The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 150: what you’re looking at

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eee eee ee a ED a THR MYSTERIES. affected by the yeung man’s language—while the Countess songht-not to restrain nor to concea) her team ;+~“and your present conduct,” added the no- bleman, “ deserves our commendation — yes, even our gratitude. Believe me, therefore, that nothing shall be omitted by Lady Deaborough or myself—nothing left unesaayed-—in oxder to induce Fernanda to per- form that which now beconss a duty.” “And if pessuesion.be required to move her, my lord,” said Arthur, “think you that if I were to present myself to her in the retirament where she has been pleced-~exhibit to her the wretched, wasted being that I am-ibid ber gaze npon my colourless cheeks-and my fire-Severad eyes,—oh! if I were to do this—and even fall upwn my knees before her, demanding that pardon which a man upon his death-. bed has a right to enteeat and. axpent ;at the hangs of even his bitterest enemy,~—sére,l to do.all this, she never could refuse te grant say prayer and suffer. me to lead her to the altar.” Phe Countess exchanged a sapiil glenge with her husband, whose loek .coureyed anaflirmative asym- pathetically ‘responsive te her avn thoughts; and, turning tewarde the Mon. Me. Eaten, she .aaid,, 139 ashamed and humiliated at the idea of being unable to wrestle against the voluptuous cravings that caused her bosom to pant, and her cheeles to glow, and her pulse ¢o thrill. Invoking the aid of her virtue against the promptings of-her nature—strir- ing to assist the jntellectual and spiritual to assert their triumph over the grose and the material— -axtuing herself with all the pride and dignity of her sex to combat against that sex's mysterious long. ings,—the noble lady’s very soul was rent- with eon- flicting emotions; and the struggle irresistibly led ber an into repinings against the destiny which thus made her the victim of so fierce a confliet be- ¢ween the spirit and the flesh. It was at the moment when the h colour of her cheeks—the subdued lustre of her magnificent eyes, now swimming in a soft languor— and the rapid heavings of her bosom, gave an in- descrihable charm to‘her entire appearanee, that the.door of the apartment was thrown open, and the lace-bedizened domestic announced’his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Composing hers¢glf as well as she -was-able, the Canntess of Desborough advanced -t0 meet the “Thie eventing at dight iofolack yau shall .ac-,|.heir-apparent, who, after ‘the usual compliments, | wbase compery «ete the piace Bernanda is _te- siding. But as the visit must be strietly private, and it :weuld ‘be as meensenient for we to go mith you in-your -easriage as ‘for you to -oncupy a-aeat in mine,—in ‘a- word, as this peaeeeding on our part must not ‘be denewn to any .of .onr dependants, — I wilt -preceed with the Barl:at saven o’clonk tp mdke a call at St. James's Palsgo-—and at aight we will meet you, Mr. -Eeton,.in Pall Mall. You will bave a -hadkney-conch in attendane:; and I will then accempany-yeu to Hernanda’s present abade.” The Earl signified his approval of this project; —and Mr. Balun took a temponary leave of the noble pair. -= ged CHAPTER XI, RELYANOR AND 3HS PRINCE. Hatr-an-noun ‘had-clapeed ‘since the departure of Lord Marchmont’s afflicted: sen--and the Countess. of Desborough was now once more alone, her bus- band having left her-until:- dinner.sime. Reclining upon the sofa, Zleanor gawe-way-to the reflections which the main incident of the after- noon ‘had -ex¢ited within her :—are allude to that singular and painful interview which she had with ‘| the Earl. She revolved in'‘her afied everything-he hed anid to her: she repeated +o ‘herself, as nearly as she: could reeotiect, all -the glowing words in which he had described his love—the pathetic.terms in which. he had depicted ‘his .remorse—eand the mobdie lan- guage which ‘he had uttered in drawing:a distino- tion ketween an etherial and cssthetio sentiment on the one hand, and a gress, sensual passion on the other. But‘her meditations brought her at length to the termination ef the whole ecene,— when ke imprinted chaste kisses on -her lips, and when eke felt as if lightning circulated in her veins, so power- ful were the longings of her desires. Again did those sensations steal. ypen ‘her ;-—-and. she blushed, although alone, atthe sway .which her ardent temperament exemised overher. Abe was Rapal Family of Ragland,” x -handed her back to the sofa whence she had risen, and took eseat by ‘her side. “There is ao chance, I hope, of igterruption on the part of the Earl?” said the Prince : then, in- stantly perpeiving that the observation had excited the surprise of the Countess, he hastened-to add, | “Because I wish to speak to your ladyship ona ! subject of no.ordinary importance.” answered Eleanor; “and it is now half-past four” ehe remarked, glancing at the .time-piece on the mantel. he Karl will not return until six o'sloek” == i I “Your ladyship is doubtless astonished at the | annoanesment I have already made, respecting the | importance of the matter which -has brought me ‘hither this afternooy,” continued the Prince, ‘aoarcely knowing how to qpen the subject-that-was | uppermost in his mind. “But lam sure—I feel convinced,” he exclaimed, with some degree of ab- Had not the Countess been conscious of one incident which by its importance afforded a elae to the meaning of the Prince’s allusion, she ‘might bave thought that his Royal Highness was about to address her in the language of love: bud there was a certain excitement in his voice as we ‘as an embarrassment in his manner that engendered in her bosom the worst fears on behalf of a lady to whom sho was deeply. attached. “It is consistent with my nature and also with ‘wuphneas, “that your ladyship will meet my in- .quiries with candour and frankness.” | my duty to hebawe frankly towards your Royal | Highneas,” she observed, after a few momenta’ re- flaction. “You already divine the object of my visit dhe Prince: then, glancing hastily. arouad the anartment, he said in a more subdued tane,'“Je it passible that our discourse may-be overheard, 2” * Not the slightest apprehension needbe enter- tained on.that head,” was the immeiilate reeponse : of a secret—, volving the. hononr of one of the resumed the Prince of “Your ‘tarrible ed COMM ELOOO SS co