The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 305: what you’re looking at

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i 39) glass. At dinror-timo she would freely partake of her two or three glasses;—and on thoso evenings whon she met Leonard, she indulged readily in the liquor provided for the supper-table. But as the habit rapidly gained upon the unfortunate young woman, sho soon began to tipple slily at home; and, even before breakfast, she eventually found herself compelled by great mental depression to imbibe a dram. It was about this timo that Mr. Gamble’s intellects, racked and tortured for up- wards of a year by tho most harrowing suspicions and by the total estrangement of his wife’s affec- tions and ecren attentions, began to give way; and le would sit for hours together in his chair, with his eyos fixed upon vacancy. It was also at the same epoch that a turn once more manifested itself in Mr. Pomfret’s affairs; and,a colossal speculation failing, he was again plunged into deep embarrass- ments, Further assistance from his son-in-law was out of tho question; aud Mr, Pomfret accord- ingly devoted all his energies to sustain tho credit of his house in the hope that ho migh; yet retriove himself, or in any caso postpone thi catastrophe for as long a period as possible. ‘Chus the condi- tion of her husband and the constant application of hor father to his business loft Ellon almost totally freo from any supervision; and she was enabled to indulge at will in tho fatal habit that was gaining so rapidly upon her. Leonard did not fhil to notice this growing attachment to liquor on her part; and he rather encouraged it than otherwise—for he himself had become utterly depraved and reckless, and when his mistress was in a maudlin condition of semi-ebriety, sho cheer- fully parted with all the contents of hor purse. The increasing childishness of her husband gave hor fn greater command over his finances ; and she was therefore tho better able to supply her lover’s ex- travagances. At length she acquired the certainty that Leonard was unfaithful to her; and a desperate quarrol was the consequence. Nor was the dispute confined to mere words; for the young man beat hor unmercifully—and she, half intoxicated at the time, retaliated to tho best of her ability. The scene was shocking and disgusting ; and when Etlen awoke next morning, and roflected upon all that had occurred on the preceding evening, she wept bitter—bitter tears, as she compared the guilty pre- sont with the innocent past. Then she vowed to abstain from liquor in future, and to see Leonard Mitchell no more; and, temporarily strong in this resolution, sho sont him a note communicating her design, Aloreover, under tho influence of tho better feelings that were thus awakening within her soul, hor heart smote her for her conduct towards her husband, who was daily becoming moro dependant upon her kindness, and whom she had long neg- lected altogother. She even felt happy when she pondered upon her nowly-formed dotermination to resuine a steady course of life ;—but all her salutary schemes and hopes were annihilated in the sfter- noon of that same day, by tho arrival of a letter from Mitchell, threatening to murder her and kill himsolf afterwards unless she repaired in tho even- ing to the usual placo of meeting. Ovor that lettor Ellen wept scalding tears—for she knew that if sho yielded now, her fate was sealed: ruin, degradation, and disgrace must inevit- ably await her! She saw herself again entering upon tho path which would lead her to the condi- tion of a confirmed drunkard; and the awful THE MYSTERIES OF LONDON. a — menaces contained in the missive, filled her with presentiments that oven her death might bo fre- mature and violent, Nevertheless, sho had not tho moral courage to resist the temptation of mecting her lover; and she consoled herself—or rather, sho endearoured to quiet her qualms of conscience and her presaging fears—by saying, “It shall be for tho last time!” To the placo of appointment she accordingly went; and Leonard Mitchell, who feared to lose a mistress possessed of such ample means to minister to his extravagances, played tho hypocrite s0 admirably that Ellen—infatuated creature that she was !—belicved in the sincerity of his protestations of undivided love for the future, and his regrets for the past. Tho wine-bottlo cir- culated freeiy; and she forgo$ all her remorse—all her compunctions—all her resolves of reformation. She even weat so far as to rovive the proposal of purchasing Leonard’s discharge; but to this ho positively refusod to accede. He quoted his oath as areason: it was not however tlio correct one— for oven that solemn vow had long ceased to havo any influence upon his depraved and hardoned mind, Tho truth was that ho had become a con- firmed voluptuary in respect to womon; and he found that his uniform was an immense auxiliary towards success with tho frivolous and giddy of the sex: moreover, ho knew that were he released from tho ranks, he should become completely tacked to the apron-strings of his mistress; and, az she held the purse, ho would not in that case be able to exercise his independence. It therefore suited him better to remain in the army; and Ellen was foolish—infatuated enough to believe in the validity and genuineness of the motive which he alleged for declining her proposal. She accord- ingly forboro from pressing it; and the remainder of that evening was spent in voluptuous -onjoy- ment—sensuality and champagne constituting the cloments of that guilty pair’s unhallowed plea- sures, : Time passed on; and tho position of tho lovers— if such they could now be called—became daily more unhappy in respect to each otbor., Quarrols between them were of constant occurrence; and on each oc: casion blows were exchanged. Tho affection of Kllen had changed into a gross sensuality, having lost overy particle of refining sentiment; and sho be: camo jealous in tho extreme, frequontly giving way to such fits of passion, when she reproached Leonard for his infidelities, that it was impossible to recog- niso in the furious, rabid, half-drunken domonoss tho mild, amiable, and chaste young lady of former years. She still retained her beauty to a marvellous, degree, in spite of the deep potations in which she indulged and the sloyenliness that had crept upon her in respect to dress; and, as she was frequently out in the streets late of an evening, after her in- tervicws with Leonard, she was subjected to the licentious proposals of the “ young men about town” who are ever on the look-out for pretty women. The result was that, although she yielded not td such temptations, her mind became more tho- roughly depraved, by being robbed of every chasten- ing thought and fominino reflection; for, when under the influence of liquor, she would frequently conrerso with the rakes who accosted her in the manner described. Leonard himself suddenly grew jealous; and, having followed her one evening, ha caught her in discourse with a young gentleman whom she had encountored more than once during \ en PC CI CORnnicoooks.€©