The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 143: what you’re looking at

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a a a ee ; a a ee 180 suffering the tortures of hope deferred, my slender means were rapidly disa mg. Thus nearly three years passed away; and at length I could no longer close my eyes to the conviction that I had nothing to expect from the hand of the Royalty of France. I am now speaking of exactly five years ago, at which period the incident occurred to which all that I have just been saying is but the necessary preface.” The Marquis of Villebelle paused in the sadness of the memories conjured up by his narrative; aud Constance could not help experiencing the most tender interest on his behalf. She even ceased to recollect for the moment the deception which he had practised to her; and he felt that her hand imparted a fond pressure to his own as he held it in his clasp aia years ago, then—at the period of which I g,” continued the Marquis of Villebelle, “ wy found myself utterly ruined—I may say even pen- niless, houseless, and friendless. Alas! Constance, humiliating as it is to@ man of proud spirit and elevated notions to make such a confession, yet for the sake of truth am I bound to state that no pauper grovelling upon the face of the earth was at that moment more destitute than I. What was to| wi become of me? My education hed not Stted se for business-habites; and therefore J knew hand that it was vain to seek the situatite of a clerk. Should I become a private, ? “No: I could not bear the idea of with Ain that monarch who had behaved‘so ungratefully to my father and so scornfully towadds myself. Yet was {t absolutely necessary to do something; for I had not even where to lay my head, ner the emallest | to coin in my pocket. Suicide——Ah! you may well | marryin start, my beloved Constance !—but that appeared to be the only alternative | It was between nine and ten o’clock in the syening, in the month of June, exactly five years ago, that after rainbling about Paris the whole day in @ qtate af mind more easily imagined than depicted, I was g my way towards one of the bridges—I will nut repeat with what intention—when I suddenly heard m called by name. I looked up, and beheld before me, by the light streaming from a shop-window, a tall geod-looking middle-aged gentleman, whom by his very appearance it was easy to recognise as an Englishman. He said, ‘I presume that I am not wrong in addressing you as the Count de Villebelle ?” —I replied that my father had for some time been dead, and that I was now the uia of Villebelle ; and in the bitterness of my spirit I added something to the effect that the empty title of Marquis was everything I possessed in the world.—‘ Ah!’ ejacu- lated the Englishman; ‘is it so? I was about to solicit your advice on a certain point; but it may be that in this wrecked condition of your fortanes you THE MYSTERIES CF THE COURT. stances. There appeared to be a certain wankyees about him which inspired me with confidence; and moreover it was so necessary for me to hope—I who had been but a few minutes before environed by the darkness of despair! I explained to the Eng- lishman my precise position, not even withholding the fact that at the very instant I had encountered him I was contemplating——but of that no matter —I will not name the horrid thing again. Suffice it to say that he listened with the deepest attention and interest to all I told him; and when he had done questioning me, I asked him who he was and how he had happened to know me? He replied that he had met me in company with my father some four or five years back in England, when I was a youth; but though methought that his coun. tenance was not wholly unfamiliar, yet I could not recollect where I had seen him before. He then proceeded to tell me that if the proposition he was about’ to make suited my views, it would be neces- ’ for him. to reveal his name, and also that of e lady of whom he would have to speak: but ere he mentioned those names he would have to exact from me the most solemn, sacred, and binding ar ¢ I would never reveal them in connexion transaction he was about to submit to my wousidaretioe My case was too desperate to allow me to offf any objection to whatever terms of secrecy he might stipulate: and I bade him proved. He then addressed me as fullows:—‘Thore is an English lady for whom I am anxious to find a hus bead, who must be a foreigner, and not only of a good family, buf possessed of a title of nobility. It 2 Bot nanos in respect herself that the necessity for at once thus exists. She is pure and spotloss, oe fac aati is possible for any one to judge of the character of a woman or become a guarantee for her chastity. Therefore it is to cover no fault that this speedy matrimonial alliance is sought for.. What the circumstances are which render it neuer cannot be explained. She is but her beauty will matter little to him ‘whe becomes cher hushasid, inasmuch as the moment after the ceremony they will be separated and will see ‘each other no more. You now understand me, If you think fit to bestow your name—far it will be naught beyond the mere bestowal of a name—upon the lady in question, you shall receive the sum of five thousand pounds, speaking in English money, the moment after the ceremony has taken place. Sucir is my proposition. Take twelve, or even twenty- four hours to consider it, if you like: but at the expiration of that interval your answer must be given. 9 99 » The Marquis of Villebelle paused; and Constance who had listened with a deep and absorbing m- terest, now gave vent to an cjaculation of astonish- will serve my purpose.’—These last words | ment. yourself he had muttered ip a musing tone, but audibly |. enough for me to catch them. There was something in them which sppeared to shed a gleam of hope on the desolate darkness of my mind ; and ase drown- ing man grasps at a straw, did I clutch at what the Englisbman had just said. He invited me to follow him into an adjacent wine-shop, where he ordered a private room and refreshments to be served up. ' We sat down together; and the Englishman ques- tioned me most minutely respecting my arcum- | of a name and title so utterly worthioss to me that | «ner =owy @ «= <4 «a= «= “You may well be surprised, awaet girl,” said the Marquis: “for I myself was astounded by the strangeness of the Englishman’s proposition. And yet & wag scarcely displeased at it. Five thousand pounds—a hundred and twenty-five thousand francs —to a man who was homeless, penniless, friendless, and starving! The temptation was too great; and after all, what was the servico to be rendered in order to procure such a sum? Merely the bestowar Sh Qe pero ee iin ~~ SS (CO EO DOO