The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 320: what you’re looking at

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

LSS pep ese ss punpnssuiaetipamasatatemmmnn-uteenapeaarey THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 309 eee “ Heavens! when I think of all you have gone | will suffer law-proceedings to be instituted against through,” resumed Florina—and she still spoke in | her on my aceount: but if she be obstinate, Mr. @ murmuring tremulous voice, while the tears | Gunthorpe will do his best to spare your brother again streamed down her cheeks,—“ it is enough to | from as much share in the infamy as possible.” drive me mad. Stretched upon what was deemed| “Oh! William, I can no longer think of him as your death-bed—believing that I no longer loved | ¢ brother!” exclaimed Florina, weeping. “And you—emarting under the calumnies which an infa- | yet it is hard to be compelled to speak thus !” mous woman had spread concerning you———Oh!| “ IfI forgive him, my well-beloved,” responded it was too much—it was too much, William—dear | Deveril, “you cannot refuse to do eo. But is it William! All the love I bear you, immense as it | not strange that Lady Saxondale should have in- is, can scarcely prove an atonement—a recom- | cluded him in this invitation to Lady Macdonald pense |” and yourself?” “ Again I beseech you, dearest Florina, not to, ‘“ The evening before last, soon after our arrival,” torture yourself thus. Let us hope that happy days | said Florina, thoughtfully, “‘ Harold and her lady- await us. In the depth of my own bitter sorrows, | ship walked for an hour together in the garden. there were not wanting some consolations. My | They were alone—and yesterday morning Harold sister Angela—an angel in disposition as well as in | departed suddenly for London again.” name——was ever by my bedside; and that kind-! “Indeed!” ejaculated Deveril. “ Depend upon it hearted exeellent friend, Mr. ‘ea in Fen | Sp her lady- wesried in his attentions. You know him, Florina | ship.” “Oh, my deluded, beguiled, unhappy brother !’’ -—you have seen him; and he has the highest “An idea strikea me,” continued Deveril, opinion of you. He is acquainted with the secret of our love; and I know not whether it could be to | “ Doubtless it is in connexion with this threatened sooth my wounded spirit, or whether it were that he | law-suit : for her ladyship has received a letter from had really some design of his own to be worked ' her solicitors to the effect that an appeal to the out,—but certain it is that with the tone of the ; tribunals was menaced. But fear nothing. What- fullest confidence he bade me to despair not—fot you ' soever Harold may undertake will most probably ‘ should yet be mine!” become known to Mr. Gunthorpe. The person “And I will,” murmured Florina, the carnation {| Whose name attests that document which you have again deepening upon her cheeks, and ber beauteous | read, is in Mr. Gunthorpe’s pay, Do not be afraid eyes being modestly bent down; then as a sudden | that this espionnage instituted upon your brother’s thought struck her, she looked up, and with a parox. | actions, is for any evil purpose. No, no—Mr. Gun- ysm of indignation, exclaimed, “To be sacrificed to | thorpe is incapable of wrong-doing: he is the most the son of that bold, bad woman, Lady Saxondale— ' excellent of men.” no—never, never !”’ . | “ Sinoe you have such perfect confidence in him, “And Mr. Gunthorpe declares that you shall | William, I must have the same. And notwith- ever be eo sacrificed,” rejoined William; “though ; standing my brother Harold treated him super- what means he may have, or hope to have, in ciliously on the first night he introduced himself to throwing any influence into the scale, it is impossible us—it was at the Opcra—I was prepossessed in the for me to comprehend.” old gentleman’s favour.” “ He is an intimate friend of my uncle the Mar- “ He fuiled not to observe your kindness, Florina, quie of Eagledean,” observed Florina suggestively ; | in contrast with Harold's rudeness.” “and perhaps he intends tv invoke his lordship’s in- | “And Angela Vivaldi—that beautiful creature terference.” whose very form is the embodiment of poesy—An- “I: may be so,” said Deveril. “It was in ac- gela Vivaldi is your sister ?”’ cordance with his counsel—and I need scarcely add | “She is; and I am proud of her—but for reasuns with my own earnest desire—that so soon as I was | which I will presently explain, we avoid appearing sufficiently recovered, I resolved upon making before the world in the light of brother and sister. another attempt to procure an interview with you, . Although in that sphere the very air of which is Mr. Gunthorpe by some means ascortained that | generally believed to be full of blight for female you and Jady Macdonald, together with Lord virtue, yet she is purity iteelf. Oh! Florina, if on Harold, had suddenly been invited to pay a visit to ' that night when you visited my abode, no circum- Sexondale Castle; and he hurried me off the day stances had transpired to fill you with suspicions before yesterday. By agcident I formed the ac- | and drive you away from my threshold,—if you had quaintance of a young man who lives in Gains- | crossed that threshold—if you had entered my borough ; and with him as my guide, I came yester- | home, you would not have disdained to give your day into the vicinage of the Castle to take a view of hand to the celebrated Opera-dancer. You would the grounds, and see whether there would be the | have seen that her very look is chastity and inno- chance of throwing myself in your way should you cence—that she is a being of a superior order—and happen to walk forth alone. This morning I re- | that in manners and conduct she is the elegant and turned hither in that hope; and, thank heaven, it | well-bred woinan. You have seen her upon the has not been frastrated. But, dearest Florina, I stage: did you ever observe her cast a glance incon- think if would be prudent if you were to do your | sistent with immaculate modesty ?”’ best to conceal from Lady Saxondale for the present: ‘“ No—never, never,” replied Florina. “ Angela the circumstance that you are acquainted with hor Vivaldi’s virtue was proverbial; and you may cun- infamy. Mr. Gunthorpe recommends and enjoins ceive the shook that it gave me when under a fear. this, I do not exactly know what his motives are; ful combination of circumstances, I was led to be- : but he has assuredly good reasons for the advice he lieve everything injurious alike to her and to you. ' gives. “Ho does not believe that Lady Saxondale But is she alsv acquainted with our secret? Of Oe ooo ar Oras =e = + owe ow — -_ mw erm en aoe 4 ~*~ ee. ée - =-_ - = whe am = eeneum 2 Comte (.itrer i are ag ECOMICHOOOlKS.Cconn