The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 232: what you’re looking at

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

| THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 232 “Then you very soon shull,” rejoined Edmund: ; while. The best thing is for us to settle the matter “and not to mmce matters any longer, you must | quietly You get Petersfield to have the appoint- know that I ferretted out the beautiful Spanish ment cancelled: tell Marlow and Malton you are dress from the great plate chest in your ‘ward: ' highly delighted with me—that I have promised to robe room-——” reform—and that you believe me—or anything else “ Infamous boy! reptile that I have cherished to | you like to invent: only let me be loft alone, with sting me!” cried Lady Saxondale. “If you have | plenty of money, my debts paid, and no more bother this atrocity, I will be avenged—lI will | or nonsense such as @e have been having lately. have a terrible vengeance——a vengeance of which | On these conditions I keep your secret.” you little dream-——But tell me, tell me quick,”| “And if I refuse?” said Lady Saxondale. ehe said, now speaking with hysterical impetuomty,| “Then I must declare open war. First I shall “have you told Lord Harold-——” tell Juliana and Constance what a charming example “Told him? to be sure I have!” answered Ed- | of a mother they have got-—— mund flippantly. “ Why, it was at his instigation! “Enough, enough!” ejaculated the unhappy that I searched for it, while you were busied yes- | woman: “it is indeed too much! Edmund, you terday with old Petersfield and the lawyer.” have placed me in the humiliating condition of “Then, Edmund, do you know what you have | being compelled to accede to your terms. Go then done ?”’ asked Lady Saxondale, in a deep voice and | —everything you wish shall be done. But beware with an ineffable look : “ you have placed your | how you drag me down still farther into the depths mother’s virtue in the power of an unprincipled | of disgrace! Stop—one word more ere you depart. young men-~you have abandoned me to the will | If to the ears of your sisters you breathe a syllable and pleasure of Harold Staunton.” of all this, I-sewear that——But no matter: things “Then why did you put your. - ‘to such a/| must take their course.” position P” cried Saxondale, utterly u ed by the/ With these words Lady Saxondale hurried from sudden discomfiture which he had thus produced on | the room; and soon afterwards Edmund sallied the part of hor ladyship. “Don’t you see, mother, | forth to make some purchases (upon credit) for it’s all very easy to take me to task for being wild, | Emily Archer, ere he kept his appointment to pass and gay, and thoughtless, and extravagant: but you | the evening with Lord Harold Staunton. do not appear to be over-circumspect yourself. You want to get me sent from the country to keep me — out of mischief: but I think that you ought to take yourself out of the reach of mischief at the same COAEERE LVI. time. However, I tell you very candidly Ido not} 4 sranriive DISCOVERY.—THB PORTRAIT, want to have any words: let us come to an under- standing. You must do what I want, and I will! Lany Saxowpaus retired to her own private apart- keep your secret. You have nothing to fear from mente in a state of mind all the tortures and goad- Harold. He says that he is sufficiently avenged for | ing anguish of which can be more easily imagined any slight you have put upon him, by betraying you | than described: and going straight to the plate- to your own son; 90 the thing can be hushed up chest, she indeed discovered that the Spanish dress, quiet enough—and all I want is for you to fulfil the | which she had hidden with so much care, had dis- conditions I laid down just now.” appeared. She sat down in the middle of the Lady Saxondale stood gasing speecchlessly upon} wardrobe-room ; and the scalding tears trickled the young man as he thus addressed her ; ound by down her cheeks. I¢ must have been a terrible the varying expression of her countenance it was | condition of feelings which could make that proud woman weep: for even to bereelf, or in the soli- tude of her own chamber, was she over loath to give way to what she considered the weakness of her which she dared not either say or do. She looked | sex. Not long however did she remain thus over- as if she had it in her power to strike a terrible | powered by the strength of her emotions; but blow—but that she felt she herself would be crushed | Wiping away the tears, she passed into her boudoir by the rebound. Therefore her ideas of lofticst | aud there penned the following letter to her son’s vengeance sank down into a feeling of bitterest hate, | Senior guardian :— them fixed upon her son. _— *T hove jast hed an interview with Bdmand of so “You have done all this,” she said, in the same | highly a satisfactory natare, thet it te with feelings of the low deep voice as before; “and you did not take | sincerest joy I am enabled to communicate cireum- into account all that you owe me? You had no gra- | stamceto you. I explained to him the inteo. .s which titude love—no respect dragged your you aad Mr. Marlow had formed concerning him ; where- no you nae { upon he threw himself at my feet, acknowledged that be mother through the mire of disgrace, and sha ws had been wild, undutifal, and extra . ; vayant—but ht cipled young man, for whove keeping the secret | gerdians. The idea of being separated from me and his there is no possible guarantee. Al) this have you | sisters for a lengthened period, by being compelled to done ; and even now your heart is not touched— accept this post at berlin, afflicted him profoundly. He your ‘soul is not smitten. Edmund, if I told you | declared that when travelling on the Continent for only a that I hate you, you would deserve it—and I do not Sued coon homey ond ke says this however erect ho know that I should be telling en untru * hg | salts may havo bem, this exile into whlah is fe proposed You are uncommon candid, at all events,” he | +, send him will be far to severe s chestisement: sephed, with the utmost indifference. “I could re- ghort, he faithfully promives a thorough and wounplete tort a great deal; but perhaps it is not worth |amendment, if his guerdisas aad myself will accord him eS OO wou SSG 8 ewer eee _ oe ¢ 6 GON GoOO SS CO