The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 306: what you’re looking at

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

SHR MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 295 like to know what that letter contained which I { families i in Lincolnshire. The father and mother received yesterday morning, re-directed from Park Lane ?” oat Sexondale hesitated for a moment-—and then said, “ Yes.” « It was from Constance,” réplied Julians. “Sho and the Marquis were married in Paris, and at once proceeded on their way to Madrid, where he has has obtained a good diplomatic appointment.” Whether Lady Saxondale would have given any response to this information, we know not: for at the moment the door opened, and a domestic en- tered bearing a letter, meh ‘the postman hed just broughét over from Gainsborough. Her a an once recognising the handwriting of Mr. Marlow, opened it: but she had not read many lines before a look of auncyance gathered upon her features. , She however commanded her feelings, and quickly her countenance: then, having perused the letter, she folded it up and continued +d her break fast. Juliana saw that it was something u which the epistle contained: bat as her mother gave no explanation, she did not seck it—the un- derstanding being that they were not to pry into each other’s affairs. After breakfast Lady Sexondale shut herself up in her own chamber, and pondered long and pain- fally upon Mr. Marlow’s letter. It contained, as the reader has no doubt suspected, an account of Mr. Gunthoepe’s visit: and the lawyer requested her ladyship to send him her instructions within a week. Lady Saxondale was one who seldom de- layed in making up her mind how to act: but in this instance she eould not resolve so speedily. She saw that the present dilemma was an awkward one: for she was terribly frightened lest Lord Harold Staunton, either through vengeance or remorse, should sesk out Deveril and make him ecquainted with all the ciroumetances which had impelled him into provoking the young artist toa duel. If armed with that evidence, Deveril could crush her in a court of justice: but without it, he could not weil prove his case against her. She now regretted having made an enemy of Lord Harold Staunton, even though her honour must have teen saorificed in order to purchase his friendship. The result of Lady Saxondale’s doliberation was a resolve to pro- pitiate Lord Harold and ensure his silence. But inasmuch as she could not well invite an unmarried young man on a visit by himeelf to Saxondalo | about Castle, che resolved to send @ pressing invitation to Lady Macdonald to pass a few weeks in Lincoin- shire, and bring Lord Harold and Lady Florina with her. She accordingly wrote by that verv day's post to this effect; and she likewise despatched a were advanced in life, and had several eons aid daughters, nearly all of whom were married and settled in different parts of the county. They were of course all present on this occasion. Amongst the other guests was Squire Hawkshaw, whoso name has been already mentioned, and whom we must now specially introduce to ogr readers. He was a tall, well-made man, about six-and- thirty years of age, and a good specimen of tho modern elase of ““gountry gentlemen,” 90 far as his Personal appearance went: for he had nothing of the coarse manners and roystering vulgarity of the equirearchy of the old school. He was however of a jovial disposition, honest and frank-hearted ; with a countenance not positively handsome, but open and good-humoured, and impressing an ob- server with the conviction that he was a thoroughly straight-forward and well-meaning man. His fea- tures were large—his forehead very high—and he possessed a remarkably fine head of brown hair. His manners were good, but neither elegant nor polished: there was nothing vulgar in them, but at the same time they would scarcely have suited the exquisite fastidiousness of the West End of London. His laugh was too loud and merry for the delicate nerves of the mere female creatures of fashion; and get such was its enalloyed good humour, that only such creatures could have wished it to be more subdued. He dressed well, but not with the extreme nicety of a lounger in Hyde Park or the other fashionable resorts of the metropolis ; and he was certainly much more at home with male companions who could converse upon horses, and dogs, and fleld-sports generally, than at a whiet- table as the partner of an old dowager with tur- baned head and pursed-up mouth. Mr. George Hawkshaw was a very rich man. The Hali—as his residence was donominated—was one of the finest country-seate in Lincolnshire; and he maintained a numerous establishment of do- mesties. How it was that he had not as yet mar- ried, no one exactly knew—unless it were, in general terma, that he was not s marrying man. Many a mother however oquid conscientiously lay her band upon her heart and affirm that if one of her daughters had not beeome “ Mrs. Hawkshaw of the Hall,” it was for no want of mancavring on her part; and all the marriageable young ladies round about ceald with equal sincerity satisfy their con- sciences that they had done their best to ensnare him in totis. Such wd¥ the individasl whom the Hon. Miss Juliana Farefield bad selected in her own mind as her future husband. Juliana reasoned with berec!f latter to Mr. Marlow, repelling with much virtuous | that if the power of her charms and the influence what she termed “the black calumnies | invented by Deveril against her,” but promised to give him farther instructions in « fow days. In the evening Lady Saxondale and Juliana, both of her faecinations had failed to procare her a hus- band in the metropolitan cireles of fashion, during the six years that had elapsed since she first came out at sixteen, they were by no means likely to ex- elegantly dressed, aud both looking grandly beauti- | perience failure when their artillery was played off ful, entered the carriage, and were borne to the] against the heart of a coustry squire; and eho felt mension of Mr. end Mrs. Denison, which was: proudly consuious of the fact that im all Lineoin- about two miles distant from the Oastle. There . shire there was not a-youny lady of such aplemulid wes a dinner-party at the Denisons’ on this occasion | —to be followed by a ball, at which all the eur- rounding nobility and gentry, with their wives and attractions es her own. Indeed, never had Juliana appeared to greater advantage than on the evening of which ww are =e daughters, were to be present. The Denisons were | writing. The ball-dress that she wore displayed thy ene of the richest and belonged to one of the oldest | glowing magnificenco of her charme—the superb GON GoOO SS CO