The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 69: what you’re looking at

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68 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “Ob, uncle! uncle!” murmured the weeping Eglantine, “pray be not so cruel unto me—Oh|! be not cruel unto me!” “ Cruel, niece P” ejaculated Captain Cartwright : ‘itis you that have been eryel to the memory of your parents—to me—aye, and unto yourself! But I must tear you henee--from this house of infanty !—~you must go with me—and on you, my lord, will I inflict such vengeance as tue seducer deserves. Not even your years—much Jess your rank and wealth shall protect you! You are bound to give me satisfaction for the seduction of my niece. <A friond of mine will wait upon you presently; and if you refuse, I swear that I will horsewhip you publicly ——not a horsewhipping for me. °—nut a sim:!9 Jaying of the whip upon you.’ °'” .! -bute::": @ chastisement as shall bring you .. !\0 heiee breadth of the grave!" A shriek : -led from Eglantine’s lips: again she flung herself at the ain’s feet—again she implored his - But seizing her by the wrist, he com hey te rise; and then, as he tossed her from him, she sank back sobbing eonvulsively into her chair. Meanwhile the old nobleman had been thrown into such a nervous state of excitement by the dread of losing his beautiful mistress, and by the tervifle threats of personal chastisement which the Seree Captain hed flung out, that he waa alsnest euffented aad strangled by another fit of coughing. “If on my return to E ” xd Cap. tain Cartwright, now addressing Eglatine with mournfulness rather thaa bitterness perceptible iq his tone, “I had found you the honewsoed wedded wifo of this nobloman, or of any othee mam of station or character, joy would have @led my heart. J should have blessed yon-—I sheald have thought with a boly comfort of the menner ia which I had falfilked my vow to your deceased parents: I should not have felt ae if I. were a guilty and perjured being in contemplating the memory of your father. But instead of hailin you as a wife, I find you living in gilded in. famy——Oh, it is terrible to think of! and there is no vengeance, my lord, too deadly to be wreaked on you as this orphan girl’s seducer !” “ But—but,” said the nobleman, quivering with nervousness, and shaken by his hacking cough,— “but—but—ugh! ugh!—is there no means by which this matter can be setilod ? I—TI will place a very large—ugh ! ugh !—sum of money in Eglan- tine’s name ——” “My lord,” interrupted Captain Cartwright sternly, “ this is adding insult to injury! What? —think you that tho loss of her honour is to be sompensated for by goldP Come, Eglantino— come directly—I insist upon it!’ “‘She shan’t go!” screeched forth the old noble- man, who lookei as if he were goaded almost to frenzy: “she shan’t go!” “Wo shall see, my lord,” answered Cartwright coldly. ‘Kglantine is under age—I am her na- tural protector and her guardian: if she refuse to accompany me of her own free will, I must put force into requisition. Come, girl, I say—come !” “But my dear sir—ugh! ugh!—I love her!” exclaimed Lord Wenham. “She is the only good girl I ever know !—tho only ono that—agh! ugh! —did not give horself airs: and therefore—ugh ! ugh!” “But think you, my lord,” demanded the Cap- tain, “that because you love her, I will leave her here as your pensioned mistrees? Heaven forbid ! Come, girl—come !” “Weil, well,” muttered Lord Wenham, “I sup- pose it must be—ugh! ugh!—it must be! Cap- tain Cartwright—ugh! ugh! But what will the world thinkP Hang the world!—ugh! ugh! I should not be the first nobleman that—ugh ! ugh ! ———Besides, how raany have married actresses? And then too, no one need know—ugh! ugh !— that Eglantine lived with me firat of all. It has only been a matter of a few days. Captain Cart- wright, ahem!—ugh! ugh!—I think—ahem !— ugh !—hah !—ahem !—ugh! ugh!” Thus, whet with sometimes muttering to him- self—souctimes speaking loud enouzh to bo heard —and coughing ingessantly from first to last—the old dotard conveyed am idea of what was passing in his mind. “You think wheé, my lord F’ demanded Cart- wright, as Wenham suddenly stopped short. “ E think, Captata—ugh! ugh!” answered the nobleman, “that thie littl Rape anunged ugh { —little matter be perhaps —ugh | ugh !——to the entiatuetion of us all. Kylantine is a good girl—end—asd—ugh! ugh!—will I am sure make a—ahem !—hah!—mako a—you know ~—ugh !—~e very good wife.” & wild ery of joy thrilled from Ezglantine’s lips on che flew towards the old nobleman; and ageia fag her arme about his neck, she lavished upes bien the tondeorent and ups endeacing caresses. “My lord.” seki Captain Cartwright, “ you axe now performing the part of an honourablo maa. I esteom sad you——and I feel comveinced that ay beloved niece will make you most excel- leat wife. ‘You will have the goodness to give me your solos writtes undertaking that the ma- riage eball be selesmized by special liconse to- morrow-——though under circumstances of as much g| privacy dot roves eo that it may not be known to the that Eglantine lived under your pro- tection as a mistress before she became a wife. Give me this undertaking, my lord—and I will depart for the presont—I will not separate yoa— I will leave you to the discussion of such prelimi- naries as may be necessary for all that is to take lace.” ® The old dotard—labouring under a mortal terror of the fierce Captain Cartwright, and equally in- finenced, thoagh in another senee, by the tender caresses which Egiantine was hevishing upon him —hesitated not to give the written undertaking which the fire-cater demanded. CHAPTER XCIV. ‘THE INDIAN COMMISSTOWEES. Tim scene once more changes to Shrubbery Villa ~-the residence of the Princoess Indora in the neighbourhood of Notting Hill and Bayswater. The Princess was seated alone in that exquisitely furnished apartment where we found her on the first occasion that she was introduced te our readers. I¢ was at tho back of the drawing-rdom on the first-floor; and the style of ite appoint ECOMmiclooolkks SS SSS SNS eapureemen— co