The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 152: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 141 offence,” said Lavinia, deprecatingly and earnestly. “TI only wish you to understand that I am tho same towards you in respect to my duty as I ever was: and it requires but one kind word from your lips to make me the same towards you in respect to love.” . | There are times when the hearts of even the vilest and most worthless of men are susceptible of the influence of woman’s love, and when the soft- ness of that feminine devotion has an ineffable soothing balm for the wounded spirit, even though that spirit be tortured by the suicidal inflictions of its own crimes. Such was the state of the Duke of Marchmont now; and a strong revulsion of feeling took place within him. Fora long period he had hated his wife—he had treated her with cold neglect, as well as with flagrant indignity: but now all of a sudden his heart seemed to warm towards her—he looked upon her countenance—he saw that it was tearful—and he knew that those tears were flowing for himeelf ! “ Yes, Lavinia,” he said, “I am unhappy—and I have enemies! I do not deserve this kindness at your hands—I feel that I do not!” “Ob, my dearest husband!” murmured the Duchess, taking his hand and pressing it to her lips: “you have spoken to me im a tone and in a manner which in one sense has given me happiness, but which in another has filled me with affliction. You seem to promise me a restoration of your love and confidence; and it is this that makes me happy. On the other hand, you tell me that you yourself are unhappy and that you have enemies ; and it is this which smites me with sadness. Who are these enemies of yours? If you have given them a right to persecute you, may they not be moved by the intercessions of a woman P—and if without reason they are persecuting you, may they not be turned into a right path by the remon- strances of your wife, on whose head would ree dound any evil which happened to yourself?” “ Lavinia,” . answered the Duke, as an idea struck him, “it is possible that you can serve me -—— yes, yes— you can if you will !” “And I will!” exclaimed the Duchess ve- hemently: “you know that I will!” she added with impassioned energy. “Oh! it would indeed delight me to be of service to you—to dispel the cloud from your brow—to give back peace to your looks! Tell me how all this may be done. And ab! now I bethink me, if the revelations you may have to make be of a character to unveil some weakness on your part, think not for an instant that I shall retreat from my pledge, or that I shall with the lees energy undertake whatsoever mission you may confide to me!” “You are sure of this, Lavinia?” eaid the Duke impressively, and gazing upon her with earnestness. “Come now—pause and reflect. I know the purity of your nature—I know the delicacy of your mind; and if anything should transpire at all calculated to shock you-——” “Set at rest these apprehensions,” said the Duchess: “I beseech you to banish them from your mind. Oh! so far from shrinking at the task which I am undertaking, I accept it with cheerfulness: for I may perhaps hope that it will revive somewhat of your love towards me.” “Lavinia,” rejoined the Duke in alow deep voice, while he gazed fixedly upon his wife, “I shall experience the deepest gratitude towards you; and gratitude, you know, is a sentiment which under certain circumstances expands into love. On the other hand, I fear lest the love you experience for me-———” “Will be impaired P” ejacalated the Duchess. “No, no—impossible! Give me an opportunity of proving my love—and [ shall love you all the more for having done this. I do not deceive you as to my motives I am seeking tho return of your confidence and of your love. This I would purchase at almost any price; and therefore think not that the past in respect to yourself will shock me. I ahall look upon it as something to be for- gotten !” “I thank you beforehand, Lavinia—yos, be- forehand accept my gratitude!” exclaimed the Duke. “But no more to-night! To-morrow I will tell you what it is that I require at your hands. Return to your guests at once——and again, Lavinia, accept my gratitude !” The Dake took her hand and raised it to his lips. It was not altogether an act of dissimula- tion, nor for the purpose of cajoling one whom he sought to reuder serviceable in the terrible difficul- ties of his position: but it was that in the midst of these difficulties he found one who was prepared to befriend him and who would devote herself to his cause. Lavinia, by her amiable conduct, was making a wife’s love necessary as it were to a man who had hitherto proved a vile husband: sho was exercising that soft feminine influence to which we have befure alluded, and at the very moment when it was so much needed to soothe and strengthen the tortured spirit of him who was thus brought to acknowledge it. He took her hand, we say: but she, bursting into tears, threw herself into his arms, weeping and sobbing con- vulsively. There was happiness and there was sorrow in her ‘soul: there was joy and thero was grief,—joy at being thus enabled to play the part of the ministering angel—but grief at the thought that her husband should have woes and cares re- quiring such ministration. Yes—she sank upon his breast; and as the Duke contemplated that beautifully handsome woman—now only ino her thirty-third year—whose tall figure was so finely formed—and the masses of whose light auburn hair floated upon shoulders and a neck of dazzling whiteness,—-when he eaw the large blue eyes up- turned towards him, looking so beautiful in their tenderness, even through their tears,—when, in a word, his glance swept over tho entire assem- blage of charms which graced his wife, the Duke of Marchmont felt that his soul was touched, and a pang of remore smote him on account of all his past conduct towards her. His arms encircled ber waist—he strained her to his heart; and in a broken voice he murmured, “Would to heaven, Lavinia, that I had ever remained worthy of such a love as this!” The Duchess besought her husband noé to allude painfully to the past; and wiping away her tears, she smiled eweetly upon him, —observing, “ You are about to put my devotion to the test: fear not that it will recoil from aught which may transpire while working in your cause. You know not, my dear husband, how far a woman’s devotion may extend !”” “ To-morrow, Lavinia—to-morrow,” rejoined the COUMIUC NOOK (CO