The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

ee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Henrietta with a heart almost too full to allow her to speak, endeavoured to induces the porter to take some money: but he declared that he hac already been adequately paid—and having deposited the packets upon the table, he took his departure. “Oh, what a change for us!” murmured Mrs. Leyden, the faintness of an overpowering joy coming . ever her. Henrietta hastened to throw her arms round her mother’s neck, saying, “Do you think you will be able to get up? Oh, I hope so! for now that you have got all your nice clothes again, and can go forth respectable as you were wont to do——” “Believe me, my dear child,” responded Mrs. Leyden, straining her daughter to ber bosom, and then lavishing her caresses upon little Charley who had advanced up to the side of the couch, “I am ten thousand times more gratified for your sake that all this has happened, than fur my own. Yes, my dear girl, I feel myself , alike in health and spirits. Oh! it is necessary to drink deeply of the bitter waters of adversity in order to appreciate the sweetness of the returning founte of prosperity.” By the time another hour had elapsed a grest ebamge had taken place in the appearance of ths mother and daughter. Mrs. Leyden, having r::on from her wretched pallet, had apparelled herself in @ sizaple but genteel manner; while Henrietta bad a faded and ecanty garb fur cne which, without the slightest taint of finery, was alike ele gant and tasteful. If in her discarded apparel she had seemed sweetly interesting, she now appeared exquisitely beautiful. Upon her cheeks, previously 20 very pale, there was now a delicate tint of the rose, but which even in its faintness and its delicacy was lovelier far than the bloom which art was wont to shed upon her countenance when she danced at the Opera. The expression of her features was now bashfully charming rather than tvuchingly plaintive; and there was a mild lustre in the beau- tiful blue eyes which were half veilod beneath their thick dark fringes. The symmetry of her figure was admirably set off by the genteel and Iady-like garb that she had put on; and altogether Livnrietta’s ap- pearance was so improved by the advaut:yre of drees, that Mrs. Leyden, withall a fend wuthor’s pride, surveyed her with admiring looks. “How pretty you seem now, sister,” said little Charley, joy beaming in his eyes. “I ain so plad you have got all these nice cluthes—and mamma two.” In short the happiness of this little family seemed nearly complete; and Heonetta thought no more— at least for the present—of that incident which had at first eo much afflicted her. It was now past three o'clock, as Mrs. Leyden perceived by her watch, which was amongst the things so generously gedeemed for her from the pawnbroker’s, and which she had already wound up. “I promised to attend the ballet-master to-day at this hour,” said Henrietta, suddenly rocollecting hur cngagement. ‘“ What shall I do ?” “If our kind friend does not intend you to con- tinue upon the stage,” answered Mrs. Leyden, “ you weed take no farther notice of that engagement.” “Sut ought I not,” asked Henrietta, “ to pen @ nute expressive of gratitude to the gencrous- “ But you know not where the Signora lives,” ob- served Mrs. Leyden. “ True!” exclaimed the young girl, witha sudden look of disappointment. “Oh! it would be so sweet, and such a relief to my heart's feelings, to be able to pour forth all my joy and gratitude to that excellent being who evidently has made our case known to ghis benevolent gentleman.” “ He will take charge of your letter, my deat girl,” said the mother. “Oh | but a thing that is done at once always has a truer air of sincerity,” exclaimed Henrietta, now fully bent, in the enthusiasm of her feelings, upon carrying out her little project. “I will write my note and take it down to the Opera, so that the Signera may heve it with the least possible delay. And at the same time I will make my excuses to the ballet-master; so that if by any accident I should have to return to my recent avocations, I may not make an enemy of him.” A shade gradually fell upon Mrs. Leyden’s coun- tenance as Henrictta thus notified her intention of revisiting that establishment which the poor mother held in such horror, and to which dire necessity alone had from the very first constrained her to send her child. Henrietta this time observed not that gathering gloom on her mother’s features ; but en- thusiastic in her resolve to testify ber fervid grati- tude to Signora Vivaldi, she sat down at the table and penned a letter, the contents of which flowed with as genuine « sincerity from ber heart as the tears which she had ere pow shed welled forth from the same holy fount of feeling. This pleasing task being accomplished, she pul on s simple but pretty bonnet and a neat shawl, selected from the things ere now reclaimed from the pawnbroker’s; and having kissed her mother and brother, was about to trip with light step away upon her mission of gra- titude. “Would you not like to take little Charley with your’ asked Mrs. Leyden, ooncealing beneath a smile the sort of gloomy presentiment which had arisen in her mind at this resolve of her daughtor to pay s last visit to the Opera. “Yes, to be sure!” exclaimed the now hanpy girl: but then the next moment, as a sudden thought struck her, she said, “No, I cannot. Iam going to speak to the balict-master, and must not take apy one behind the scenes with me. Now, my sweet Charley, do not look disappointed ; because I shall be back soon—and then, you know, we are all going away together to some nicer place.” Having thus affectionately spoken to ber brother, and having again kissed him, Henrietta sallied furth. The landlady of the house, with characteristic in- quisitiveness, endeavoured to engage her in 4 gossip as she was passing out of the front door—for the women was very anxious to know who the old gen- tleman was that with a sort of enchanter’s wand had appeared to bring so much sudden happiness into the previously wretched chamber inhabited by the Leyden family. But Henrietta would not pause to gratify the landlady’s curiosity; and turning out of the dark gloomy court, she gained the street. Upon being left alone with Charley, Mrs. Leyden relapsed suddenly into a mournful moud. Was it that the sudden presence of so much happiness, by learted Signora Vivaldi? Oh! I will lose no more | unnaturally exciting her spirits, haa led to a prom bwme in doing this |” | portionate reaction—end that her wind, enfeebled —_ reory Q 4 be> f ; ECOMICHOOOKS. COM