The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 388: what you’re looking at

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

_ THE MYSTERIES OF TRE COURT. SS ce SS Se es I hs ea es Pests +6 cr cy gee eect P reas s s LT already stated, he saw that he had been outwitted: but how, he could not altogether conjecture. That Gertrude had purloined the documents from his own apartment, he failed ot to guess: but the great mystery to him was how his own wife Editha had been his partner of the couch in the boudoir instead of Gertrude. He had assuredly locked the young abigail in that boudvir; and it was her voice which he had subsequently recognised beyond all possibility of doubt, when he returned to that roum later in the nivht. But while re- volving all these things in his mind, he recol- lected that on seekiog the couch in the boudvir, when fancying be was abuut to be clasped in the arms of Gertrade, he had locked the door: and he likewise recollected that in the morning the door was unigcked, when Gertrude ertered ‘to ask if her mistress had rung. The door, therefore, had been unlocked by somebody: and if so, the presence uf Editha in the couch with him might'be easily accounted for by supposing that while he slept Gertrude had risen and changed places with the Countess. Then, if this were the case, and if this supposition were the correct one, had the beautiful Gertrude been for any time his companion in that bed? At firat he was inclined to believe so: but then he reflected that from the very instant he cutered that couch and was clasped in the arms of the female occupying it, this female observed a profound silence—nor could he by coaxing or entreaty succeed in eliciting from hcr a single word. This circumstance proved, then, that it must have been Editha who was occupying that couch when he entered the room,—Editha who received him ia her arms,—Ej:ditha whom be had so fundly and passionately embraced, while all the time fancying that he was enjoying the transports of love in the arms of Gertrude! It was there- fore quite clear, from this chain of reasoning, that Editha must have been ia the room with Gertrude when he went thither in the dark, and that while Editha prepared to receive him in her arms, Ger- trude’s voice deluded him into the belief that it was she herself who was the sole occupant of that couch which he sought. Having come to these conclusions, the Earl of Curzon felt less sitisfied aad more piqued than ever. Not only had he been outwitted by his wife in every way; but he was also duped by her abi- gail. That he was so duped, Editha well knew: and thus the two together—inistress and maid— had not only utterly baffled all his endeavours to establish the proofs of the former's infidelity, but were enabled to have a good laugh together at his expense. Nothing, ia fact, could be more ridicu- Jous than the position which he felt he occupied in the eyes not only of Editna, but also of Gertrude : and he was determined to be revenged on them both. Of course, as the master of the house, he could at once have discharged the young lady’s- maid: but as there was no ostensible ciuse to al- lege for taking such a decisive proceeding upon himself, it would appear most arbitrary and un. just—besides its being a most unusual thing for the husband to interfere with the wife’s special cependants. Moreover, the mere dischar,ve of Gertrade would in itself be an act for which she would care so I ttle, as to be tutally incommensurate with the amount of revenge he souvht. She had baffe and outwit him: and though not naturally of a cowardly character or unmanly disposition, the Isarl resolved upon suime signal aod cruel revenge. The reader will perhaps wonder why he did not call upon Lady Lechmere to see what he could discover relative to his wife’s proceedings. But he was too much a man of the world not to know full well that to whatsoever extent Lady Lechmere connived at or essisted Editha’s intrigues, she would be prepared to defend and protect them by giving an indignant denial to any accusation oa the subject. Besides which, the Earl had no idea of proclaiming to the world the ignominious faet that he knew himself to be a cuckold, but could not prove it, and wis therefore compelled to en- dure his wife's infidelities. There was however one person whom he resolved to see: and this was Emmerson. But not fur a moment did it strike the Earl that the bill-broker had become his wife's paramour. Whether they were even acquainted or not, he did not exactly know: bat that Emmerson had privately sent her back the bills which she had forged in favour of Colonel Malpas, was evident enough. Tow had this occurrence been brocght about ?—was Em.- merson aware of Editha’s guiit?—and if sv, to what extent? These were the particulars which the Earl of Curzon was desirous to ascertain: and therefore, after a hurried breakfast, did he mount his horse, and attended by his gruom, repuir to the money-making regions of the City. Mr. Ecomerson was seated alone in his privatu office iu Nicholas Lane, pondering somewhat gloomily on the occurrences of the preceding night, and wondering what on eirth had been thw issue of the adventure. From Editha’'s lips he had hurriedly heard how her husband had returned aud had found the pack:t of furged bills in her desk—and in a few hastily-exchanged sentences they had agreed upun the outline of some tale, to be told by himself, should the Earl cail on him to demand any explanation of the circumstance of his name being ou the back of those forged bills. But whether this story, so hurriedly and imper- fectly concocted, would serve any purpose at all, even if the Earl should call on him,—or whether the discoveries made by his lordship were of too serious ond comprehensive a nature to be ex- plained away by sophistry or accounted for by artifice, —- these were the uncertainties between which Mr. Emmerson was painfully hovering at the moment when the Offic2-boy entered to an- nouncs the Earl af Curzon! Emmerson could not help trembling from head to foot through fear of detection, exposure, and chastisement. But not suffering his emotions to be perceived, he bade the boy at once introduce his lordship. Then, asthe Earl made his appear- ance extending his hand with a sort ‘of atfable condescension and aristocratic patronage towards him, he felt persuaded that whatever might hare been the issue of the previous night’ a adventure, he himself remained unsuspected. “ Pray sit down, my lord,” said Ew smerson, bust- ling abou’; to hand the nobleman a‘ehair. “* Will your lordship take a glass of wme an da biscuit? It is just twelve o’clock—and thor gh perhap3 not lunch-timme in the fashionable regi yng whence your hambled his pride—:he hai aided her mistresa to | lordship has just come——” » —_ soa a Sane qgeapenarainen, [Pesta ence Oem ae COMICHOOCKS. CON