The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 393: what you’re looking at

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

suddenly stifled those syllables of rage and fury to whieh her lips were on the poiat of giviog utter- ance. With the excruciating pang which that preterboman effort caused her, she became deadly pale—and her bosom, a moment before heaving and falling with rapid palpitations, became instan- taneously stilled, as if the proudly swelling globes had suddenly changed into that alabaster which they resembied. “ And are you base enough—are you vile encagh, to use the means in your power, in order to enfores @ response favourable to your wishes ?” she asked, her eyes now burning with a lurid light as they ware fixed steadfastly upon him. “ If the sacrifice of my soul were at stake,” re- sponded the Marquis, “I would not abandon this proceeding of love and vengeance. Ah!” he oried, with a gloating and yet malignant look, “I hate you as much as I adore you! Your beauty ravishes me—enchants me—drives me mad: and I woald surrender all hopes of heaven for one hour of bliss and plessare in your arms! But on the other hand, think you that I have not a vengeance to wreak for that terrible explosion of wrath, fury, and in- vective which you poured upon me on the occasion when you plunged me into the prisonage of that ohair from which I was drivelling idiot enough to release you? Think you that I have forgotten the storm of e tempest of upbraidings— whieh, though sweeping forth from the lips of an angel of beauty, were withering and blighting as if they came from the tongue of a hideous fiend? Oh! now, haoghty beauty that you are—cunning satriguer that I have discovered you to be—I will revel in your charms and make my very love my vengeance!” Venetia remained calm and immoveable as Lord Leveson thus assailed her with all the lashing, scourging power of the language of menace; but still the lurid light shone in her eyes, and it was ¢vi- dent that her composure was of that terrible kind whieh is produced by utter desperation. At length, when the Marquis had dune speaking, her lips wa- vered for a moment : bat no words came ey were stified as it were in her very throat. Bat .gaddenly recollecting what she had for the last few minutes forgotéen— namely, that Sir Dougias Han- tingdon heard all that paseed and had promised to rescue her, she experienced an instantaneous buoyancy of the spirit and a brightening up of the countenance: for the thought now struck her that she might not only be saved from the embraces of that loathsome old man, but also revenged upon hima for this and other wrongs. Again there was a wavering of her lips: and this time the words which she meant to speak came forth. “To-morrow night,” she said, in a low deep tone, “ at eleven o'clock punctuaily, 1 will call at Leveson Hease. Bat, my lord, as my reputation is now to be pisced completely in your power, may I hope that it will be held sacred?” “ However great a villain a men may be in his endeavours to obtain possession of a woman,” answered the Marquis, “he does not usuaily trumpet forth his success. And as for the revenge which 1 cherish againet you, it will be fully wreaked when you sink « victim into the arms of my con- suramated desires. Therefore, as a nobleman, as & gentleman, and as a man, I swear by everything WEE MYSTERIEG OF THE COURT. solemn and sacred, that the secret of your surrender shall be retained in my breast as inviolably and profoundly as if it reposed only with the dead.* Having thus spoken, the Marguis of Leveson made a lew bow—turned abruptly away—and quitted the boudoir. ' Sir Douglas Huntingdon now emerged from be- hind the screen. Venetia, pale—marble pale— with conoentrated passion—trembling from head to foot—and with her fair hands firmly clenched, had risea from the sofa and was standing before the looking-giass, surveying herself with evident astonishment at the violence of her own emotions as expressed in her countenance. “I¢ is not werth while to expend so much splendid indignation upon such a wreteh,” ob- served Sir Douglas Huntingdon, taking her hand, which she now willingly abandoned to him. “To- morrow night you shail go to Leveson House: bat I will follow you thither, A few minutes after you have entered, will I present myself at the door and demand admission. If it be refused, I will enforce it: and when onee confronted with the Marquis, I will threaten him with the fullest exposure of his conduct towards Ariadne, unless he solemnly undertakes to observe eternal peace and silence with r you.” “ Now are indeed my best—-my dearest friend,” said Venetia, gazing tenderly upon the Baronet. “Ah! would that I gould again induce you to believe that I love yon—and you alane?” he mar- mured, pressing her hand to his lips. “Yes—I shall esteem your conduct of to- morrow night as a proof of love,” observed Venetia, her look now assuming an expression of ‘soft wantonness: “and any reward that you may clim——” “} understand you, dearest,” cried the Baroness joyfally: and flingieg his arms around her, he pressed his lips to her's in one long delicious kiss. A minute afterwards the Baronet quitted the boudolr. CHAPTER CL THE 62.A8s-B00R. Passing down the long passage into which opesed the various apartments allotted to Lord and Lady Sackville, Sir Donglae Heatingdon reached the principal landing—when it suddeuly streck him that as be had not been at Cariton House far nearly ten days, he ought to pay his respects to the Prince, if only for a few moments. For be it recollected that the Baronet was one of George's boon companions; and his Royal Highness, being excessively touchy and remarkably sensitive on cer- tain points, weald have felt annoyed on learning that Sir Douglas had been to the palece and quiteed it again without seeing him. The Baronet aecord- ingly asked a page who stood on the landing, where his Royal Highnem was, and how engaged ? “His Royal Highness, air,” was the reply, “ act many minutes since passed this way slong the passage, towards the saloon at the end; and [ be- lieve that his Royal Highness is at this moment alone there.” COMME lOO© Ss CO