The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 122: what you’re looking at

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dream the influence of which pursued him even when he was awake. Was it possible that the proud, the dignified, the haughty Lady Saxondale had so far forgotten her wonted self-possession as to expose herself in such a manner? But by a natural transition of ideas, the young artist was led to contrast the sensuous fervour and immodest passion of that lady with the chaste love and delicate affec- tion of the beauteous Florina. Then, still pursuing the thread of his reflections, he cuvuld not help trembling at the satanic threats of vengeance which Lady Saxondale had hurled at his head,—and not at his head alone, but at that of whomsoever she might detect in being what she chose to regard asarival. Doeveril saw that she was a desperate and dangerous woman—« woman whom her dis- appointed pession had rendered thus desperate, and who was likcly to prove all the more dangerous because she possessed the strongest energies, which she would not fail to exercise in the pursuit of any object she was anxious to attain. But what wag he to do? Should he confidentially impert to Florina’s ear everything that had oc- curred, and thus put the young maiden upon her guard in case Lady Saxondale should by any acci- dent discover that the object of his love was none other than the same being who had been selected to become her own son’s bride ? No—the honourable and upright mind of Deveril recoiled from the bare idea of shocking the pure and chaste Florina by the tale of her ladyship’s depravity; and he there- fore came to the resolve to observe the strictest so- erecy in respect to all that had just taken place. It was now five o'clock; and Deveril, quitting Hydo Park, bent his way to a lodging which he had in Pall Mall. Notthat he habitually resided there; for he had another place of residence in one of the suburbs of London. But this lodging, consisting o: three apartments, served as the place where he received letters and visits in respect to the profession he exercised. One of the rooms was fitted up asa studio, where he gave lessons to those who preferred to visit him there: another room was used as a par- lour ; and a third as a bed-chamber, in case it suited him to sleep at his lodgings. On returning to Pall Mall he found two or three persons waiting to sec him on matters of business; and when they had taken their departure he ordered some dinner to be served up. Little appetite how- ever had the young artist for the food thus placed upon the table: his thoughts were too much ab- sorbed —or rather too pleasurably and painfully di- vided between the two scenes which had marked this memorable day. It was not till past nine o'clock that he quitted his lodging; and the evening being exceedingly beautiful, he determined to walk to his suburban residonce—for he felt that exercise and fresh air would soothe the excitement of his thoughts. It was ten o'clock as William Deveril entered the Regent's Park, across which his path lay in the direction of a splendid mansion somewhat isolated frum the rest of tho euperb residences which abound in that district. The evening was warm—esome of the casemente of that mansion were vpen—and the swelling tide of music flowed forth to his ear. That music was accompanied by several ewcet female voices; and so exquisitely did they sing that the young artist, as passionately fond of music a) THE MYSTERIZS OF THE COUE?. 109 as he was of drawing, stood still to listen. He wa, enabled to approach to within half-a-dozen yards of the fence bounding the garden in which the man- sion stood; and it was from the open casement of a room on the first floor that the delicious strains of vocal and instrumental harmony were wafted forth. This casement was the side-window of a drawing- room whose front, with a range of several windows, looked in another direction upon an ampler spread of grounds; and the side-window to which we have alluded, opened on a balcony towards which the luxuriant clematis and jasmine, mingling with roses, crept up against the wall. As William Devoril stood listening to the music, he recollected that Florina had mentioned to him during the two hours they had passed together that day, that she was going to a party with her aunt Lady Macdonald to the house of some friends in the Regent’s Park that evening; and as the young artist stood gazing up at the open casement, the crimson draperies of which gave a roseate hue to the light shining forth from the interior of the room, he thought to himself, “Perhaps it is here that my beloved Florina is now gracing tho brilliant assemblage with her presence? Ab! was it some instinctive feeling of this kind which made me prefer walking home to-night—which made me take this exact path—and which now caused me to halt here close by this stately mansion f” While he was thus musing to himself, the har- mony had ceased—the suft sounds of the music and the equally delicious voices no longer sent forth their fluid notes to the star-lit air; and Deveril was about to pursue his way, scarcely able to repress a sigh as he thought that if Florina were indeed there, some aristocratic coxcomb perchance was privileged to lead her through the mazes of the dance, while he who her love was wandering round the exterior of that luxurious mansion ! At the very moment he was turning away, the crimson drapery was drawn aside, and a lady ap- peared upon the balcony, as if to escape for a few moments from the stifling heat within and breathe the fresher and purer air of the night. But that lady was Florina! Yes—Fiorina, elegantly dressed ~-looking radiantly beautiful in her ball-room toilet—-Florina, the idol of the young artist’s worship! . An ejaculation of joy and delight burst from De- veril’s lips. Florina started, was about to re- treat from the balcony; but Deveril breathed her name in a soft voice, yet just loud cnough four her to hear. And she did hear it—and by the light which shone through the crimson draperies the enraptured Deveril could perceive that the young maiden’s countenance became suddenly animated with in- effable pleasure as she recognized bin. But it was dangerous to attempt any communication under circumstances where notice might be attractod; and so the interchange of whatever the lovers might have to say was limited to signs. Florina waved her anowy handkerchief to the young artist; and he, responding in a similar manner to that mute but recognized signal of luve, passed linger- ingly away. He saw Florina push aside the draperics again and disappear behind them: then rojoicing that he had thus caught a glimpse of his adored one, though only for such a bricf passiug instant, ho.sped (CO