The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 212: what you’re looking at

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

TER MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Qn eee ‘ehe vowed that the delay was caused solely by the dificulty of coming to a decision on the point: and ahe added that the morrow being Sunday, they had resolved to devote the morning to an earnest de- liberation on the course which was to be pursued. Jocelyn was satisfied to wait four-and-twenty heurs longer;—and no more was said upon the subject this day. Having visited a theatre in the evening, the party returned to the hotel at about eleven o'clock, as usual; and soon afterwards they sought their | yeapective chambers. But whea Jocelyn entered his own apartment, he found a note lying upon the teilette-table: aud on examining the address, he | perceived that it was in a beautiful female hand- | writing. | For a few moments he hesitated to break the seal, suspecting that it was a communication from one of ! the young ladies: but considering, on a second ) thought, that indiscretion and indelicacy could | ecarcely be carried so far, he epened the letter. His | @baritable conclusion was however doomed to dis- appointment; for the contents of the note ran as follow »— “Tt is absolutely necessary that Agatha and I should have a few minutes conversation with you alone, and as soon as possibile. I am altogether of opinion that my | sisters and myself should retire from the false and pain- | fal position im which the influence and intrigues of others have placed us: and for my own part lam re- | selved to follow the excellent advice which you so gene- rousiy, disinterestedly, and kindly gave Agatha. Ina word, I shall resign my appointment as lady-in- walting | to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. Agatha | is also inclined to adopt the same courte: but Julia can- ; mot be persuaded to fafl into the same view—and Mrs. | Ranger ie perversely bent in oppesing it. This lady | watches us narrowly, in order te prevent any private conversation with you upon the subject. To-morrow, | immediately after breakfast, we are to hold a consulta. | tion; and a decision will be arrived at. But it is ab- | polutely necessary that Agatha and myself should have | the benefit of further counsel from your lips before this consultation. Will you, then, have the kindness to meet weto-morrow momiinag at eight o'clock in the Champs Miyobes.? “EMMA OWEN.” “It may be written in full honesty and sincerity,” eaid Loftus to himself, as he contemplated the note whieh he had just perused: “but still I have my misgivings. Nevertheless, I will wot prejudge the writer, but will keep the appointment.” CHAPTER LVI. - ANOTHER PHAGE OF FAGHIONABLE DEPRAVITY. Cizan, bright, and beautiful was the Sunday morn- ing, as Jocelyn Loftus issued frem the Hetel Men- | Fiee and bent his way to the shady avenues of the ' Champs Elysées. This beautiful resort was not | above ten minutes’ walk from the hetel}—and on reaching the central avenue, Jocelyn was almost instantaneously jomed by Emma Owen. | © Where is your sister?” be inquired, with a some- , What serious air: for on finding that she was alone, his misgivings of the preceding night returned with | double force to his breast. “ She was ee long in dressing that I feared to be | late,” responded Emma, with an air of frask sin- SS ees yen 199 cerlty ; “and ag we breakfast at nine, you know, there was not a minute to spare.” “ We will at anoe, then, proceed to the object of our interview,” said Jocelyn, Offering his arm to the young lady, and leading her gently along the avenue. We must here pause to observe that.on the Sun- day morning in those times as well as at the present dey, large numbers of the working-classes were in the habit of prooseding early to the villages in the suburbs of Paris to pass the day in dancing, ram- bling in the woods, water- excursions, plo-nics, and other innocent recreations. There was scarcely a Sunday without a ducasss, or fair, in one of these suburban villages; and the Ohamps Elyades were always sure to be thronged in the morning with the pleasure-seekers repairing to the scanes of their amusement. Such was the case on the present occasion ; and it was evidently imponafble to parsue a serious and uninterrupted discourse in the cen tral road of the Ohamps Elysdes. Jocelyn was therefore compelled to conduct his fair companion into one of the less frequented paths ; and indeed they soon found themeelves entirely a‘one in a aecluded avenue of trees. Emma was elegantly dressed, and looked truly beautiful. The morning air and the inward flutter- ing of her feelings heightened the colour upon her cheeks and appeared to enhance the lustre of her eyes. Few men could have been stoical enough to resist the artillery of such charma: but Jocelyn loved his absent Louisa with the purest, holiest, and most fervid passion—and such a love is an armour of proof for him who experiences it. “TI have read your note with much attention, Miss Owen, and with unfeigned pleasure,” he began, de- termined to take her at her word precisely as she had expressed herself in her communication. “ You have resolved to resign your appointmest —your eldest sister is prepared, you tell me, to adopt a similar course—but Miss Julia cannot so casily- abandon a post which she doubtless considers to be invested with brilliancy and honour. Mrs. Ranger is obstinately opposed to the course I have pointed out: and she perhaps exercises considerable infiu- enoe over Miss Julia's mind. Ie this the actual position of the afiair 2” * Is is,” replied Bmma: then, gazing ap fondly in Jocalyn’s face, she said in a low and tremulous tone, “It was a fatal day, Mr. Loftus, when you firat resolved upon your present enterprise, how- ever generous and even chivalric may have been yeur motive.” “What do you mean, Miss Owen ?” he demanded. aurveyiog her in astonishment. “J mean, Mr. Loftus—and I implore you to hear me with attention,” she cried, grasping his arm firmly with her elegantly-gloved hand, as if she were fearful that he would escape her,—“I mean that you have deprived me of my peace of mind— of all my hopes of happiness ia this world! You have extirpated one idea from my sonil—but you have implanted another ahere, which is indelible, You have destroyed the dream of grandeur which I had pictared to myself in connexion with my ap. pointment to the little Court of her Royal High. ness: and you have left in the place of that golden vision the image of yourself. Oh! start not— attempt not to withdraw your arm—you see and you shall hear me!” she exclaimed, with a wild EOMICOOOKS. conn