The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 255: what you’re looking at

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at all events assist me to escape, you must con- trive to remove a portion of fe wainscot.” Jocelyn at once gave the lady such assurances that must have satisfied her both as to his own desire for self emancipation and his readiness to succour all her heroic attempts. He then drew forth the bedstead from the alcove; and by means of the knife which had been left with his supper- tray, he speedily loosened a panel of the wood- work and lifted it from its setfing. He now per- ceived that af@ excavation had been made of nearly two feet square through a wall upwards of a foot thick. “Take all these implements— haste !—quick f° said the lady in the adjoining room: and as she thus spoke impatiently, but with the rich melody of youthfulness in her voise, she thrust several artiales through the opening. These consisted of a ladder made of twisted silk and pieces of fire-wood—two or three files— a botéle coutsining a yellow fluid—three or four skeleton keys—and a very diminutive ccowbar, the whitened end of which showed that it had bean the instrument principally used for making the opening in the wall. The asticles were speedily taken charge of by Jocelyn; and the appearance thereof instantaneously confirmed his former sus- picion that an escape was to be attempted that night. But he had little leisure for reflection, in- asmuch as everything wes now haste, bustle, and impatience with the hereic lady. Indeed, no sooner had he removed the above-mentioned ar- ticles frem the opening through which she had thrust them, then in the harried but harmonioss accents of her voices, she said, “ Now help me to pass into your chamber.” At the asme time a pair of well-rounded, plamp, and snew- white arms were thrust (hrougit the aper- ture: igsmediately afterwards came a head cevered with a thick black veil—followed by a bust whose proportions were fraught with all the first freshness of youth. In fine, our hero taking hold of the lady’s artns, assisted her as well and as delicately as he was able to pass her entire form throngh the opening. When this was done and the heroine of the ad- | venture, being raised upon her feet, stood before Jocelyu, the rapid glance which he threw upon her naturally expressed a certain amount of curiosity. He observed that she was of the middle height— with a form of youthful appearance, perfectly sym- metteal in chepe and charecterised by much lady- like eleganes. Bat her head, os alzendy stated, was closely enveloped in a thick black veil; and al- though abe could ne doubt see perfectly well from behind the inrviiioas screen, yet it was not equally easy fox the eyse of an observer te penctrate through to her own seuntenenes. That she studied Jocelyn earnestly and attentively for several moments, he could judge from the steadiness with which her veiled countenance was fixed towards him: but on his side he could positively distinguish neither trait nor lineament of her countenance at all. We should add. thet the dark veil, two or three times folded, was net merely thrown loosély over her head, but was tied in such a way round her neok that 2 served a 8 perfect mask and wae not Hable to be displaced by any motion or gesture on her part. “ You are denbtless astonished te see my ceunte- nance thus veiled #” said the lady, in the softest and . | most melting tones of her ravaicat wolon + “bet i ie celyn, not thinking it worth while te trouble himeci? in cousequence of a solemn vow whieh I bave made.” “ A vow!” exclaimed Loftus, in astonishment, and almost with an accent of incredulity and suspicion. “ Yea—it is a vow,” answered the lady, with a cer- tain dignity in her tone and a drawing up of her form as if she resented the incredulous manner of our hero :—* a vew rashly and precipitately made, it is true—a vow pledged in the moment of despair—bat to which I am not the less bound to pay implicit de- vation.” “But wherefore so singular a vow!" inquired Jocelyn, now fancying that if the lady were not some adventusess, she was probably of unsettled intellects, “You think that I am mad?” she said, thus evi- t a e dently penstzating his thoughts once more, but now : speaking in a milder and mournfaller tone: “it would be perhaps a blessing for one se profoundly acquainted with secrow as I am, to sink into the oblivion ef a benighted intellect, or besome a prey to the fanciful vagaries of dreams! But, ales! alas! life has already heen and still is too stern a reality “ Ah! then it is because you would not listen to the overtures of all those great —but the Prefect especially,” exclaimed Loftus, now be- lieving the tale and becoming indignant sat the outrage thus offered to a lady and a country- woman,— it is for all this, I presume, that you have been imprisoned here?” “Such is indeed the truth,” answered the lady. * And now can yor wonder if, when snatched from my home, and brought a prisoner hither three weeks ago, I should in my rage, my fary, and my despair, have made a vew-to the effect that never, mever again will I reveal my countenance to a being in the form of mae/ Wo—never, never," she exclaimed, with a sort of fgpnzied petalance, “ontil I encounter some one who shall have learnt to love me, soffor the beauty of my countenance, or the magoftade of my fertane, bet for those gentle, endearing, sud more sterling qualities which as a woman I possess. Now therefore,” she added with the fireied tone of ons who was well pleased at having finished a most » explenatio “now, therefore, let us to: work—and endgaveur te | insure our escape «“ Phat is, after ah, the essential peint.” seid Jo- | ¢ | | ee a i Ta Tc wee COUMIC NOOK CO