The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 180: what you’re looking at

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

| | = | Tir MYSTERIES GF LONDON. “ Yes—yes: ‘t see it als now!” exclaimed Charles, covering his face with his hands, and pressing his fingers with almost frantic violence against his throb- bing, brows. “ And those officers—with sorrow and grief do I tell you all this—had themselves shared the fJayours of Perdita in Sydney} and as for the mother of the abandoned girl—know you what has become of her?” suddenly demanded Afr. Hatfield. “Nos: we missed her at Dover—just as we had em- barked on board the French steam-ship—— “Then you are doomed to receive another dreadful shock, my poor boy,” contmued Mr, Hatfield, ina ‘one of deep commuseration: “ for Mrs. Slingsby—ot | 173 “You have been raising money, then, Charles?” said Mr. Hatfield. “But that is a miserable—a con- temptible trifle compared to all the rest! May I however ask you on what security—or on what pros- pects—you have obtained a loan and given a promissory note?” “Father, henceforth there must be no scerets between us!” returned the young man, becoming respectful, submissive, and even imploring in his tone and demeanour. ‘The dreadful revelations of this morning have destroyed all that egotistical confidence in myself and my own wisdom——” “Yes, Charles.” interrupted Mr. Hatfield, taking his {son’s hand and speaking in a kind, commiserating Mrs. Fitzhardinge—or whatever she calls herself—was , toue; “you have been too susceptible to first impressions arrested at Dover, in consequence of a communication made by electric telegraph from London Arrested!” cried Charles, his amazement for a moment becoming stronger even than his deep—deep grief. “ Yes—arrested on suspicion of being concerned in a murder of an atrocious character at Pentonville !” added Mr. Hatfield, in a solemn and impressive tors. “Merciful God!” ejaculated the young man, clasping his hands together as if in mortal agony: “surely I have fallen in with fiends in female disguise. But Perdita—Perdita,” he cried, the lingering remnants of affection causing him to hope that he was destined to hear nothing more terrible of her than the revelations which had already crashed him as it were to the very dust: “she at least, father, is unsuspected in this dreadful affair ?”” “The old womau who zs suspected, and whose sountenance was seen by a witness as she issued from the house of the murdered man,—that old woman, who is no doubt Mrs. Slingsby, was accompanied by another and younger female——” “Tell me no more, father!” almost yelled forth Charles Hatfield, literally writhing on the sofa, as if with the poignant anguish of a wound in a vital part. « Compose yourself, my dear son—if it be possible,” said the disconsolate parent: “for I have many other things to tell you,—other dreams to destroy,—dreams equally as bright as the hallucinations which you had entertained relative to this wicked and hypocritical Perdita. " appears to be no direct evidence to fix the murder of Mr. Percivali——” “Percival!” repeated Charles, another and still more dreadful pang shooting through his heart: “ tell me—Percival did you say?—Percival—a money- tender-——” “The same,” cried Mr. Hatfield: “for I last evening read the entire account of the murder in an English paper which I saw at the hotel where I have put up.” «Then is the horrible surmise too true—too accu~ rate,” said Charles, in a hollow tone, while his face grew ghastly once more; “ and it must have been these demons in female shape who caused his death. But on what night, father,’ he demanded with abrupt impatience, “did the murder take place?” “Tho night before you quitted London,” was the answer. “Ah! then it is clear—clear—clear, beyond all possibility of doubt!” exclaimed Charles. “ Yes—it -was on the night in question that my note of hand was discounted by that samo Percival—for Perdita has singe told me that such was the name of the money-lender? he continued, in his soul-harrowing murine. But first I ought to observe that there - -you have formed hasty opinions—you have grasped at shadows—you have revelled in delicious hopes and . pleasing aspirations, without ever pausing to reflect that the very foundationestons of all this castle- building was a mere delusion.” “J do not comprehend you, father,” said the young man, now surveying his parent with profound surprise : ‘Cuntess, indeed, you allude to the destruction of all the bright visions which I have conjured up respecting the false—the wicked—the abandoned Perdita.” “No, my dear son—I am now seeking to direct the conversation into another channel,” responded Mr. Datfield, with solemn emphasis; “for, alas! I can too sell divine the deplorable error which you have adopted and cherished as a substantial truth.” ‘An error, father!” repcated Charles, still com- pletely mystified. “Yes—an error of the mosé afflicting nature,—af- flicting to you—afflicting to me—afflicting to your mother also,” added Mr. Hatfield, his voice becoming low and melancholy. “In aword, Charles, you believe yourself to be that which you are not—your ambition has blinded you—your pride has led you into the most fatal misconceptions-——— ‘Father, you allude to my birth!” exclaimed the young man, starting as he spoke. “Oh! is there any delusion in my recently formed opinions in that re- spect?” Mr. Hatfield rose—and paced the room for a few moments: the whelming tide of recollections of the past was now combined with that of the sorrows of the present and the fears for the future ;—and his emotions were so powerful, that his voice was choked— his faculty of speech was for the time suffocated by ineffable feelings. “ Father—keep me not in suspense, [implore you!” said Charles, rising from the sofa and accosting his- parent. “I am nerved now to hear any thing and every thing, however terrible, in relation to myself Only keep mo not in suspense, I beseech—I implore you!” “Alas! my dear boy,” exclaimed Mr. Hatfield, turning towards him with tearful eyes,—“if I tell you all connected with your birth—I—I shall unmask my- sel{—I shall stand revealed before you as 4 monster whom you must henceforth loathe and detest.” “ No—no,” cried Charles, now throwing himself into his father’s arms and embracing him tenderly: “for the fatal difficulties ~the cruel embarrassments, in which I have plunged myself by my accursea folly— my insane infatuation,—all these convince me that I need a kind friend and adviser—and in you, my dearest father, I shall find both!” “Your language—your altered manner—your af fection determine me to throw wyself wpon your . — A I A ———— (C(O) DOO SS (SO)