The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 344: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTENTES CP THE COURT. 333 Some more conversation took place between him- self and Mrs. Broughton, but which wo need not lay before the reader. In half-an-hour the medi- eine for which he had sent, was brought : but in the | meantime the delirium of the Countess had broken ' Ir was about noon—on the day following the evene forth anew—and it was with some difficulty that she ing of Harold Staunton’s interview with Emily could be forced to take the composing draught. At'Archer at Evergreen Villa—that Lady Saxondale length however it was poured down her throat ; and ; was walking by herself along the bank of the Trent in a few minutes its effects became visible in the lull | at a short distance from the castle. Sho was pon- of her excited mind which followed. dering upon many subjects, few if any of which were The physician remained with her ladyship fur | very pleasurable—and least of all the one for which another half-hour, and having given Mra. Broughton | she had specially despatched Lord Harold Staunton certain requisite instructions, he quitted the sick | to London. Her ladyship could not blind her eyes chamber, promising to return again by noon. He ‘to the fact that within the last few weeks the then descended to the drawing-room, where he had ! aspect of her affairs had become most threatening: CHAPTER LXIX, THE TITLED LADY AND THE OPERA-VDANCER. left the Earl of Castiemaine, and whom he found | walking to and fro, with his arms folded across his chest, and his looks bent down. He did not imme- diately perceive the physician: for the room was spacious, and the door opened noiselessly. The doctor accosted him; and the Earl, stopping sud- denly short, bent upon him a look which, with all the power of his piercing dark eyes, seemed to search into his very soul. “Dr. Ferney, what is the matter with her lady- ship?” he demanded, in a deep hollow voice—so changed indeed from its natural tones, that if the physician had heard it in the dark, he would not have recognized it. “Her ladyship is exceedingly ill,” was the re- sponse rendered by Ferney; “and must be kept as quiet as possible. I have given Mrs. Broughton the fullest instructions——” the sky of her destiny had grown suddenly overcast —and from every quarter did the storm of calami- ties threaten to burst forth. Within this interval a new crime had been perpetrated, which weighed upon her conscicnce notwithstanding that iron resolution of soul which she possessed, and which often rose superior even to the qualms of the secret monitor within. And then, too, she had fallen from that pedestal of female honour and chastity upon which, since her husband’s death nineteen years back, she had stood so proudly. Yes—she had fallen in a manner but little calculated to mitigate the sense of self-degradation! Had she fallen to throw herself into the arms of him whom she loved—the arms of William Deveril—it would have been differ- ent: but she had fallen, only to sink into the em- brace of one whom she hated—Lord Harold Staun- ton! This was a fall, therefore, accompanied by “But what is it?” exclaimed the Earl, now | utter humiliation; and though she was inspired not manifesting impatience. | by any true principle of virtue, yet her pride was “I hope and trust,” answered the physician, | deeply wounded. She felt that she was sacrificed to “that her ladyship will in a few hours become com- | terrorism, and not to love: she had yielded herself posed and regain the powers of her intellect. But| up to expediency, and not to passion; and these I charge your lordship to avoid anything that may | reflections were accompanied bya profound sense uf excite her. If this advice be not attended to, I will | self-loathing. | not answer for her reason—no, nor yet for her life. She is in a more dangerous state ¢han your lordship ere now appeared to imagine.” “ But what is it, I again ask?’ ejaculated the Ear]; and an indescribable expression, which had something demoniac in it, passed convulsively over his dark countenance. “Her ladyship,” responded the physician, who evidently trembled leat the announcement he had €> make should not be a pleasant on—or rather he had the certainty that it would not,—“ her ladyship is in a way to become a mother.” “Ah, I thought so! Enough, ductor :”—and the _ Earl of Castlemaine instantaneously became sternly | and unnaturally cold. “Of course you will come ‘ and see her soon again?” ‘ *JT have intimated to Mrs. Broughton that I shall return about noon: but if any threatening symp- toms should arise, I must at once be sent for.” 1“ No doubt, doctor,” responded the Earl, who was | still cold, severe, and ominously implacable. “TI have ordered my carriage to waif to convey you home.” Dr. Ferney then took his leave; and entering the vehicle, was speedily whirled back to his own man- sion. But durimg the ride thither, he reflected sor- rowfully and with apprehension, upon the circum- stances of the case which had thus required his presence. yee flict upon him some direful vengeance! And now, too, she asked herself if Lord Harold's mission should fail, what course was she to adopt ? It was but too evident that Mr. Gunthorpe was resolved, on Deveril’s part, to pursue extreme mea- sures. Oh! how she hated that Mr. Gunthorpe. how bitterly—deeply—cordially, did she hate him! How she would have rejoiced to be enabled to in- Again, too, she could not help thinking that there had been something singular in Florina’s conduct towards her for the last two or three days :—nothing very pointed—no overt display of aversion or pique—but a certain cold reserve, the cause of which her lady- ship could not conjecture. Nay, more—the ex- perienced eye of Lady Saxondale had even discerned an inward struggling on Florina’s part, to conceal, if not to conquer, that coldness—but without suc- cess. It was evident therefore that the young damsel had learnt something concerning her: or was it mere vexation, because Lady Saxondale had exposed William Deverill amongst all her fashionable acquaintancesP No: this could scarcely be the solution of Florina’s coldness: for the young maiden’s demeanour towards her ladyship, had not been that of an uniform reserve ever since the first day when Lady Saxondale told her story of Deveril’s alleged impropriety: but it was a change of conduct that Florina had manifested only within the past two or three days. GOHMGOOO CO