The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 362: what you’re looking at

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TIE now experienced: for the Marquis hed given hor precisely the very information which she was an- xious to obtain—namely, that his banker would in the course of the day be directed to cash the various cheques he had recently given when in Paris! “And what business can you possibly have to transact with me, madam?” demanded Lord Wil- liam Trevelyan, in a tone of tho most chilling hauteur. “J thought of doing your lordship a service,” answered Mrs. Mortimer; ‘and yet tho manner in which I am received, is but a sorry recompense for my good intentions.” “To speak candidly, madam,” said the young noble, ‘I mistrust your intentions and do not re- quire your services.” “Yt is true enough that the presenco of the Mar- quis here has forestalled the purport of my own visit,” obsorved Mrs. Mortimer, secrotly enjoying the vexation which sho evidently caused Lord Wil- liam by remaining in the room, “But I may as well prove to you that those intentions which you affect to mistrust, were really good; and therofore I will at once inform your lordship that I came to relate to you all that took place between the Mar- quis and mo in Paris threo days ago. For I thought that I might as well preparo you for a visit on the part of my Lord Delmour; and I was in hopes of veing the first to reveal to you the high birth of the young Jady whom you had belioved to be plain Agnes Vernon.” “Por which officiousness you would have expected a handsome remuneration,” ssid Lord William, with 2 contemptuous curling of the lip. “‘No—madam: you will not obtain a single guinca from me! ican read your character thoroughly—and, grieved as I am to be compelled to addross a femalo in s0 harsh a manner, I must nevertheloss bog you to reliove mo of your presenco as speedily as possible.” J have no wish to intrudo myself any longer upon your lordships,” observed Mrs. Mortimer ; and, with a respectful curtsoy to the Marquis and i stiff inclination of the head to frevelyan, sho took her departure, “And now, my lord,” said the impationt Marquis, “that we are relicved of the company of that despi- cable woman—for in no other light can I regard her—may { solicit your decision in tho important matter that yet remains to bo settled ?” “Tt grioves me-—beliove me, my doar Marquis, it pains me to keep yon in suspense,” returned Tre- velyan: “but on one side my inclination prompts mo to actin accordatice with your wishes—on the other, my word is pledged to retain the abode of— of——”’ “Mrs, Sefton,’ interrupted tho old nobloman, hastily. “To retain the address of that lady a profound secret,” added Trevelyan. “ But this much I will promisc—this much I will undortako :—without delay to repair to Mra. Sefton and urge her to de- liver up Lady Agnes to your care. I have that confidence in her rectitude gf principle, which induces mo to hope for success when I shall havo placed the entire matter before her in its propor light.” ‘“With this assurance I must rest contonted for the present,” observed the Marquis. “ But hear the resovation to which I have come,” he continued, ris- mg trom his seat, and speaking in a tone of excite- ment, “Hitherto I have done all I could—ayo, and far MYSTERIES OF LONDON. 307 moro than the generality of injured husbands would have done—to cast a veil over the unhappy circum- stances which I have this morning related to you. But should she refuse to deliver up my daughter to my care—should sho entrench herself behind tho decision of the Chancery Court~—I shall then ro- main peaceable no longer. It shall be war—open war—between her and me. I will appeal to the tribunals of my country—I will apply to the Ecclo- siastical Court and the House of Lords for a divorco —aud I will adopt the necessary proceedings and furnish the proper cvidence to induce the Lord Chancellor to deprive the erring mother of tho caro of her child, Such is my determination, Lord Wil- liam—and you may use the menace, which is no idlo ono, to bring that woman to reasor.” With those words the Marquis pressed the hand of the young nobleman, and took his leavo hastily. Mrs. Mortimor, who was seated in a cab at a little distance, watching for tho departure of the Marquis, behold him enter his carriago, which im- mediately drove away; and the humbler vohicle was thoreupon directed to follow tho more imposing equipage. Tho carriage prococdod into tho Strand, and stopped at tho door of an ominent banking-louse, which the Marquis entored. Mrs. Mortimer, having dogged him thither, alight. ed at a little distance and dismissed tho cab. She watchod the old nobleman come forth again ; and then she repaired to acoffec-house in the neigh- bourhood where she ordered some refreshment to be served upina private room. She likewise do- manded writing materials; and when sho was left to herself, sho drew forth the cheque for six hun- dred pounds which the Marquis of Delmour had given licr. ‘Now for the grand blow,” sho thought within herself, 2s sho carofully oxamined tho draft: “ and it must bo struck boldly, too! But tho aim is worth all the risk :—sixty thousand pounds or transporta- tion—those aro the alternatives! I have been pos- sessed of onough money in my lifo to know how sweet it is—and I havo seen enough of transporta- tion to bo woll awaro how bittor it is! And the former is so swoot that itis worth while chancing all the bitters of the latter to obtain it. Besides— apart from tho delicious feoling of having a vast fortune at my command—how delightful will it be to over-reach the haughty Perdita—or Laura, as she chooses to call herself!” And here tho old woman’s lips curled into a con- temptuous sneer. “JT have hithorto managed matters clevorly enough,” she continued in her musings. “ Ah! ‘hah! Lord William Trevelyan thought that I called upon him either to gratify some idle curi- osity or to extort money. He little suspected my drift! It was to seo whether the Marquis had beon to him—to learn whether my information had been found correct—to ascertain whether I might pro- sont the draft at the bankers’. And then the old Marquis himsolf!—it was lucky that 1 found him there—I was saved tho troublo of calling at his mansion to worm out of him whether ho bad in- structed his bankers to pay tho cheque,—net my paltry draft for six hundred—but Perdita’s grand amount of sixty thousand! In all this I succeeded admirably: and now for the desperate vontuge.” Waving thus communed with herself, M timer partook of a little refreshment; for, (C(O) (C