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

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eee THR MYSTERIES. affected by the yeung man’s language—while the Countess sought-not to restrain nor to conceal 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 myaelf—nothing left unesaayed---in order to induce Fernanda to per- form that which now beconss a duty.” “And if pessuasion.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 placed-~vexhibit to her the wratchad, wasted being that I am--ibid her gaze npon my colourless cheeks-and my fire-Severad eyes,—oh! if I were to do this—and even fall -upun my knees before her, demanding that pardon which a man upon his death- bed has a right to entreat and axpent ;at the hangs of even his bitterest enemy,~—sére,J to do.all this, she never could refuse te grant sey prayer and suffer. me to lead her to the altar.” Phe Countess exchanged a sapitl glange with her husband, whose loek .coureyed anaflirmative aym- pathetically :responsive eo her .onp thaughts; 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—striv- ing to assist the intellectual and spiritual to assert their triumph over the grose and the material— -amtuing 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 iustre 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.@oor of fhe apartment was thrown open, and t } the lace-bedizened domestic announced’ his Royal | Highness the Prince of Wales. | Composing hersglf as well as she -was-able, the | QCannteas of Desborough advanced -t0 meet the | “Thies eventing at dight io'olack yau shall .ac-,|.heir-apparent, who, after ‘the usual compliments, | compery «ete the pines 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-aseat 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 arl:at sayen 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 have a -hackney-conch in attendane:; and I will then accempany-you to Hernanda’s present abade.” The Earl signified his approval of this project; —and Mr. Eaivn took -a temponary leave of the noble pair. = aed CHAPTER XI, ELEANOR AND 3HB PRINCE. Hatr-an-noun ‘had-clapeed ‘sinoe 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 apon the sofa, Zleanor gave-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 moble‘lan- guage which‘he had uttered in drawing.a distine- tion ketween an etherial and cssthetio sentiment on the one hand, and ‘a gross, sensaal passion on the other. But‘her meditations brought her at length to the termination ef the whole ecene,— when Ae imprinted chaste kisses on -her lips, and when eke felt as if lightning circulated in her veins, so power- handed her back to the sofa whence she had risen, and took eseat by ‘her side. “There is no 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.” 4 he Earl will not return uatil six o’cloek” answered Eleanor; “and it is now half-past four” ehe remarked, glancing at the .time-piece on the mantel. | “Your ladyship is doubtless astonished at the | annoanesment I have already made, respecting the | importance of the matter which has brought me == ‘hither this afternoon,” contineed the Prince, ‘aoarcely knowing how to qpen the subject-that-was | uppermost in his mind. “But Iam sure—I feel convinced,” he exclaimed, with some degree of ab- ,waphoeas, “that your ladyship will meet -my in- .quiries with candour and frankness.” Had not the Countess been conscious of ons | incident which by its importance afforded a clae to the meaning of the Prince’s allusion, she -might bave thought that his Royal Highness was about to address her in the langnage of love: bud there was a certain excitement in his voice as wel 'as an embarrassment in his manner that engendered in her bosom the worst fears on behalf of a lady to whom she was deeply attached. “ It is consistent with my nature and also with my duty to hehexe frankly towards your Royal | Highness,” she observed, after a fow moments’ re- flactioan. “You glroady divine the object of my -visitt dhe Prince: then, glancing hastily. arouad the anartment, he said in a more subdued tane,'“Je it passible that our discourse may-be overheard ?” Not the slightest appréhension need ‘be exter- tained on.that head,” was the immeiilate reeponse ful were the longings of her desires. wen. by the.Cogntess. Again did those sensations steal.ypen ‘her ;—end.| “Your is the d of a secret—a she blushed, although slene, atthe sway which her |-tarrille volving the.hooonr of one of the ardent temperament exemaised overher. She was’ Razal.Family of England,” resumed the Prince of CONNICLO©OKS.COm