The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

é gent made acknowledgment of his guilt in that document and also promised on his royal word to grant a free pardon to the said Paul Dysart, whatever sentence might be passed upon him by any tribunal on account of the duel with the Honourable George Sefton.” Such was the explanation given of the myste- rious document by Lady Ernestina Dysart; and it was delivered in a low, tremulous voice, with much hesitation, and with deep blushes. “And now tell me,” said the Marquis of Leve- sop, “why the place into which his Royal High- ness and myself were shown, was hung with black cloth——" “Qh! that mystery is soon explained,” cried -Ernestina, gladly passing from the immediate and positive topic of her own shame and guilt. “ About a year ago General Beechey's wife died at the Manor—and the funeral was conducted with the utmost pomp and ceremony. The hall and the staircase were hung with black cloth; and this mourning drapery was subsequently put aside in acloset. When Dysart and myself arrived at the Manor the other dsy, we found this drapery; and my husband immediately resolved to have it hung up again for the proceedings of last Mon- day night. His object in doing this was two- fold. In the first place, it would so disguise the interior of the house ax to prevent any feture recognition of the scene where those proceed- ings were to be enacted, supposing that his Royal Highness should endeavour to find out by means of spies the exact dwelling to which he was taken: and in the second place, Dysart conceived that it would enhance the mystery of the whole affair, and produce a greater effect upon the mind of the Prince, so that no circumstance should be wanting to work upon his terrors on the one hand, while the task of subsequently playing upon his imagination was left to me. But you must understand, my dear uncle, it never was anticipated that you would be the Prince’s companion on that occasion: nor was I made aware that such was the fact until afterwards. You may conceive how horrified were my feelings then, on learning not only that you had been made a victim of an out- rage which must have filled you with alarm, but that Dysart himself had plundered you of your property and compelled you to surrender up your pocket-book for the purpose of subsequent ran- som.” “Poor Ernestina!” exclaimed the nobleman. “Little did I amagine that your graceless husband was the chief of that gang of desperadoes. But as I had never previously spoken to Dysart in my life, I of course did not recognise his voice on that occasion. Then the next step, I suppose, was to compel you to visit me on the ensuing Wednesday —last Wednesday—to obtain the ransom-money for the pocket-book?” “ “My husband menaced me in the moet terrible manner,” replied Ernestina, “and cdmpelled me to do his will in that respect. He cared not how I con- ducted the delicate transaction so long as I suo- ceeded in accomplishing it; and you may imagine the extent of my joy and gratitude when the appeal which I made to your bounty in this room was met by the gift of the very sum that I was bound to take back to my unprincipled husband. During your temporary absence from the apartment, J SS a capper ennai yn snennnren cern THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 149 thrust the pocket-book into that vase,” she con- tinued, indicating the ornament with her delicate hand: “but had you proffered me less than the two thousand guineas which I was necessitated to take back to Dysart, I should have besought you to present me with that amount.” “How strangely is ali the mystery unravelling itself!” cried the noblemah. “You cannot con- ceive my astonishment on discovering the pocket- book in that vase! Not for an instant did my suspicions settle upon you, Ernestina. Would to God that I had never been told otherwise, but the affair had remained enveloped in mystery t” “ Ah! now you hate—despise—and abhor me!” exclaimed Ernestina, bursting into tears. “Oh! I am miserable—most miserable !"’ “Console yourself, my darling niece!” cried Lord Leveson, more affected than he had been for many, many years. “Had I done my duty to- wards you--had I compelled you to leave that villain Dysart and return home to me—all this would not have happened !* “You have no cause for self-reproach, my dear uncle,” said Lady Ernestina Dysart, wiping her eyes. “You have more than once besought me to leave him—you have a hundred times assured me that your dwelling was always my home when- ever I might choose to make it so! But I have been infatuated with that man: and more- over——” But she suddenly checked herself and stopped short in confusion and embarrassment, as she fek that her recollections were hurrying her upon most delicate ground. “Ah! you have some other secret, which is as yet unexplained, Ernestina!” cried the Marquis, gazing intently upon her. “Tell me what is passing in your mind: tell me also how it is that Dysart has obtained such an extraordinary empire over you as to be able to push you onward into such courses as those which you have already de- tailed! Mere threats and menaces alone could not wield so despotic an influence over a mind so powerful as your’s. Besides, you have long ceased to love Dysert—I know you have! It is impossible that you could continue a victim to that infatua- tion which first made you fling yourself away upon sucha man. His treatment of you—his unpringi- pled character—his dissipated habits—aund then that duel which almost stamped him as a mur derer, must have crushed your affections and turned your love into loathing. There must con- sequently be some other cause for that power which he exercises over you? Come—be explicit, Ernestina: it is necessary that I should learn every circumstance, even the slightest, of that po- sition ia which you are placed—or else how shall I be able to extricate you completely from the toils in which Dysart has enmeshed you?” “ Every fresh explanation which I am ndw called upon to give,” said Ernestina, her countenance once more becoming svariet, “is only an addition to the tale of my own infamy. Know, then,” she continued, in a voice that was scarcely audible, and with downcast looks, “that I loved another —_-I was criminal—and my husband detected me—" “Enough, Ernestina!” ejaculated the Marquis. “JI comprehend it all now But he did not, however, understand the wholes CO ' COMME OG