The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

a ET TT TC TT I TI SEITE OT I TO I I I OS OT I I SII EE OT SEES TC I NR TI IRD, I 7 TE FC DP fn SETI a ET I pt EI TS I I 160 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. that I beheld all surrounding objects as if through a thin veil of gauze or gossamer. And amidst this diaphanous filminess were seen those shadowy forms, like vapours assursing the shapes of the dead in their winding-sheets and cerements. [ endeavoured to fly—but my feet became heavy as lead, and I was transfixed to the spot. I sought to close my eyes—but an invincible power com- pelled me to keep them open. And then, as I was thus forced to gaze upon the awful scene around, those phantom forms became more palpable ; and stony eycs looked fixedly forth from the wrappings of the winding-sheets—and the faces of corpses appeared in the openings of these garments of the grave. Their long withered arms were stretched forth from those white cere-cloths—and lank, lean, skinny fingers were all pointed towards me. Oh! it was horrible—horrible! But slowly from the midst of the phantom throng a figure came forth : and an icier chill struck to my heart's core, and a deeper horror crept over me,—for the revelation of the mysterious vision seemed to be at hand. That figure advanced gradually—gradually: and when it was within a few yards of the spot where I was standing, it slowly threw back the white winding-sheet, and revealed the countenance of my departgg sister Amelia. O Pauline!” con- tinued the Princess, “you know how well—how fervently I loved that affectionate sister! We had no secrets from each other: she was acquainted with my love for him who was the father of my child—and I was no stranger to the hapless love which she also cherished.” Pauline threw a look of surprise upon the royal lady ; for this was the first time she had ever heard tha: the late Princess Amelia, whose death oc- curred between four and five years previously to the date of our tale, had experienced the sorrows of an unhappy love. “Yes, my dear friend,’ continued the Princess Sophia, moved by her feelings to make a confidant of Lady Florimel, and experiencing the solace that always soothes the bosom which is enabled to un- burthen its woes to the ear of friendship,—* my sister Amelia loved as deeply, as tenderly, and as yieldingly as I have loved. She also became & mother: but the offspring of her shame did not survive its birth. The secret was known to our parents: and her afflictions conducted her to a premature grave. But on her death-bed, in her ravings, she revealed my own secret also—and then my unhappy father and indignant mother learnt that both their favourite daughters had dis- graced and dishonoured them. Ah! that was a dreadful scene—my poor sister's death-bed: for the ravings of her delirium were terrible — terrible {” And overpowered by her recollections, the Princess Sophia covered her face with her hands— bent forward—and gave way to a flood of tears and to agonising sobs. “ Bat let me hasten and finish my dreadful tale,” she said, suddenly yielding to the consolations which Pauline uow offered her with the tenderest interest and most touching sympathy: then wiping her eyes once more, the Princess continued as follows :—“I was explaining to you how it ap- peared to me in my vision of last night, that my dead sister came forth from amidst the throng of shadowy shapes in the churchyard. Her coun- tenance was marble pale—but beautiful as when I beheld her a corpse the same day on which she died in November, 1810. The expression of her features now appeared serene but mournful; and fixing her glassy eyes upon me—those eyes that once shone with the living light of heaven’s own blessed azure —she spoke in a low sweet voice, that was tremu- lously clear. I cannot repeat what the phantom said, although every word be graven indelibly upon my mind, as if seared with red hot iron upon my brain : but it is too horrible—oh! far too hor- rible to recapitulate! Suffice it to say that she assured me my son was still living — she re- proached me for my unnatural neglect of the off- spriug of my love—and she bade me lose no time in seeking for the youth who has a right to call me mother! Then it seemed to me in my vision, that the faculty of speech, hitherto susnended, was restored to me; and I asked her if she were hap- pier in another world than she had been in this. But, O God! no tongue can describe the excruci- ating anguish which now appeared to pass over her countenance, nor the dread horror which added its blighting, withering, chilling influence to the consternation which was already upon me. She bared her bosom: methought that her form be- came transparent—and I could see through her! A pale blue flame was playing around her heart— a flame which I knew to be unextinguishable and eternal! Then, as the anguish of torture was still usurping the place of that serenity which had previously appeared upon her countenance, she spoke again; and this time her words were thrill- ing as the ice-blast, and borne upon a breath that was raw and penetrating as the damps of the grave. Yes—she spoke: and her words were to the effect that heaven is not for the rich, the titled, and the great ones who enjoy every luxury upon earth—but for the poor, the wretched, and the miserable of this world. The revelation—that awfal revelation—of the secrets of a posthumous sphere, struck upon me as a frightful warning and a dread foreboding of my own future fate: and a piercing shriek thrilled from my lips. The church- yard and all the phantom shapes vanished in a moment: and I awoke, bathed in a cold, clammy, and death-like perspiration.” “The vision was a shocking one,” observed Lady Florimel: “ but still it was only a dream. Ina few days your Royal Highness will cease to think of it.” “No—it has made a profound impression upon me,” returned Sophia: then, lowering her voice to a whisper, she said, “ You are aware that ever since the death of my poor sister Amelia, my unhappy father’s mind has been a blank? O Pauline! it was the dread revelation made upon ber death-bed concern- ing myeelf, which helped to consummate the tre- mendous calamity and deprive his Majesty of rea- son. Must I not, then, feel that I am guilty—very guilty, Pauline ?—and can you not understand how such a dream as that which I experienced last night, was only too well calculated to excite the most rend- ing remorse—the keenest compunction? Ah! I caa assure you, my dear friend, that I am very, very miserable: and it seems as if the finger of heaven itself had pointed out for me a particular course through the medium of that vision.” “To what does your Royal Highness allude 2?” asked Lady Florimel. “To the necessity of instituting an immediate AOC Ss