The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 399: what you’re looking at

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

| THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ne “ Sophia!” exelaimed the Prinee, bending a stern look upon his sister,—“am I to understand that you propose to piace this youth about your person —to have him pear you—and make him aware of the secret of his birth ?” “J mean nothing of all this,” returned the Princess. “ But I wish him to be rescued from that den of infamy where he now is, and to be placed in some houourable position: I wish him to be removed frum that grade of life where he is constantly liable to be either tempted or neoces- sitated to do evil! In a word, 1 wish that he may have a chance and epportuaity given him to re- trieve his obaracter aud to become an honest member of society.” “But how, in the devil’s name,” cried the Prince impatiently, “ am I to accomplish all this? Would you bave me send for him—tell him I have heard of his merits—and at onoe appoint him to the post of valet in my household? Sach an idea is ridi- culous: he weuld be coming to my bed-cham- ber in the middie of the night to cut my throat—-” “ Cruel—heartiess brother!” shrieked forth the Princess Sophia: “you are speaking ef my own soa |" “And a pretty son, it seems by all accounts, you have allowed him to grow up,” retorted the Prince, bratally. “ Come, come—let us have no more whining, crying, and whimpering on this point. What you have permitted the Loy to be- come, so he must remain.” “Never |" ejaculated the Princess, starting from her seat and flinging glances of fiery indignation upon the Prince Regent. “ No—by heaven !” she exclaimed : “I will sooner peril discovery and run the risk of disgrace, than allow that boy to remain in the vile companionship to which he has been too lung abandoned! My conduct as a mother has been exeorable to a degree; and I swear that some atunement shall be made now! Assist me if you will: and if not, thea disguised in humble apparel, I will myself visit the abode of infamy and horror where that poor boy now dwells !” “Aus are mad, Sophia—you are mad!” ex- claimed the Prince, in mingled anger and alarm. “Such a p ding on your part would be at- tended with the most serious risks: indeed, discovery woud be almost inevitable—and if you are once in the power of such a desperate villain as the Public Executioner,” he added bit- erly, * God help you !” “Then, George—dear George,” said the Prin- cess, the excitement of anger suddenly experienc. ing a complete reaction as she saw the truth of her brother's reasoning—although shelittie conjectured how /feelingly he spoke relative to the Hangman,— “ pray assist me to save this boy from utter, utter ruin! Succour me to rescue him ere it be too late! Conceive—only fancy the horror—the ineffuble, illimitable horror—that would seize upon my soul were he to be drawn into some crime that would send him to the scaffuld! Oh! if my feelings now prompt me to extend a helping hand tewards him, what would they do in such a case as that ?— should I not be goaded by desperation to dare everything—exposure, dishonour, ridicule, scorn? George—my dear brother !” she exclaimed, throw- ing herself at his feet and clasping her hands wildly, “listen, I beseech thee, te the prayer of a peniteut woman—an agonizing mother—and assist me to save my son !” “Rise, Sophia—rise,” said the Prince, somewhat moved again by the speotacie of his sister's highly wrought anguish. “J will see what can be done in the matter. If the Habeas Corpus was sus- pended just at this moment, I would soon manage the thing by having him seized—locked up—and subjected to some reformatory process. As it is, I may have him kidnapped and put on board a ship bound for the colonies—taking care to pro- vide for him a good situation on his landing in Canada, Jamaica, or New South Wales, just as the case may be.” @ You will consider the matter—yeu will reflest upon it well” said the Princess. “But promise me two things.” “Name them,” observed his Royal Highness; “and then I will give you my answer.” “In the first place,” rejoined Sophia, * promise me that no step shall be taken in the matter with- out my knowledge and concurrence: and in the second place you must pledge yourself that before the boy quits England for ever, you will by some means or other procure me an opportunity of see- ing him for a moment—at some place and under such circumstances as to preclude the possibility of my being recoguized by any one.” “And if I do all this for you,” asid the Prince, after a long pause, during which he remained buried in a deep reverie—“if I do all this for you, I say, will you undertake to do a certain service for me ?” “Oh! yes,” exclaimed the Princess Sophia, well pleased at beholding the affair assume the appear- ance of a bargain; because she knew erough of her brother’s selfish disposition to be aware that he was much more likely to do her a favour when he required one in return, than he would be if the obligation were all on one side. “Teli me what service you require at my hands—tell me what I can do for you——" “ By one of the inscrutable impulses of nature,” said the Prince, his look suddenly assuming more of what may be termed a religious seriousness than for years past it had ever been accustomed to put on; “your maternal feelings Sophia, have been touched—and evidently to some depth. Whether it be curiosity to behold one’s offspring —whether it be some intuitive prompting of latent love—or whether it be one of these impulses which have their origin in a moment of the heart's weak- ness, I cannut say: but not the less certain is it thas I have more than once experienoed, within the last year or two, a similar feeling to that which has this day manifested itself in you.” * What mean you, my dear brother?” inquired the Princess. “J will soon exp'sin myself,” he continued. “In the same way that you experienced a desire to behold your son, even if tt be only for a single moment—so am I influenced by an earnest longing to cast my eyes, if only fer a moment likewise, upon my daughter! You know full well that Florence Katon—the niece of Lord and Lady Florimel—tis my own child—the daughter of that Octavia, Pauline’s sister, whom I luved with so profound an adoration !” “But Florence knows not that you are her father,” observed the Princess, gently. 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