The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

SS RSS | PS en F Se PHY MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. For you may have observed that I loved you, Ve- netia—yes, you must have discovered it, despite all my efforts to veil my thoughts——But why do you weep?” he asked suddenly, and in a voice of the most melting tenderness. “Because I am unworthy of a virtuous love,” re- p-ied Venetia, a deep sob convulsing her bosom. “ Though pure and chaste as on the day of my birth —so far as the world reckons purity and chastity— yet is not my soul already polluted? Have I not systematically and deliberately———” “Ob! let us not talk of that, Venetia !” exclaimed Horace, with a species of shudder. “If my love be not offensive—unwelcome—unacceptable——” “But you know, Horace,” interrupted Miss Tre- lawney, suddenly wi iping the tear-drops from her countenance and regaining her self-possession, if not her composure,—* you know that I have gone too far to retreat—that I have embarked in this enterprise —that my destiny is as it were fixed—— “Qh! fulfil that destiny, then, by all means, since you will,” cried Horace, with impassioned ' tone and vehement manner; “ but do not disdain mmm? CEES me i eee ee een ee ss ee TE ETE AER, Sa CE oll — —_~ —— a a a my love! Be what you will—do what you choose accomplish all you have undertaken—but spare one little corner of your heart wherein my image may find a place!” “You would hate and despise me when the first transports of this love of your’s were over!” said Venetia, in a tone of gentle remonstrance. “ No—that were impossible I” exclaimed Sack- ville, impetuously. “Listen to me, Venetia— charming Venetia,” he continued, with a voice of earnest entreaty. “You will become the mistress of the Prince—but you need not love him—you eannot love him! I know your character and have stadied your disposition too well, to believe for a moment that you will ever entertain the slightest affection for that man. But if you can love me, I shall be happy—oh! supremely happy: yes—even while you are the mistress of another ! fou said just now that I should hate and despise you after a time when the tempest of my passion had subsided or its ardour w&s cooled down: but ite intenseness will never diminish. I loved you the first moment I saw you—I have loved you | j ever since—I love you now,—yes, love you to dis- traction: and so far from loving you less, I shall if possible love you more and more. But it is you who will hate and despise me for cherishing this . love under such circumstatices: and yet all I ask is to be your slave—to be allowed to love you—to receive your smiles in return! Andif it should be possible for you to love me also—Oh! then I would accept any degradation—any humiliation, rather than surrender that love of yours. Yes— joyfally, joyfully would I become your husband, if ‘you would bestow your hand upon me—so that your reputation should be saved in the eyes of the world——” “Oh! Horace,” exclaimed Venetia, taking his hand and gazing tenderly upon him,—“ this de- voted love of your’s is a gift which no woman can refuse! But have you well reflected upon all that you now tell me?™ “ Well reflected, Venetia!” cried Horace, carry- ing her hand raptarously to his lips: “it has been my constant thought by day and my dream by might! I tell you that if you were already the mistress of the Prince, I should esteem myself wT 185 happy in possessing your love—and honoured in obtaining your hand. This love of mine may be an infatuation—a madness—a frenzy: but it is not the less powerfal—less profound—or less .sin- cere on that account. Nor will it ever diminish, Venetia—Oh! never, never !” “J know not how to answer you, Horace—or what to say,” observed Miss Trelawney, still leav- ing her hand locked in his own, but casting down her eyes and blushing deeply. ‘I will not deceive you by saying that I have loved you as yet: nor do I mean to flatter you vainly when I declare that you are the only being I have ever yet seen whom I feel that I can love.” “Thanks, my dearest—my adored Venetia, for this avowal!” exclaimed Horace, catching her in his arms and straining her to his breast: then, as he held her thus locked in his embrace, he pressed his lips to her’e—and inspired by the natural fer- vour of her temperament, she gave back the warm and impassioned kiss which he imprinted there. ‘Heavens! Venetia,” murmured the young man as he strained her again and again with passionate ardour to his breast, “ I can scarcely believe in my own happiness !—it appears to me a delicious dream! But you will be mine, Venetia—you will become my wife ?—yes, even under existing cir- cumstances——” “But have we no one to consult in this matter, Horace?” inquired Venetia, gently disengaging herself from his arms, with the deep crimson upon her cheeks and the soft sensuousness in her melt- ing eyes. “A consent will not be refused, my angel, in that quarter !” returned Sackville. “ What does it signify, so long as the design and the undertaking be carried out? And I have already declared—in- deed, I promise again—that although I become your husband, I will not attempt any constraint in thaf respect! Ah! Venetia, is not this a proof of the ardent and profoundly sincere affection with which you have ipspired me ?” “It is,” murmured the lady: “itis! But Iam still fearful that when once I am your wife—that being whose honour the fond husband guards so “Venetia, listen to me once again,” interrupted Sackville, seriously but impressively. “ The world would never have known greater happiness than I should experience were you to say to me, ‘ Horace, I abandon this enterprise and I consent to become your wife, even fhough our marriage should suddenly deprive us both of the means of existence and plunge us into the direst poverty” Because, were you thus to address me, I should tell you in retarn that though utterly dependent now upon another, I would work from morning to night to maintain you in comfort, if notin luxury. But I do not ask you to make so great 2 sacrifice for mpsake. I am contented—nay, supremely happy—in receiv- ing you as my wife, even with the conditions which I need not name attached to our union! Therefore, dearest Venetia, I do all this with my eyes opens I accept that destiny which will become mine when I make you my wife;—and I would sooner en- counter the jeers and scorn of the world, than re- sign your hand! You see, then, that I am decided —that my mind is made up: and now will you promise to become my bride ?” “T will,” anewered Venetia, in a tone that was ae ° oa ww | - EOMICOOOKS. conn