The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 227: what you’re looking at

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26 ~ And tail me, Kuily, do nune of the young ladies connected with the Opera, and who are under the protection of gentlemen, manage to save?” ‘¢ Not one out of one hundred ever does,”” was the reply. “The truth is, what they get at one time from the doating foolishness of some of their ad- mirers, they themselves lavish at another time in their own infatuated folly upon penniless lovers. But this strain of conversation is a mournful one for me. I tell you what it does, Harold—it makes me think of the future: and that is something I do not like to think of. I know that as long es I am young, and handsome, and attractive, I shall be en- abled to live in a handsome house, keep my carriage, end be surrounded with every luxury: but when my beauty begins to wane——Ah! then it will be very different! Now, this is the reflection which some- times creeps in upon my mind, and saddens me deeply—deeply. Yes, it steals in like a spectre at a festival,—ateals in, I say, even at those times when I have everything to make me happy: it comes like the gust of an ice-wind penetrating into the warm and perfumed atmosphere of a brilliantly lighted saloon. Do you comprehend me?” “I do, Emily,” responded Harold. “ But surely it is your faalt that there should be a cause for this apprehension? You have many opportunities of saving while you are young and beautiful and courted: why do you not avail yourself of them ?” “Ah! why—why—it is ao easy to ask that ques- tion shy! Ask the drunkard, when racked with the headache after his night’s debauch, why he does not reform himself; and if he answer truly he will say it is because he has not the moral cour- Why, for instance, do you not reform your habits? why are you extravagant, and wild, and always in debt? Now you see I am speaking plainly: but it is not to offend you—merely to make your own conduct serve as an illustration to account for mine. I have got into certain habite of extravagance, and cannot get out of them. IfI have a whim it must be gratified, provided I have the means; and therefore I can scarcely hope ever to save continuously and put by a store for the future. I am saving now, as I have told you: but if you, for instance, wanted money at this moment, I would give you all my savings—because I like “You are a good girl, my dear Emily,” re- sponded Harold, bestowing upon her another em- brace. “But if I have been questioning you in this way, it was not for the purpose of ascertain- ing your means with a view of self-ap them. I return you my thanks all the same.” ‘‘ Well, the conversation has taken a turn to make me rather dull,” said Emily, starting up from the sofa: “let us go and walk in the garden. Tho freah air and the flowers will cheer and enliven us— at least they will have this effect upon me. You do not know how fond women in my position aro of gardens, and flowers, and the country. And there- fore,” she added with a smile, “it cannot bo said that our testes aro utterly perverted and depraved wend with Our morals.” Thus speaking, with all her wonted mischievous archnese and roguish gaicty, the handsome danseuse led the way into the garden. THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 6 CHAPTER XLVL THE RANSACKING OF THE WARDROBE-BOOM. Wut the preceding scene was taking place at Evergreen Ville, all London was ringing with the news of a frightful crime committed during the past night in a barge moored in that part of the canal which intersects Agar Town. It appeared that at a somewhat early hour that morning, a couple of Excise-officers, in consequence of certain informa- tion received, had proceeded to pay a visit to that barge; but on descending the hatchway into the little cabin, they were horrified on beholding that spectacle which has been already described to the reader. The bargeman lay on one side of the cabin, with his head so frightfully beaten and smashcd and so covered with clotted blood, that it was scarcely recognizable as that of a human being; and a minuter search showed that the wretched victim’s nose had been bitten completely off and was lying at a little distance. On the other side of the cabin lay the bargeman’s wife, who had evi- dently been murdered by a stab in the breast; and as if nothing should be wanting to complete this tragedy of horrors, the infant child had been smo- thered in the blood which hed poured from its un- fortunate mother. Such was the account which was now horrifying all London: but from the flying rumours which prevailed, it did not appear that suspicion attached iteelf to any particular person or persons. The deed seemed to be shrouded in a dark mystery. There were all the evidences of a fearful struggle having taken place in the cabin ; but the murderer or mur- derers had left no trace that might afford a clue to their discovery. Nevertheless, the most active officers of the detective force were already on the alert to endeavour to find some circumstances that should place them on the right scent. Such was the narrative which young Lord Saxon- dale heard from some tradesman whose shop he entered to make a purchase in the vicinage ef Park Lane. Thence he proceeded home, and straightway ascended to the drawing-room where his mother usually eat. Her ladyship was there, apparently engaged with a book, but in reality thinking over the various grave and serious subjects which agitated in her mind. She was just in one of those humours when the presence of Edmund was intolerable to her—for what reason she herself best knew. She did not therefore say anything to encourage him to remain in the room; and he accordingly resolved to avail himself of this opportunity to pursue the search for which purpose he had come. Having ascertained that his sisters were in their own apart- ment—and thus finding the coast to be clear—he ascended to his mother’s private chambers. An exquisitely furnished boudoir opened into the sleeping apartment; and beyond this was the wardrobe-room where her ladyship’s dresses and articles of apparel were kept. If any of the maid- servants had been in the rooms at the time, Lord Sexondale was prepared with some excuse: but as he found no one there, the necessity did not arise for displaying his ingenuity in that respect. It naturally struck him that if his mother had such good reasons as he supposed hor to have, for put COMNMIC NOOK CO