The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 387: what you’re looking at

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374 was in every way outwitted and deprived of remedy, he suddenly made up his mind to put as good a face as possible upon the matter—that is to say, for the present! He accordingly returned to the bou- @oir, where he found Editha combing out her long shining hair. As he entered the room she turned towards him; and with a look full of calm confi- dence—for all her recent excitement appeared to have cooled down—she said, “ Well, my lord, what aspect dues the matter now wear 2?” ‘‘Editha,” he responded, assuming a jocular air, «I must confess that [I am completely out-ma- noguyvred. I don’t know how—but I think it is tolerably clear that your maid Gertrude is a young woman of no ordinary ability and tact—for which qualities you doubtless value her so much.” “But is it also for the same reason that your lordship seeks to deprive me of her by making her your mistress :"—and as Editha gave this bitter retort, her beautiful lips curled with relentless irony. Well, I think that the less said upon all these things for the present, the better,” returoed the Ear} cf Curzon, affecting to laugh: and with these words he was about to quit the room, when Editha caught him by the arm. ‘“ What! is there any- thing more to say?” he demanded. “ Yes,’ she replied, with firmness of voice and deeision of look: “as a nobleman, as a gentleman, und as a husband, you have to apologise for having dared to accuse me without proof.” “Oh! yes—I remember that I pledged myself to some such apology as this: and therefore,” he continued, with an air of mock gravity, ‘I beg to tender my earnest excuses to your ladyship for having ventured to suspect your purity and fidelity; and I may add that I am now entirely convinced that you are as immaculate asa wife can b»——-’ “Enough!” exclaimed Editha, colouring with indignation, as her husband’s tone grew more and more bantering. “You have made the apology— and that is sufficient.” The Earl affected to laugh gaily, and quitted the boudoir. CHAPTER XCVITII. MOBE MYSTIFICATION. Ws may now explain to the reader the precise woanner in which the Countess of Curzon had been acoustumed to manage her intrigues through the agency of Lady Lechmere. As was particularly the case in those times, with married couples in high life wha did not live upon the very best terms together, the Earl and Countess ‘of Curzon frequently occupied separate bed-chambers—-the Earl having an apartment which was called his own private one, and the Countess having her boudoir. It was therefore comparatively an easy thing for ber ladyship occa- sionally to stay out all night if she chose—tbe only precaution needful being to prevent the ser- vants (Gertrude excepted) from discovering the fact. Hence the contrivance into which the reader has already obtained something more than an in- sight. Thus, for instance, the Countess went in full dress and in her own carriage to Lady Lech. wmere's house: a few hours later Gertrude met her THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. there ;—their apparel was speedily changed—anad while Gertrude, playing the part of Countess, was driven back ih the carriage, the Countess herself repaired whithersoever she chose. Then, at day- break, apparelled as Gertrude, the Countess would return to the mausion in safety. If seen thus coming home by any of the servants, the supposi- tion was that the young lady’s-maid—for whom of course Editha would be taken—had passed the night at her parents’ house: and on the occasions when these stratagems were to be carried into effect, Gertrude was wont to take the precaution in the evening of casually mentioning in the ser- vants’ hall, that she had received permission from her mistress to remain with her mother till the fullowing morning. But there was another phase which the strata- gem assumed, involving a certain alteration of its details, according to circumstances. Thus, for instance, if Editha required an excuse to be absent from home for only a few hours during the even- ing, she would pretend to have received an invita- tion from Lady Lechmere to a party: but Ger- trude, muffled in Editha’s ermine cloak, and perhaps wearing her veil, would proceed in the carriage to Lady Lechmerc’s, where instead of any evening party at all, tho servants would receive positive orders from their mistress to admit oaly the Countess of Curzon. Thus Gertrude, disguised as the Countess, would be shown up into Lady Lechmere’s boudoir, and there remain for two or three hours, as the case might be, until the car- riage came to fetch her home again. Thus, all the while, the coachman and lacquey attached to Lady Curzon’s carriage would naturally suppose that it was their mistress whom they had driven to Lady Lechmere’s at eight or nine and fetched home again at twelve or one: while, on the other hand, Lady Lechmere’s domestics were equally reinute frown suspecting that it was any other than the Countess of Curzon who thus came and passed several hours tete-d-tete with their mistress. The reader will now understand the meaning of that note, bearing the signature of Lady Lechmere, which the Earl of Curzon had found in his wifs’s writing-desk. But whereforo were all those strangely ramified precautions necessary? Because Editha was too prudent to have incurred the risk,of allow- ing either Malpas or Emmerson to pass the night with her in her own boudoir at home: and there- fore it was necessary to devise measures to enable her to meet her parmnour for the ume being at Mrs. Gale’s house of accommodation in Soho Square. Bat of course she could not drive thither openly and fearlessly in her carriage; and when going out of an evening, she could not possibly devise any excuse to dispense with the carriage : she could not say she was going anywhere on foot or that she preferred a hackney-coach. She must therefore seem to use the earriage, even if she did not in reality: hence the astute arrangement of allowing Gertrude to take her place and perform her part, while she herself, modestly disguised in Gertrude’s unobtrusive apparel, enjoyed unlimited freedom combined with a rare security. Haviog given these few explauations, we now resume the thread of our narrative. Asa matter of course, the Earl of Curzon was not satisfied at the result of the adventures which have occapied the two or three preceding chapters. As wa Tive NN a EE SSE SaaS SA ae { | OL EOE OOO Ss