The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 83: what you’re looking at

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70 she introduced to Miss Trelawney—and the other, Léeutevant Apsley of the Guerda, she presented toe Miss Arbuthnot, The gentlemen requested the ladies’ hands for the dance-——the favour was awarded—~and the two couples took their places in the guadrille that was formed upon the graas-plat. Venetia found her partner tolerably bie— | at al) events, unasauming and well bred: and she entered with much spirit inte the excitement of the dance. Her extraordinary beauty had already attracted upiversa) admiration: but now the ele- gance and grace of her movements as she floated through the figures of the quadrille, rivetted all eyes upon her. When the quadrille was over, her hand was solicited for the next one by numerous aspirants for that honour ;—and she continued to dance until past midnight, to the infinite joy of Lady Wenlock who more than ance apcosted her with whispered congratulations on having made herself so le. | The saloons of the mansion were now thrown open for supper; and Veuetia consented to remain a litle longer. Lady Wenlock placed her on her cight hand and bestowed the kindest attertions upon her; and at length, when Miss Trelawney rose to retire, the worthy hostess took an oppor- fanity to whisper hurriedly in her ear, “ My charm- ing friend, I hope that you will henceforth look upon me as something more than a mere acquaint- ance.” Venetia pressed the old fady's hand with gratefal fervour: and hurrying away, she took the arm of the Honourable George Macnamara who was waiting to escort her to her carriage. We should observe that from the moment Ve- netis parted from Colonel Malpas in the avenue, she beheld him no more throughout the rest of the evening. The Earl of Curzon and Sir Duoug- las Huntingdon were not present at the festival at all: and thus, after the soene with the Colonel, Venetia was not tormented by any of the suitors who were bent upon her conquest. The noblemen and gentlemen with whom she.had danced, and whom Lady Wenlock had introdueed to her at the supper-table, were therefore all new ac- quaintances;—and every one of them returned home completely ravished with the beanty and charmed with the conversation of the elegant and -handsome Miss Trelawney. Bat what thought Venetia herseif of all this triamph which her lovetiness had achieved, and of |- the homage and adulation which had been paid her,—what thought she, we aay, of all this as she rode home with Mrs. Arbnthnot and Penelope? She was silent and dispirited: every now and then a mgh which she endeavoured to subdue, made her bosom heave;—and she thought more of that hurried sentence of whispered kindnéss on Lady Wenlock’s part, than of all the fine compliments | and adulatory language that had been breathed in her ears by the lips of elegant youths and titled arictocrais. THE MieTF RIAD OF ‘THs COURT. —& qe Ee Eee ~<a CHAPTER XT IRE GREEN-BRIZE CHANBSE On this same Wednesday night of the festival at Jhady Wenlock's mansion at Kev, another episo- dical incident helenging ta our tale took plape in respect to Lonisa Stanley. it was eleven o’clock en thet seme Wednesday night; and the | young maiden sate, the pictare af woe, in chamber to which she had heen a9 myaterionsly ponveyed om the preceding evening. Throughont the day she had seen no one but fhe serious-looking elderly female who apon her, aud from whom she vainly sought an expie- nativa uf the estrage which had been thus perpe- trated towards ber. The woman. had brought hee in der which consisted of delicacies and were served up with silver plate: and an severe! other oscasions during the dey had she looked iuto the chamber to inquire whether Louisa wanted anytoing. But a nagasive was invariably given by the afflicted young lady, wha also left the food untasted;—and if the elderly attendant sssayed to console her, Louisa’s only response wae, “ Tell me where I am-—give me my liberty—or explain to me wherefore I am imprisoned here: otherwise you will see we perish with grief, or go mad with despair |” To these adjarations, delivered with !mpas- sioned manner and wild voice, the female inva- riably answered to the effect thet Miss Stanley had nothing to fear, but that she must not expect to receive those explanations which she sough$ until her mind, was composed and the agitatian of her feelings was subdued. e Perceiving, therefore, thaf she conld glean no- thing from this woman, Louisa did not ensourage her presence in the room: the unhappy maiden preferred being alone, so that she might Jook her wretched pasition in the face—plunge into cape , jectures as so the author and the wotive of her ; captixity—and rack her brain with plans for ef- | fecting her escape | But let us pause to describe with on the chamber in which she was immured. We have stated in an earlier cbapter that it was small but well farnished, and that the walls were covered with a green baize. A closer examination showed that this bsise was thickly wadded—or rather, that between it and the wall there was a compact stuffing of wool This was ascertained by press- | ing with the hand on any part of the baize; and the abject of such an arrangement could only be to prevent the secape of any sounds from within, and to beat back all sounds from without. Thus any horror—apy atrocity—any cruelty might be in this terrible chamber, without a chaace of the victim's shrieks or cries being beard d those walls: while, on the other hand, no aoise on the outside—no rattle of vehicles, if there mere any—ae stviking of a clock, ff any church were near,—no sound, in fine, whatsoever, could reach the ear of the captive and afford a ctue to the whereabouts of the dwelling that conteined this drea:iful room. Facing the couch were heavy draperies, reach- ing from a brass rod near the ceiling to the carpet eR re 2 I gc RN PSD Pg SRP a ae — eS 0-0 NG <an Qe ee Ee o® @ay Ez ey NN, el Cee == a CONNEC MOO SS a ce ee ca cians — meena mk pt ee a CORA |