The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

SA THE MYSTERLNG. curred whispered the younger sister, affection- | passion almost at the same time? For I also love ately pressing the other to her bosom. “Bat what oan you think of me, Pautine ?—what opinion can you entertain of one who—-—-My God * she exclaimed, suddenly interrupting herself : “wherefore is it that the rose-entwined path of love should be interspersed with thorns ” “I conjure you not to give way to these emo- tions, sister—dearest sister!” murmured Pauline, tears trickling down her cheeks. “Do you not know that I love you? If you are unhappy, is it I who will augment the anguish you already experi- ence? Qh! heavens—no! I have done all I could to screen you—I will do all I can to comfort and console you |” “Beloved Pauline!” exclaimed Octavia, again and again embracing her kind-hearted sister: then, growing more composed, she said, “ It is a terrible hecessity which now compels me to prepare to meet my father and subdue the blushes that shame would bring to my cheeks.” : “ Every word you utter, Octavia, appears to ex- press a regret for what is past,” returned Pauline, now surveying her sister with the tenderest solici- tude. “Is it possible you can have learnt to love one who is unworthy of you, and whose name you would blush to mention ?” “No—no,” answered Octavia, in an impassioned tone : “he whom J love is the noblest—the kindest —and the best of men; and in a few days he will geek an introduction to my father—he will then be- co:ne a constant visitor to the house—and, after the lapse of a proper intervai, he will demand my hand in marriage.” “Then what have you to deplore so deeply 7” asked Pauline, delighted with this assurance, and seeking, in the generosity of her soul, to make it even the means of glossing over her sister’s fault. “I donot deplore having given my love to Mr. Harley,” responded Octavia, uow speaking with the pride of a woman the immensity of whose love is her boast, because she believes herself to be as fondly loved in return. “Nir, Harley!” ejaculated Pauline, in unfeigned astonishment. “Yes—it is he who is to become my husband,” replied Octavia. “This revelation to me is aother source of joy, observed the younger sister, her countenance ming still more radiant: “because 1 am cer- tain that he is an honourable man. His bearing— his conversation—his delicate attentions—his frank and ingenuous manners—his looks,—all, all be- speak him to be of nature’s nobility !” cried the en- thasiastic girl, proclaiming the honest convictions of her candid and unsuspecting soul. | “And therefore, dear Pauline,” said Octavia, into whose bosom the full tide of confidence, truth- fulness, and joy was rapidly transfasing from that of her sister,—“and therefore do I not regret having given my love to him. Bat I was unhappy —my heart was weighed down—my spirits were depressed, because I feared lest I should become an object of scorn and shame in the eyes of her whom I love and who is so generous and so kind towards me.” * No—never, never! exclaimed Pauline: and sgain the sisters embraced fondly. “Is not this sini” ..ac,” said the younger maiden, after a short pusc, “that we should both experience lovo’s Octavia,” she added, looking down and with blushes suffusing her cheeks: “yes—I have suddenly learnt to love that handsome young nobleman who brought you home.” “He told me somewhat of your singular inter- view—but I was too bewildered to comprehend his words in their full sense,” observed Octavia. “I however understood enough tw know that he sought you in the first instance with aa evil imtent, and that your virtue subdued him and excited an hoa- ourable passion in his soul.” “Sach was the case,” answered Pauline. “I will make you acquainted with all the details when we have more leisure to converse together,” she added, secretly pleased to evade the subject: for the re- miniscences of the past night brought the burning blushes to her cheeks, innocent in her virgin purity as she still was. “We must now descend to the breakfast-table: our father will doubtless soon leave his room. And remember, Octavia, should he remark upon his late arrival—remember, I say, that he believed us to have retired to rest hours before: for when he knocked at the door, I hurried up-stairs from the back parlour where I was seated with Lord Florimel—so that I might show a light in the bed-room ere I descended to open the door. I likewise put on my cloak, that he might believe I had hastily risen and had thrown on a few olothes for that purpose.” It was strongly repulsive to Pauline’s feelings to utter these little falsehoods in order to impart such a colouring to the incidents that her sister might not suspect Lord Florimel to have actually been in the bed-chamber with her, instead of in the back parlour as she stated: but she would rather even thus condescend to misrepresentation than have her virtue suspected even for an instant by confessing that her prolonged interview with the nobleman had positively occurred inthe sleeping- apartment, Octavia, being now composed and having re- covered her presence of mind, descended to the breakfast-table with her sister. There they were speedily joined by Mr. Clarendon, who embraced both his daughters not only with the affectionate satisfaction attendant upon his return home, bat likewise with the joy of a parent who has good tidings to impart to his children. Octavia’s heart fluttered, and she felt herself blushing and then turning pale a dozen times in a minute, as she re- ceived her father’s caresses: for she could not resist the reflection that she was pure and chaste when he bade her adieu ere he set out upon his journey, and that it was not with the guileless- ness of an innocent heart that she could grect his return. But Mr. Clarendon did not observe his elder daughter’s emotions; and as he :inade no remark respecting any circumstance attending his late ar- rival, but began almost immediately to give an account of his journey, ker trepidation was speedily soothed and her confidence restored. It appeared that Mr. Clarendon, on presenting himself at Marchmont Castle in Derbyshire, was re- ceived by his noble cousin with a readiness and g cordiaty which both amazed and delighted him The reason cf this remarxabie and inost unexpected condescension on the part of Lord Marchmont was however soon explained. This haughty peer was a COMIC OOO SS co