The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 305: what you’re looking at

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orbs she gazed up into the counterance that was bending over her. At first there was a dull vacancy in that look-— but the next moment the pupils of these sweet eyes were lighted up with the resusciteting beams of intelligence -—and recollecting all that had oo- curred, the Princess said in a faint and tremulom tone, “I thank you, sir, for thu kind attention on your part. A mistake—a strange mistake——” And stopping short, as the reminisoence dashed to her mind that she had thrown herself weeping and sobbing upon the breast of s stranger, she blushed the deepest crimson. “Your Royal Highness may rest assured that I am a man of honour,” was the earnest and impres- sive response, as the gentleman delicately and tenderly assisted the Princess to regain her feet; “and the words which fell from your lips ere new shall never be repeated by me. I can well under- stand how the error ocourred—for I am no stranger to the fact that a marvellous resemblance subsists between myself and his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.” “So extraordinary a likeness I never beheld till now!” murmured the Princess Amelia, casting a timid look upon the countenance which still wore an expression of extreme mournfulness mingled with a tender interest: then, hastily re-arranging her dress, she said, “Again I thank you, sir, for the y, the generosity of your beha- viour towards me. May I request to be made ao- quainted with the name of one to whom I shail ever be under a great obligation ?” “Dovbtless my romantic history and cruel mis- fortune. are not altogether unknown even to a lady #0 highly placed and so far removed from the | myself. world’s ordinary sphere, as your Royal Highness,” said the gentleman. “For a short time was I the ‘object of universal execration. 4 number of \crimes, any one of which was sufficient te stamp a man with unre“eemable infamy——” . ah! & know you, sir—and I sincerely, most sincerely sympathise with your misfortunes,” ex- claimed the Princess Amelia, asudden light break- ing in upon her memory. “I read your case in the newspapers—and I now recallect fall well that mention was made of the e likenens which you were said to bear to the Royal Family. That the report was indeed true, the incident of this morning bas frily proved,” ahe added, casting down her eyes as & blush once more suffased her charming countenance: but almost instantly look- ing up again, she observed with a tone and manner of winning “Sir Richard Stamford, you are aman of honour—and I need ost blush like a guilty thing for an error into which I fell so in- nocently.” “Your Highness may look upon the in- cident, which has just passed, as if it bad never oe- curred,” said the baronet. “ Nay—it is noé altogether in suoh a light that I wish to regard it,” exclaimed the Princess: “ be- cause your conduct towards me has been too generous and too delicately attentive to permit euch ingratitude as forgetfulness would be on my part. if you will become my companion to the Castle, I shall have much pleasure in presenting vou to their Majesties.” “ Gracious Princess,” Sir Richard Stamford has- ened to observe, “you confer too much hosour upon me. With delight shall I attend upon your Royal Highness to the immediate precinct of the regal dwelling; but I crave your pardon if I ae- will be received with a cold and icy ceremony” exclaimed the warm-hearted Princess. “No—no: KX .shall frankly and candidly inform my beloved father of the origin of our acquaintance—and he will thank you for your chivalrous behaviour to- wards his daughter. Come, Sir Richard Stam- ford—you shall escort me to the Castle.” And the Princess Amelia, with the most amiable cordiality of manner, but with all the maidenly dignity and graceful propriety of her rank and sex, teck the arm which the baronet scarcely dared to offer her. “Your Royal Highness,” heeaid,es they proceeded alowly towards the Castle, “has honoured me with an invitation which under any circumstances would amount to a eommand, but which has been given in a tone of such kindness that it were an unpar- donable rudeness and a coarse brutality on my part to offer an excuse. Nevertheless, I must incur the risk of your Royal Highnesse’s displeasure——” “You are incapable of deserving it, Sir Richard Stamford,” hastily exclaimed the Princess Amelia. “If you do not wish to proceed beyond the thres- hold of the Castle, I shall give you credit for en- tertaining some good reason for declining my in- vitation—and we shall not be on leas friendly terme on that account.” “Every word your Royal Highness utters lays me under a fresh obligation to you,” said Sir Richard Stamford. “Permit me, then, to explain My recent misfortanes have produced an effect whieh cannot be immediately mitigated— and never can be altogether subdued. A few weeks ago—and I was a happy husband, enjoying the blesaings of a cheerful home and a wife whom I adored: sow Tam alone in the world—widowed in my love, and with my home awreck! Impelled by a sense of duty towards society as well as by those feelings of vengeanoe which the most virtuous cannot altogether crush and annihilate at the bot- tom of their souls, I pursued my enemies until I sent them to the scaffold. Martin and Ramsey perished by the hand of the public executioner: but at the same moment that the drop fell, launch- ing them into eternity—then also ebbed away the excitement which the proceedings taken against them had kept alive in my mind. A deep despon- dency supervened—and I felt that its influence was irresistible. I fied from the din of London—I sought the retirement of the environs of Windsor. Here have I dwelt for some days past—and when the weight of thought becomes intolerable, I rosh out into the open air—I come hither—and in this park do I wander for hours. Sometimes I fear lest I should go mad: at others / seem to tremble upom the verge of suicide.” “ Great heaven | talk not thus, Sir Richard Stamford,” ejaculated the Princess, looking up into his countenance with an expreasion of such sym- pathy asa sister might evince towards a well-be- | loved brother ; for she felt herself irresistibly drawn towards that unhappy gentleman whose misfortunes had constituted one of the most extraordinary ro- ee te nat ever became known te the Ww ECOMICOOOKS CO