The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

156 extremity of the apartment; and seating herself on a sofa, fell into a profound reverie. By a certain arrangement of drapery in the room, that sofa where Lady Saxondale had seated herself, was concealed from the view of Juliana; and for the same reason the latter, at the place where she lay half-reclined, was hidden from the eyes of her mother. The young lady went on reading her book—ten minutes or a quarter of an hour elapsed—and as the love-passages of the tale grew more interesting, her ' attention became all the more completely absorbed in the perusal. The consequence was she altogether forgot the presence of her mother in the room— forgot it indeed as completely as if her ladyship were not there at all. Presently the door opened again, and this time it was Frank Paton who entered. The beautiful youth appeared more beautiful than ever to the eyes of Juliana, inflamed as was at the moment, and thus keenly prone to enhance every detail of attraction An electric thrill shot quiveringly through her—the colour heightened upon her cheeks—end fixt upon him as he approached a look brimful of pas- sion, she half murmured, “ Adorable boy, how I lovo you—Oh, how I love you.” He advanced close up to her, handing her a letter which had just arrived. “Frank, dear Frank,” she said in a low soft voice, as his eyes looked tenderly down into her’s: and she patted his face with her hand. He bent down towards her, invited by her gaze and her caresses to do #0; and then their lips met in a long delitious kiss. At that instant the recol- jection flashed to Juliana’s mind that Lady Saxon- dale was in the room; and full of affright was the glance which she threw towards the farther ex- tremity. But the drapery hid her mother from her sight, and she experienced 2 feeling of indescribable relief at the reflection that she must in the same manner be concealed from her parent’s view. Frank had noticed that sudden start—that quick giance of uneasiness—and the sudden disappearance of the carnation hue from her cheeks of delicately-tinted bistre; and instantaneously comprehending what all this meant, he likewise grew pale with affright. But Juliana gave him a reassuring tap on the cheek with her hand; so that the young page glided from the room more than ever in love if possible with the handsome Juliana. This young lady then resumed her book; but instead of reading it, gave way to all the rapturous thoughts which the little scene just described had eunjured up in her mind. But every detail of that scene had bean witnessed by Lady Saxondale—end in a very simple manner too: namely, the reflecting of the mirrors which embellished the walls of the apartment, and some uf which, between the windows, deecended to the floor. Yes—every detail of that scene had been witnessed by Juliana’s mother! Not that she was watching her daughter at the through the medium of the tell-tale mirrors: was not even thinking of her: but it was in a modd of the most perfect abstraction that the eyes of Lady Saxondale were fixed upon the looking-glass opposite to her. Conceive her astonishment when she beheld the page bending over Juliana—the latter carvssing his cheek with her hand,—yes, even to the looks of THE MYSTERIES passion which her daughter rivetted on the hand- some youth, did Lady Saxondale behold! Bat if there were any doubt in her mind—7f for a moment she fancied there could be any mistake upon the subject—all uncertainty was cleared up by that long kiss of deliciogsneses and fervour in which the lips of Juliana and Francis were jomed.. Lady Saxon- dale sat perfectly aghast. It was impossible to dis- believe her eyes—and yet she still disbelieved the interpretation which she put upon what she saw. She -believed and she disbelieved: ell uncertainty was cleared up, and yet she dared nut settle her mind upon the conviction thus establiahed. But when the page had retired—when Juliana had re- sumed her book—when Lady Saxondale was com- pelled to admit to herself that what she had seen was true, and what had taken place was unmistak- able, she felt such an awful feeling come over her that she sat like one petrified—turned into stone, with all the marble's terrible chill at her heart! and lineament of beauty.! Good heavens! what a blow for the pride of the haughty Lady Saxondale! She who plumed her- self so highly upon having prolonged the race into which she had married—the time-honoured race of Saxondale; she who regarded that name as one of the proudest chronicled in the pages of British history; she who had hoped that ere long some excellent match must present itself for her eldest daughter; she it was who now became compelled to admit to herself that this daughter had descended to amorous dalliance with a page. And im sucha case it was no wonder if her ladyship abandoned herself to a belief in the worst: namely, that Ju- liana had been more culpable than she really was. At this thought the senee of petrifaction passed quickly away, and was instantancously succeeded by a as if molten lead had saddenly taken the place of blood in her veins—or as if that blood which a moment before seemed stagnant, had all in an instant been made to boil by the presence of some subtie but all-potent Promethean fire. There impulse was to spring from her seat, rush forward, and tax Juliana with her su frailty and shame. But a second thought held her beck. She remem- bered the increasing rebelliousness of her older daughter's spirit; and she apprehended a scene which might lead to exposure before the household. Besides, if the evil were done it could not be re- paired; and all the words in the world would not restore a lost virtue. Lady Saxondale there- fore curbed her rage, bridled her indignation, and resolved to take no rash nor inconsiderate step. She must separate her daughter from the page: but even this she felt that it were impolitie to do all in a moment, lest Juliana in her wilfulness should leave the house with him, thus abandoning herself altogether to this passion of her's! Terrible was the state of mind into which the unhappy woman was plunged. Calamities and cares of all kinds seemed gathering around her; and she appeared involved in the tangled web ot a destiny that must terminate in ruin. But not long did her ladyship give way to these gloomy re- flections: she was too strong-minded to become des- pondent or despairing on a sudden. . She felt that she had need of all her energies in the various mat- ters engaging her attention ; and she said to herself, “It is absolutely necessary that I should be equa! to DOO (CO