The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 3 minutes elapsed; and at length ste heard foot- dteps. She beheld the foung Earl come fortH: a Nght that was burninf in the passage, threw its beams upon his countenance; afd the damsel felt her blood rufi cold ad sié saw how ghastly pale and how cohvulse@ it wat. She scarcely dated issue from the rodih td deliver the messagd ; And yet she felt that under existing cirtunistances it was one whith she ought not to keep back; fot dfter auch a frightful exposure the Countess and Adolphus might indeed have much td deliberate apor—arnd that speedily tod. Accordingly, mus- tering all her courage, the lady’4-maid came forth, and said to the Earl, “ My lord, her ladyship bade me inform you that site is in the drawing-room, and desires to See your lord#hip before you retite to your own chdmber.” * Which drawing-room P asked Adolphus, in a voice so deep and hollow that it made the gifl recoil as if frorh thé pretence of an afimated corpse, | “In thd Red Drawing-room, my lotd,” shé an- swered, regaining with a thighty effort a sufficiency of self-possession for the purpose. Sho then fied away to her own chambér; and Adolphus proceeded to the Red Drawing-room, saying withid hitmeelf, “ Everything mast be re- vealed to Etbel—it will be useless for me to cot- ceal it—all the domestics Would show lier by their manner to-morrow that the terrible truth has been proclaimed. Good God! what will BDevome of us both P—what trill become of us?” He entered the drawing-room; and a% he ap- peared in the presence of Ethel, she was instin- taneously strack by his wort, haggard, ghastly ¢ountenance,—a countenafce which béspoke & thousand crushing evils; #o that all her worst ap- prebensions were confirmed it an instant. He did not immediately speak—but fixed his eyes upon her: they had a hollow look—and, Oh! what a world of taré wus in their gazo! “T understand you but too Well, Adolphus,” said the unhappy Coantess, looking upon hits vith a gaze which in its expression was awfully akin to his own. “ No sooner havé circumstances etnptied our cup of misery whieh was filled to thé brim, than it is replenished to overflowing :”—then, after some deep guttural sounds, as if the words stuck in her throat, she added, “ Makeptace hus proclaimed everything—is it not so P” “Tt is,” be replied. “The miscreant has re- solved that in Ate death would he do that which should embitter or lives until the end!” “And the domestics,’ said the Countess,— “they now know everything P” “Everything!” responded Adolphus. heaven, it is frightful!” “Frightful!” echoed the misérable lady: and turning aside for a few moments, she covered her face with her hands, her fingers pressing tight against her throbbing brows: but no tears trickled between those fingers—her’s was now a despair too deep to find a relief in weeping. At length, as a thought suddenly struck her, she removed her hends from her facé—and tarning towards Adol- phus, said, “It is now for you to do that which will materially alter our position before the world —and if not lift the branding disgrace completely From us, at all events divest it of its deepest shade of blackness.” « Just “Good heavens! what mean you, Ethel?” ex- claimed the young Earl, starting with sudden affright : for though he put this question, yet was he little at a loss to comprehend the significancy of her words. | “Adolphas, you 46 tiiderstaid me,” she an- swered, at once fathoring all he thought and felt; “and it is most ungetierous of you not to pro- claim without an itistant’s delay that everything which you can do shall be done !” “Ethel, Ethel!” gasped the young Earl: and he could say no more—but sinking on 4 seat, he gazed in coristernation upon her. “Is it possible, Adolphus, that you do not un- derstand what I mean?” sho asked: * will you thus force me to explain in the most measured terms of latiguage? Well, ther, be itso! The world,” continued Ethel impressively, “ believed that you are the son of the late Eurl of Lascelles —and therefore that Iam your step-mother. With Sach a belief our unfortunate love, when pro- Claimed, will be regarded as infamy itself: for what, Adolphus, could be more horrible than an amour of so incestuous adye? Society will drive md With execration frém its mnidst—yourself with scorn and loathing. Is all this to be, when one word bpdkén fron your lips will in 4 monient ree duc8 our tremendous crime, as it now appears, to a compafatively venial feelingP And that word must be spoken by your lips, Adolphus: it is the dacrifice which You must make for both ont sakes. Ob, eteh then there will yet retiain degradation enough for mé———but spare me, Adolphus, that branding shatho—that crowning infamy !” “Ethel,” responded the young Earl, ih the same deep hollow voice as before, “ you know not what you ask. You bid nie divest myself of my patrician rank--to pluck the coronet from my brow—to resign the broad domains which call me fiaster—to éink into an obscurity which will be total, like a star that goes out—hnd what is per- haps worse, to find myself plunged into compara- tive poverty !” | “Y have atich jointure, Adolphus,” answéred the Countess, with difficulty repressing a look of scorn and contempt at thé objections which hé proffered: “take it all—I abandon it to you, every shilling—I myself care not for poverty! But as for your title, you must resign it!” “Never!” ejaculated the young Earl, goaded almost to madness by the thought. “And yet thore was a timed, Adolphus,” re- joined Ethel, reprodthfully, “when I believed hat for my sake you would have abandoned rank —position—éverything——” “Oh, but the madness of that lova has passed, Ethel—and not only with myself,” cried the young Karl, “bat also with you! Icannot doit. To resign a proud titlh—an imménse domain——No, nod, I cannot!” * Coward !” ejaculated the indignant lady ; “you cared not td sacrifice me to your passion—but you recoil from the consequences! Did I notexert all my energies to remain virtuous? And was it not your incessant importunity — your frenzfed en- treaty—fes, even your threat of suicide which dragged me down into the abyss? And now you refuse to proclaim the word which is to mitigate the dark aspect of our iniquity! Why, inseneate that you are, you would in reality be a greater CONIC OOO <S