The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 246: what you’re looking at

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a te a 7 ow Gwe 262 2 oe THR MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 235 speaking facetiously,” replied the lawyer, rubbing | that if he were well and rational, and had not that “y hands in the sclf-gratulatory style of one who | strange look, he would be handsome? Ho has got possesses the pleasing consciousness of being well | good features—his eyes are fine, but spoilt by that off, “your ladyship has given utterance to a solemn | vacant regard which they possess. Jis teeth are trath, and I presume thas your ladyship has called , remarkably good-—”” for your own money now P” “¥xsotly so, Mr. Robson. It is but a pittance —~end yet it is as well to receive it. Have you the veady drawn up for me to sign ?’ “Well, well, Rosa,” interrupted Lady Beas, laugh- ing, “if you like to fall in love with him, you may. Is the old nurse attentive P” “Very,” answered Rosa; “and what is better is is, my lady,” was the reply. “I ex- | still, she is not impertinently curious. So long as psd ous ayy etary Theceupon Mr. Robson opened a drawer in his desk, took ous a number of bank-notes, and counted down to make up a hundred pounds. Lady Bess did not take the trouble to sa- that the sum was correct; but crump- the bank-notes together, she thrust them | her pocket—and then taking the pen which | he old lawyer obesquiously handed her, she signed | But the name which she sppended | not Chandos: it bad a title of nobility with it-a proud and a lofty title ac- the estimation of those whe value such libs cording noginal appendages and aristocratio distinctions. This little business being transacted, Lady Bess ; eee wean attorney accompanied however by the old | bo obsequiously persisted in escorting ' her to ; and though it was but a hired atree eckinie wid ube entered, he made her as. peofgand a bow whan it drove away as if it had | carriage emblazoned with armorial ings. Lady Bess now drove home to her own pretty ee tase im the neighbourhood of Edmonton; agi digmissing the cab, she entered the elegantly furnished parlour which has already been described been s pri bearin clanss bis opinion that in a fow days he will be convalescent.’ “Bat bas he become more lucid?” asked Lady Bes: “does his reason seem to be regaining its balance P”’ | ‘*% think so,” answered Rosa: “for I have been sitting up with the old nurse for some hours while you were out, and he asked several questions which appearod rational enough: but they were only put angly and at long intervals, and the answers did not seem to suggest other questions.” “ What questions did he ask?” inquired Lady Bess. “He asked where he was; and when I told bim j beneath a friendly roof, he only closed his eyes and | looked just as if be was lost in thought : but whethor or to-day, and pre- | she has her beer and her brandy with due regu- i eacordingly. But let me look out the, larity, as well as her five or six meals a-day, I do not think that she will ask many questions.” | “ But the doctor—did he endeavour to ascertain : from you any particulars concerning the patient?” | demanded Lady Bess. “Yes: but I told him that he was a cousin of your's, whom you had not seen for a long time—— . in short, I said all that was necessary to aatisfy the ‘ doctor, and likewise to prevent him from thinking it odd that you should have a young man in your house. 9? “That was considerate on your part, Rosa,” re- sponded Lady Bess: “ for although you know that | IT am tolerably indifferent in most respects about the opinion of the world, yet there is one point on which I am rather scrupulous.” “Well, my dear mistress,” rejoined Rosa, laugh- ing, “ whatever may be said of you after you are dead and gone, it is very certain that scandal must leave your reputation asa woman alone. It’s really quite astonishing to me that such a beautiful, hand- some, fine-looking creature as you are —— pray excuse me for saying all this——” “Indeed I shall not excuse you at all,” inter- rupted Lady Beas, laughing: “for you know that I dislike this kind of flattery—or if being too indif- ferent to dislike it, I certainly think that you might talk upon another subject.” She put off her bonnet and shawl, and bade Rosa, who was going to carry the things up-stairs, see whether the patient was awake; as if so, Lady Bess would pay bim a visit so soon as she hed partaken of some refreshments which were already spread upon the table. Rosa returned in a few minutes with the information that he was wide awake, and Was conversing with the nurse more Iticidly and con- tinuously than be yet had done. Accordingly, eo soon as Lady Bess had finished her repast, she ascended to the bed-chamber where the invalid lay. CHAPTER IL. THB INVALID. THE individual of whom we are speaking was the pale-faced stranger whom Lady Bess had rescued he hae the power to think se much at all, I cannot ! from captivity at Beech-Tree Lodge. On separating eay. After a while he asked who the kind and | from her companions on the night alfaded to— | handsome lady was that came in to see him threo having hastily divided with them the fruits o€ their or four times a dey; and when [I told him that it expedition — Lady Bess had brought that mystg- wae Mrs, Chandos, the same who had dressed her- '| rious individual home to her cottage: but so great self in man’s clothes to help in delivering him, a was the excitement which this restoration to liberty smile played for 8 moment upun his countenance, | and’ he then again fell into that mood of sceming abstraction, Do, you know, maam, that the more produced, that scarcely had he crossed the threshold of the hospitable abude when he fell down in a fit and was conveyed to bed dangeruusly il]. 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