The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 269: what you’re looking at

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258 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. and Lucilla. Lady Saxondale and her two daughters were now alone waited for. The clocks were striking nine as they descended the great marble staircase, dressed for travelling. Constance held her mother’s arm—the last precaution which her ladyship fancied that it would be necessary to take in order to ensure the departure of daughter from London —thoy issued forth from the mansion—one of the footmen held open the carriage-door, the steps of which were down. A glow of triumph thrilled through the entire form of Lady Saxondale as she felt confident that all her plans had now reached the acme of success; but a similar glow was experienced by Juliana Fareficld, as sho caught sight of Madge Somers in her old cloak. her dirty white cap, and with her forbidding loks of masculine harshness, rapidly approaching. “You get in first, Constance,” said Lady Saxon- dale: but at that instant she also caught sight of Madge Somers, and a ghastly paleness seized upon her as she staggered a pace or two back: then ut- terly losing her presence of mind, she advanced to meet the woman, entirely forgetting everything that regarded Constance. “Fly, my dear sister |” were the quickly-whispered words that Juliana now all in a moment breathed in the ears of Constance. “ Round the first turning to the left—and you are saved !” Constance threw one look of affectionate gra- titude upon her sister, and sped away in the direc- tion indicated,—the faithful Mary-Anne following close upon her heels. The footman—Lucilla—the servants who were loitering on the threshold to be- hold the departure—even the very postilions them- selves, were struck with amazement at this precipi- tate flight of the young lady and her maid; and those who happeried to turn thar eyes the next moment upon Juliana, saw that her features were radiant with an expression of satisfaction and triumph. : All that we have just related was the work of a few moments, during which Lady Saxondale had encountered Madge Somers and quickly demanded, “ Why do you seek me now ?” “ By your own commands,” replied the woman, somewhat startled by this abrupt and most unex- pected questiun. “My commands ?” echoed her ladyship. “ What ' mean you?”’—and a thousand wild terrific appre- hensions flitted in an instant through her brain with agonizing poignancy. “‘ Did you nut send one of your daughters to me last night——” A shriek rose up to Lady Saxondale’s lips—but she repreased it ere uttered; and feeling like one on whom frenzy was fastening, she quickly turned her Kead. Juliana was standing alone by the carriage- door. Lady Saxondale rushed up to the vehicle and looked in: but no Constance was there. That some hideous treachery had been practised, she felt convinced; and her looks instantaneously fiashed upon Juliana. Then, in her elder daughter’s coun- tenance did the wretched, almost maddened Lady Saxondale read the expression of malignant triumph which showed that the treachery was her's and that it had fully succeeded ! For an instant the unhappy lady stood in utter bewilderment, not knowing how to act; but with a sudden effort she regained some of her lost com- posure, and darting a terrible look upon Juliana, made an impetient gesture for Somers to follow her up the steps into the house. The next moment her ladyship and the women traversed the hall, entered the dining-room, and thus disappeared from the view of Juliana and the amazed beholders of this scene which was so extraordinary and so incomprehensible to them. Miss Farefield herself, not choosing to remain standing in the street as a target for the scrutinising looks of the servants and postilions,—and as a mat- ter of course not having a single word of explana- tion to give, even if she would have condescended to any,—slowly ascended into the hall; and ob- serving to one of the lacqueys, “If her ladyship should want me, I am here,”—paseed at once into the breakfast-parlour. The servants all exchanged giances of bewilder- ment. Every one appeared to ask the rest what on earth all this meant: but none could even venture eo much as a conjecture to the solution of the mystery. Certain it was that Miss Constance had fled precipitately, with Mary-Anne closely follow- ing: certain aleo was it that Ledy Saxondale had been strangely agitated on behoiding that queer- looking woman with whom she had now shut her- self up in the dining-room ;—and certain likewise was it that Miss Juliana had experienced some good reason for triumphant satisfaction. Yes—all these things were certain enough: but what was the explanation of them? One part of the drama looked uncommonly like an elopement: the rest of it defied all conjecture. Juliana had not been quite ten minutes in the breakfast-pariour, when the door opened and her mother appeared upon the threshold. She was ghastly ghastliness enhanced by the bru- nette tint of her complexion, the delicate duskiness of which now scemed to have changed into the sallowness of death. Her lips were blanched—her eyes were fixed, but shot forth strange fires. She was evidently a prey to emotions agitating in ber bosom with all the pent-up fury of the boiling lava imprisoned within the volcano that still outwardly seems to sleep. “Fam ready,” she said, in a cold but deep voice. Juliana started for an instant as this intimation that the journey was to be pursued met her cars: for she feared lest Constance had been brought back. But immediately recovering herself she rose from her seat and followed her mother from the room. Lady Saxondale, who had now drawn down her veil to conceal from the domestics the horrible feelings which she knew to be reflected on her countenance, passed steadily om to the entered it—and took her seat. Juliana followed ; and a glance at the interior of the vehicle quieted her apprehensions in a moment, showing her that Constance was not there. It was cunsequently with a renewed sensation of joyousness that she likewise entered the vehicle. “ Are we to wait, my ludy P” asked the footman, still holding the carriage door open; and he spoke hesitatingly, while perplezity and bewilderment were depicted in his features. ‘‘No: we will proceed at once,” was Lady Saxon. dale’s reply: but it struck Juliane that it was gives NOOK ee aa a a SS CO