The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

Seem ne A SS ee gS 323 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “ And utterly ineapable of such egregious folly,” she could hate Deveril as keenly as she had loved added Juliana. “ At least,” she immediately said, him—and though she was even meditating revenge observing that Lady Saxordale fixed her eyessternily -—yet was she still devoured by a consuming upon her, “he is tho last man in existence that I passion for that splendidly handsome young man. should have thought likely to commit himself so And she was tortured, too, with jealousy on ac. absurdly. The only excuse to be found for him is count of the unknown rival to whom she felt as. that it was a transient touch of insanity.” sured his heartwas devoted, and whom she longed “ Perhaps so,” observed Lady Saxondale. ‘to punish! She then continued to discourse upon the sub- § When morning dawned Lady Saxondale aroee ject with her. two daughters a little longer; after from the sumptuous couch where she had only been which she retired to her own chamber to dress for enabled to snatch a few hours of troubled slumber— dinner. But she had now a new cause for spite a slumber too which was haunted with foverish and vexation, she having seen full well that she droams. She looked at herself in the giass; and was not believed by her eilest daughter. perceiving that she was pale and somewhat careworn, “Well, Constance,” said this young lady to she stamped her foot impatiently, muttering to her- her sister, the moment they were alone together, sclf, “ New cares, new sources of annoyance and “what think you of the tale that has Juet been veration, arising up around me! This must not told us ?” be.” “That Mr. Deveril’s conduct was most extraor- | And yet she did not put a stop to any of these »” replied Constance, not perceiving the real self-created sources of vexation by at once abandon. drift of her sister’s questiun. _ lng her projects of vengcanco in respect to William “ And so it would have been if everything took | Deveril. No: the strong-minded woman was now place exactly as our mother has chosen to represent | enslaved by her passione—those passions which for qs it,” observed Juliana. so many long years she had dominate! as an “What do you mean?” asked Constance, in as- ' empress-tyrant keeps ber foot upon the neck ofa re- tonishment. bellious people. “TI mean that there is something more in all this | It was between two and three o'clock in the thal her ladyship has chosen to tell us. Is it likely afternoon that Lady Saxondale’s carriage stopped —is it natural, that a young man like Mr. Deveril at the house of Lady Macdonald in Cavendish would fall so desperately in love with a woman of Square: and as she ascended towards the drawiug- our mother’s age f” | room, she settled her countenance in such a manner “ Not ev very old,” interrupted Constance : “only | that it ceemed to wear a look as if a sense of some juet forty—and you must admit that mamma is ludicrous yet disagreeable scene were lingering in superbly handsome.” : the mind. Lady Macdonald and Florina were “Granted! Bat if she is forty, Mr. Deveril is | seated together in the drawing-room when Lady mot more than twenty,” rejoined Juliana; “and it | Saxundale was announced; and they both at once is not likely, I repeat, that he should fall head over observed the singular look which her ladyship’s ears in love with a woman double his age: for it features thus wore. eould only be in the madness and intoxication of! “Has anything unpleasant occurred, my dear euch a love that he would have ventured to demand friend?’’ asked Lady Macdonald when the usual our mother’s hand in marriage. In plain terms, . greetings and complimentary inquirios were ex- Constanee, I do not believe the story; and we will | . “Unpleasant ?”’ echoed Lady Saxondale, as if Gnd ont something more about it ere long.” ‘But why should mamme tell so wicked a falee- | surprised that she should be thus questioned. hood ?”” asked the younger sister, reproachfully. “Ohi I suppose that my looks must have reflected “Oh! why, why, why—you always ask why to fomewhat of the topic I was revolving in my mind everything !” exclaimed Juliana, petulantly. “Of as I rode hither. Well, I did not mean to tell you course one may see things or suspect things, and —bdut after all, I do not know why I should keep it yet not always know the reason why. How fs it secret:”—and her ladyship now laughed with every that our mother is so desperately frightened of that appearance of a genuine merriment. old wretch Mabel, whom I hate as cordially as pos-| “At all events it is nothing seriously unpleesant,” sibloP How is it, again, that our mother gavean said Lady Macdonald. audience in such a hurry to that old woman the| “ Rather ludicrous and amusing than unpleasant,” other night that I told you about-——-” responded Lady Saxondale. “ And yet it is annoy- At this moment a lady’s-maid entered to intimate | ing too—because,” she addod with dignity, “I that it was time to dress for dinner; and the ool- | flatter myself that there could not possibly be any- loquy between the two sisters was accordingly cut | thing in my manner, much less in my conduct, te short. give the slightest encouragement—— Little did Lady Saxondale sleep during the night | “My dear friend, you are speaking in enigmas,” &hat folluwed this day of her diseomfiture and defeat said Lady Macdonald, as Lady Saxondale paused. im respect to William Deveril. Sho lay tossing upon | “Neither Florina nor I can understand to what her downy couch as if it were the hardest and most you are alluding. And yet in the sphere in which uncomfortable mattrass that ever belonged to a | we move, people do seem to be growing mysterious pauper’s garrot. Or we might even go farther and ; and incomprehensible. Here's my niece, who has say that many a poor creature that night slept a ‘been 20 abstracted and thoughtful all tho morn- sweeter sleep upon straw than the great patrician | ing——” lady was enabled to woo to her eyes though lying in | ‘By the bye, my dear Florina,” exclaimed Lady that cumptucus bed. Her heart felt as if scorpions Saxondale, as if suddenly reminded of somcthing were tearing it: for though she had declared that. by the aunt’s ellusion to the young lady, “now thas COMIC OOOKS.CO