The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSEBRIBS OF THE COURT. et ploion ? “Alas! better were it for me to have re- “Oh! it is more than he could hope!” she mur- mained atar off, cherishing this passion of mine asa | mured, pressing closer to her royal companion and delicious dream—« joyous delusion—than to have | redoubling the ardour of her caresses. “But you travelled hither to face the stern reality of disap- | must sign his pardon——-” pointment !” “I will sign anything—everything,” gasped the “ No—do not speak thus, adorable being!” cried | infatuated Prince, breathless with maddening passion : fhe Prince, approaching her with extended arms. ‘(so long as I may seal the same upon your lips.” “Not yet—not yet |” she exclaimed, with a sudden} “Confirm this act of clemency with your auto- mecess of impetuous excitement: and waving him | graph,” whispered the lady, in her moet seductive back, she looked him full in the countenance, as if to ; tones,—* and I am thine! "Twill be but the work of a read all that was passing in the deepest recesses of | moment— there are writing matcrials upon the his soa!. “Do you believe me now ?” she demanded, | table——” im a tone which appeared to imply that all her happi- And with her arms still wound about the Prince's mess was staked upon the answer. neck, and her form half clinging to him—half nest- “I do—lI do!” exclaimed the Regent, each moment | ling in his embrace,—she made him rise from the plunging more profoundly into the bliss of an ecstatio | sofa, and drew him gently towards the table. Twas, infatuation: for every word, every look, every motion | as she had said, the work of but a few moments: and em the part of the romantic fair one, only tended to } during this brief interval she so played upon his senses provoke freah desires and madden his passions beyond | by the most thrilling, impassioned, fervid careases, ell possibility of control. and by permitting those toyings for which her light “Oh! acoept my fondest thanks—my eincerest, | apparel allowed such scope, that the Prince reeled deepest, most fervid gratitude, for that avowal !” she | as if under the influence of intoxication — and his sried, in the exnitation of mingled rapture and | senses were steeped in that elysian ebriety. triumph: then throwing herself back, she closed her | Close by the table there was an ottoman, upon eyes gently, as if to concentrate all her powers of | which the rmyal voluptuary and his companion seated vision, both outward and mental, in the contempla- | themselves—and on the table there was a paper with tion of the assurance which she had just received | something written upon it. The Prince endeavoured and which she treasured up in the recesses of her | to read the lines traced thereon: but the glowing soul. arms drew his head down till it reached a still more The Prinoce’s head was lost as it were amidstall the | palpitating breast—and then, in one of those mo- influences which were brought to bear upon hissenses: | Ments in which a man’s senses are so enthralled by ior this attitade to which the lady had just abandoned | Woman’s magic influence that he would sell his soul herself formed another light in which to view a | to Satan rather than abandon the crowning bliss,— ravishing picture, and in which new graces and now in such a moment was it that his Royal Highness charma were developed. And as the lady's fervid soul | seized the pen and affixed his name to the docu- appeared to breathe through her entire person, the im- | ment. pression which each movement on her partmade upon | Then, breathless with the prolonged excitement, she mma, was that all the Gexions of her hody were | he once more strained the lady in his arms: and she she indices of her passions. murmured with billing tenderness, “I am thine! I Drawing himself towards her in a sidelong manner, | 8m thine!” the Prince passed his arm gently round her waist— and for a few moments she seemed unconscious of the circumstance. But as he preased her more sensi- dly and became bolder in his toyings, she suddenly started—gazed upon him for an instant with a half- wondering, half-affrighted look—end then burst into cears. Astonished and pained by this abrupt and most unaccountable ebullition of grief, he strsined her more | had been left in total darkness. slosely in his arms—kissed away her tears—and be-{ Their position was far from being agreeable: but same eo moved by her sorrow and so maddened by ; they did not see any way in which they could pos- the contact of her form, that he would have made | sibly help themselves. The solemn warning given by amy sacrifice in order to recall the amiles to hercoun- | the leader of the band ere he quitted the room, still CHAPTER VI. THR SEQUEL OF THE NIGHT'S ADVENTURE. LET us now return to the sable chamber in which Lord Leveson and the Prince Regent's two servants tenance and win from her the favours which abe had more than half promised to bestow. “ What grieves you, dearest one?” he murmured y: “I was suddenly reminded of a circumstance which euts me to the quick,” she answered, in a broken voice and with convulsive sobs. contiaued to ring in their ears long after the scunds of the retreating footsteps had ceased; and although they did not relish the thought of thus being left in the darkness of a strange place, where a myriad un- known dangers might surround them, they dared not move from the seats which they had taken nor yet give ntterance to even a whispered syllable. In silence and darkness, therefore, did upwards of twenty minutes elapse: and at the expiration of thig period returning footstepa were heard, descending the great staircaso—aad the chief, bearing the lantern is his hand, appeared from behind the sable drapery. But at the same instant that the light thus gleamed in its dimnees again,—shadowing forth the gloom of the apartment, and playing with ghastly reflection upon the countenances of the nobleman and the ser Taris,— these three prisoners became aware that there = eneeme o& =errwwy oD “ But name it—explain yourself,” said thea Regent. "Ia there aught which I cana do——” “ Yes—everything!” she replied, sccompanyiag the words with the tenderest caresses. “Tell me—keep me not in suspensa——" “ & person who has merited your displeasure, and wno is related to me by the bonds of near kin- ip —— ar him.” said the Prince. “Is that LTD A AE I le yg a gare CONNEC MOO Pe hve 8 wee ws ae Cele A oie «°° gape. » ~ SS COMM