The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 232: what you’re looking at

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

| The Prince gave his arm to Lady Desborough ; | and as they descended the stairs she felt that he ; pressed that arm gently with his own—but not in a ! manner which could have given offence, or been interpreted otherwise than as accidental, even if ‘ghe had possessed courage and self-command enough af the moment to resent that silentevidence of his passion. The table, although only laid with three covers, would have presented asuperb spectacle to any one unaccustomed tosuch magnificence. It groaned be- nea:h the burther of the costliest gold plate, which shone brilliantly in the lustre of the chandelier suspended to the ceiling, and the light of which ' was reflected in numeroas mirrors. | Amidst that glorious fluod of radiancy, the hand- . some Eleanor seemed a goddess in her own Olym- | pian sphere of light; — and so dazsled was the Prince by her transcendent charms, that, epicure as hé was, he had scarcely any appetite for the ' wariety of delicacies now served up. | The Earl appeared to bg in excellent spirits; and | even when his Royal Highness, carried away by the | enthusiasm of his feelings, looked and spoke more tenderly with regard to the Countess than a jealous husband would have admired,—and wher she, in- fluenced by the same irresistibie emotions, gave an- swers in a voice of silver tremulousness and blushed beneath the raptarous glances thrown upon her,— the nobleman continued to discourse with an in- creased gaiety—as if, beholding nothiog amiss, he abandoned himself to the pleasure of the evening. The various courses were disposed of—and at I ngth the dessert was placed upon the table. Shortly afterwards the Countess rose to withdraw ; and the Prince hastened to open the door for her, no servants being then in the apartment. She bowed in acknowledgment of this honoar ; and as she passed out of the room, with that grace- ful carriage of. the arching neck and sloping shoulders for which she was so eminently distin- | guished, the Prince said in a low and hurried whisper, “ Angelic being! I adore you!” Then, as she crossed the threshold, he beheld the rich blood mantling up over that neck and those | shoulders ; and he returned to his seat with the in. | ward conviction that he had slready gone far to- | wards the accomplishment of a complete triumph over her. | Your position is a most enviable one, my dear friend,” said his Royal Highness to the Earl of Des- : borough, as the claret jag passed between them; | “you assuredly possess as your wife the hand- | somest and most amiable lady in England.” “ Yes— Eleanor is indeed all that is most fascinat- ing and adorable in female shape,” returned the ‘nobleman. “ But, with the permission of your i Royal Highness, we will now terminate that little transaction———” | If you please, Desborough,” answered the Prince. “I really know not how to express my ' gratitude for this most unexpected and generous act ‘on your part. But whenever the time may come that this hand of mine shall be enabled to affix a sig- nature to a documer.t in order to make it law, your earldom shall be changed into a marquisate, which is ' pot far removed from the dukedom that shall speedily follow after.” “Your Royal Highness will only afflict me by the promise of reward,” said the nobleman. THE MYSTERIES rad | “I am aware that the deed is one of pure friend- ship on your part,” hastily returnel the Prince: “ nevertheless, I should be wanting in gratitude, did I not express my inclination, although at present utterly deficient in the power, to make a suitadle ac- knowledgment of the great service you are render- ing me.” While the heir-apparent was thus delivering him- self of frothy phrases, the hollawness of which was perfeetly unlerstood by the Earl, who well knew the selfishness of his royal guest,—twenty bank-notes for a thousand pounds each had been counted down on the table by the nobleman; and the Prince, amass- ing them all together as if they were a bundle of play-bills, thrust them into his waistcoat-pocket ; then, drawing forth a letter, he tore olf a piece of the back, and with a gold pencil-case scribbled an L0.U., which be handed to the Earl. . Thus ended this little matter; and the Prince con- tinued to enjoy his wine, the nobleman keeping him company glass for gliss. The conversation turned upon a variety of topics: but every now and then his Royal Highness could not prevent bimself from saying something complimentary in respect to Lady Desborough ; on which occasions the Earl invariably directed the discourse as speedily as possible into another channel. “ T fee) so comfortable and so entirely at home,” said the Prince at last, “ that I could almost wish I was to be your guest for a week, Desborough —in- stead of only for another hour,” he added, looking at his watch. “In fact, I hate having to quit warm rooms and pass through the ordeal of a cold ride in a » “Your Royal H'ghness can easily avoid tha‘ ordeal,” observed the nobleman. “A bed-chamber is at your service beneath my roof: and, indee 1,” he exclaimed hastily, “ I should esteem myseif highly honoured were your Royal Highness to condescend to sleep in my humble abo¢e.” “ Upon my honour,” ejaculated the Prince, as the thought flashed to his memory that the Eari and Countess did not sleep together—a circuinstance which we have already stated to be notorions,—-“ upon ‘my honour, I am inclined to accept this invitation. ° The nobleman walked to the window—drew asids the curtain—and looked forth upon the square “The night is bitterly cold,” he said, returning to his seat: “ there is a hard frost—and the pavement is quite white. It is enough to give any one his death, merely to pass froin the front door into a carriage." “ T hate the cold,” cried the Prince, shuddering at the idea of facing the bieak air. “Well, Des- borough, I accept your invitation—and I will sleep here to-n‘ght.” The E:rl accordingly rang the bell, and ordered the servant who answered the summons, to direct the chamber-maids to prepare the best apartment, as his Royal Highness intended to pass the night at the mansion, The domestic bowed and retired; and shortly afterwards another lacquey came to announce that coffee was served in the drawing: room. Thither the heir-apparent and the Earl proceeded. Eleanor was seated on the sofa: her cheeks were fluuhed—her &yes shone brilliantly—and there was an agitation, a feverish excitement in her manna which she could not altogether con:eal, much less subdue The truth: was, she had already heard froa the servants that his Roya! Ilighness intend a ta sicep at the mansion; aud althuugh there was iw COMME MOO So CO