘ Ah, indeed,” ejaculated Armantine, quickly. “Yes, he called upon me for a few minutes,”’ rejoined the Honourable Augustus Softly, ‘‘ about half an hour before you came in. To tell you the truth, being rather proud of my conquest, I spoke of it to the duke, and he said enough to confirm Madame Angelique’s tale. But about this Eng- lishman of yours — what is his name? ”’ “ His name? Captain Cartwright,’’ responded Armantine, and then she added, with a visible shudder, ‘‘ And, oh, he \ GOMINIGIOOKS (CO)