The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

108 even during the few bricf moments which uc- cupicd by what I am now saying, it is only because Ga SE a CY I would not wish you to imagine that I shall go | hence from your abode to give publicity to a scene as unexpected as it was painful. Your ladyship speaks of being humiliated: but if you feel so, it | need only be so jong as I am in your presence. No —I will not make a vaunt of the proposals which in a mood of deplorable weakness you have ventured to make tome. Lt the veil of oblivion be dropped over what has passed! And nowI bid your lady- ship farewell.” “‘ Stop—one moment stop !" said Lady Saxondale, THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. =e eee ole ave °° breathed a revelation of purest and chastest love is his ear. “‘ Ah, then your’s is a heart of adamant and wi!! not be moved!” exclaimed Lady Saxondalc. “ But perhaps you love another ?’’—and her whole form quivered with rage as the bare idea struck her with an ice-chill, smiting her proud heart as if it would rend it in twain, ‘Love another?” echoed the young artist me- chanically: for again he trembled lest his seczct should be surprised. “Yee—love another!” promptly rojoined Lady Saxondale. “I said so—and I seo that it is the in the deep hoarse voice of concentrated passion ; and , case. Oh! that tell-tale look of your's reveals the she clutched Deveril violently by the arm. “ You must not leave me thus. I feel like a desperate woman, capable of desperate deeds. You, sir, are the only man I ever loved; and to have this first love of mine thus rejected—thus spurned——No, by heaven, it shall not be !”—and in the madness of her rage she stamped her foot violently on the et. Deveril, shocked and horrified at what was taking place, burst from the strong grasp in which Lady Baxondale held him, and was hastening to the door, when she bounded after him, and caught him by the arm again, crying, “Stop—I command you to stop! Beware how you irritate me—I am not mis. tress of my actions—and if you attempt to escape from me again, ere I have said ail that I have to say, there will be a struggle, and you know it will be playing a coward’s part to do violence to a wo- man!” “‘ Lady Saxondale,” said the young artist, pain- fully excited and scarcely knowing how to act, “ I will remain a few minutes and listen to what you havo to say, if you will only tranquillize your feelings: for I really do not wish that you should incur the chance of exposure before your houschold. At the same time I warn your ladyship not to address me again in languago that is derogatory to yourself and insulting to me.” “Insulting to you, foolish boy?” said Lady Sax- ondale: and the words came hissing forth on her panting breath, whilo every feature of her handsome countenance was convulsed with passion—ae passion in which the fury of desire was mingled with the rage of disappointment and the deep sense of mor- tification. “Have you refused my love because there is such disparity in our ages? It is true that there are many years’ difierence between ws: but am I not handsome? am I not in the proud glory of my beauty? Look at this hair ;—is there one line of silver in it? Look at this faco ;— is there a wrinkle upon it? Look at this form ;— has time done aught to mar its symmetry? No, no,” she added with increasing excitement, “TI not only love, but I have the consciousness of being loveable. And if my mirror told me false in that respect, think you that the handsomcst and proudest pecrs of England, who when secking my hand have told me that I was beautiful, have spoken thus in mere idle flattery? Once again, then, William Devcri]———” “No, lady—not again—not even once again!” he cried, now stricken with the cunviction that every moment which he gave up to a prolongation of this ecenc was a treachery and an insult to that sweet patrivian girl who but a few hours previously had secrot! Then I have a rival? Ah! rivalry en- courages bad passions—it excites vengeance—and by the heaven above us, William Deveril, if my love be spurned for that of any puling sentimental girl, the revenge that I will wreak shall be terrible!” “ Good heavens, Lady Saxondale !” exclaimed the young artist, thinking of Florina; “you know not what you say!” “But I have told you what I will do,” responded the infuriate woman—for infuriate she now reelly was. ‘“ Beware bow you continue to spurn my love! Say but one kind word, and I will forgive all that has passed-~——~” ‘‘ Madam, I can bear this no longer,” cricd Deveril, once more breaking away from her. “ Stop !” she exclaimed, a third time catching him by the arm, and with such power too that he could not have escaped without exerting more violence than his generous nature would permit him to do towards a female: “I havo but a single word now to say. Give me your love, William, and I will worship you: persist in refusing me, and I become your bitterest enemy |”’ Having thus spuken, with flashing eyes, pale countenance, quivering lipe, and trembling form, she suddenly released him of her own accord—end he found himself free. | “Lady Saxondale,” he answered, “when this tempest of passion has subsided, you will be sorry for what has paseed.”’ “Sorry? No,” she cried, now drawing herself up once more with sovereign hauteur, so that her majestic beauty seemed terrible ‘in this storm of rage and indignation: “that word is not one which can be applied to Lady Saxondale. Instead of ex- periencing sorrow, I shall lock for vengeance. If your mind be made up, seise is also. I could have sacrificed everything to enjoy your love; but I can- not endure to be humiliated by this rejection of my own. Much theretore as I could have Icved you, I am prepared to hate you. Which is to be the alter- native P”’ “Madam,” answered Dever, “this scene has already lasted much too ‘ong, and your conduct towards me has passed from indelicacy to insult.” “ Begone, then, sir!” she exclaimed, the fires of all poesible human passions fiashing from her eyes. J hate you—and I will be revenged!” William Deveril bowed coldly and quitted the room. In a couple of minutes he crossed the threshold of Saxondale House, and returnod once more into Hyde Park to compose the foclings that had been 80 much excited by the strange and pain- ful ordeal through which he had just It appeared as if he had just wakened up from # aint b> ElOOO (CO