The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 311: what you’re looking at

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

| “Not a syllable, cir f° was the response, delivered avea ia a stern tone, “Nay—then you must hear me perforce,” ex- fiendish resolves : but her manner—her air—her looks were those of a young sreature on whom a tremendous consternation has fallen, paralyzing every organ—etupefying every sense— every in abeyance. Gloatingly over her slight but exquisitely mo- delled figure, the eyes of the Prince; and although the body of her dress was so mo- destly fashioned, that not even a glimpse could be form to the bed which stood near,—“delay not in rendering me com. pletely happy—and my Ife shall be devoted tw se cnaticn of w dreata to coenplete one ican tbe a thought strike her. S “Mr. Harley,” she said, forcing herself even to emile faintly, “ you expect too easy a conquest—and you will not value it.” “Oh! this is indeed an anexpected bliss—to hear you talk thus—to find that you de not repulse me any longer !"' exclaimed the Prince, intoxicated with delight. “Camilla—sweetest Camilla——.” young girl, bending down her looks, while ber cheeks became Avshed with the deepest crimson, — “you will retire immediately—and to-morrow I sball be happy to listen to you ——.” “ Have pity upon my girl,” said the “No—se—we camiot thas, dear ome ture f” djeculated his Royel Highness. “T beseseh te you implore you render me completely hagey “Leave me, then, for half-aa-hour — twenty minutes—or even ten minutes,” interrupted Camilla, speaking in a low tone but with rapid utterance shame—my confusion ——” © Yee~-for ten minutes will I leave you, ewestest Prince, imagining that she did uct choose te lay aside her apparel in his presence. “Ouse kiss first only one kiss as a foretaste of the inde. scribable joys ——” “ No—not now—not now !” cried the orphan hys- terically, as he approached her with outstretched arms. “If I must surrender myself to you, let it be in total obecurity—utter darkness —— ~ Et aball be as you desire," exclaimed the arn bo second door by whieh the becnteons bird naght take wing into s place of security: then, satisfied that escape was impossible and that she was com- pletely in his power, he said, “Ten minutes only, my angel—ten minutes of mortal delay—and at the ax- piration of the interval, I shall return to find you reedy.to clasp me in your arms.” Then, without an instant’s delay, the heroic girl noiselessly but y co the execution of the plan which had struck her as the only alter- native to be adopted for the purpose of rescuing her- self from the power of a man so resolutely bent upos sacrificing ber to his brutal passions. Armed with a desperate courage — that courage which could alone have prompted | her pure soul te have recourse to the stratagem of appearing to yield to the villain’s wishes in order to induce him to quit the room—Camilla Morton addressed herself to the task which she had in hand. Stripping the sheets from the bed, she rolled them up in a suitable maa- ner and fastened them together; then she took the scissors which were suspended to a riband beneath her apron, and in a few minutes the bed-curtains were cut down, The window-drapery was next ealled into requisition; and with all these materials, Camilla speedily made a long, stout, and efficient Fope, The ten minutes had now expired—and the Prince knocked impatiently at the door. But so lightly had the young girl moved about the room—so cautiously had she conducted her operations—so skilfully bad she hushed even the sounds of the scissors, that the : Heir-apparent entertainéd not the slightest suspicion of her design or the faintest idea of her proceedings His desires—heightened by the gloating revels of his own sensual imagination—alene rendered him im- patient: for he pictured to himself the sweet virgia charms, which he conosived to be by this time di- vested of their apparel, in readiness to be offered up as a rich banquet to his salacious appetite. Impatiently, then, did he knock at the door; and the sweet voice of the orphan murmured from the other side, “ Only another minute, Mr. Harley, and you may enter!* The Primee was in raptures: he already felt as / CORNICE OOO ©) CO