The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

ee FS gi PTs et if teh rn eee ease THs MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 83 escaped M. Volney’s memory. He took his soli- tary walks as usual—shut himself up in his study es mach as heretofore—and left his daughter as completely to ber own resources as ever. But during this interval Clarine herself seomed like- wise to bave ceased to think of her father’s tran- sient promise: for instead of her apirits suffering from a prolonged monotony of the life she was leading, they grew gayer and more cheerful than they were before. Thus, when one day, at the expiration of six weeks or s couple of months, her father told her with his sccustomed abrupt- ness thas she would now at length have female eompanionsbip, she looked as if teken by surprise, and even as if the announcement afforded her not the slightest pleasure. Rut she was accustomed to pay ifplicit obedience to her sire’s wishes; and ahe therefore offered not a syUable of objection : while he, on his part, did not seem to notice thas the communication was received with leas satisfac- tion than it might have been. The announcement itself was made as the result of some little converagtion which had taken plece between M.Volney and the village priost. It appeared thas o young and beautiful English ledy of rank, attended by two female domeesties, had arrived at the yillege, on her way to seek some other part of the Pyrenees asa temporary residence. Being an invalid, she was detained by indiaposition for some days in the village; she took a liking to the aurrounding scenery; and she resolved to make a halt in that neighbourhood. During » visit to the picturesque little chyreh, she had formed the aequaintance of the priest; and in the course of conversation she had expressed a desire to be received into some genteel but very quiet and secluded French family. The priest wag already aware of M. Volnoy’s desire to vary the monotony of his denghter’s life; and he mentioned to him Lady Octavian Meredith’s wish. The result was that Zoe, attended Ly her two domestics, took up her abode with M. and Mademoiselle Volney at the old Chateau. Zoe had been given to understand that M. Volney, having experienced many gricfs and cares during his life, was unfitted for society, and wus of misanthropic habits: but the worthy priest had told her on the other hand that she would find in Clarine Volney a gsy and amisble companion. And such proved to be the case. While M. Volney continued his solitary walks, or remained shut up in his study, Zoe and Clarine were almost con- stantly together. They soon formed a friendship which ripened into an affection for each other; and Lady Octavian Moredith appeared not to notice the gloom and sombre aspect of the old Chateau, so well was she pleased with the frien whom she had found there. ' Lady Octavian was in ill-health; and this ap- peared in Clarino’s estimation to affect her epirits somewhat—but in respect to her beauty, to render it all the more touchingly interesting. Zoe's coun- tenance wore a sainted expression of true Caris- tian resignation to whatsoever might be her fate: and for some time Clarine thought thatit was an early death to which Zoe thus resigned hereelf. Bat as they grew more intimate, Lady Octavian unbosomed herself completely to her new friend; and then Olarine comprehended that it was not to @ sense of physical evils only to which Zoe was thus meekly bowing, but that i¢ was likewise to the sorrow that was consuming her heart. It will be necessary to afford the reader some idea of the internal arrangements of the Chateau. We have already said that it was a large strag- gling edifice ; but all ite parts were connected in some way or another. There was the main build- ing—there were wings, communicated with by means of corridors : beyond these there were other buildings, which were reached by open passages, or rather colonnades. It was a mansion capacious enough for the gccommodation of a large family, with forty or fifty servants. The reader may thence judge how the few inmates it now con- tained, would have been lost as it were if scattered about the edifice: but to prevent this extreme loneljness, all the rooms that were occupied were as much in assembiage ag possible. The main body of the building had three storeys in addition to the ground-floor. The dining and breakfast rooms, as well as M. Volney’s study, were on the ground- floor—the drawing-room and al] the principal bed- rooms on the first-floor—the servant's chambers on the second-floor ; and the third or highest was totally unoccupied. Passages ran the entire length of the main building, on each of these floors: the principal staircase—the only one used by the present inmates—was in the middle of the build- ing; but at each end there were smaller staircases, at the bottom of which were doors communicating with the corridors that led into the wings. The bed- chambers occupied by Clarine Volney and Lady Qctavian Meredith, were, as already stated, on the firat or drawing-room floor; and their windows looked on the garden at the back of the house. These chawbers did not join each other: they were separated by an oratory, or small chapel, the ap- pointments of which had become much dilapidated through neglect. There was en organ in this oratory; and Olarine one day informed Zoe that she had endeavoured to play it, buf 1¢ was com- pletely out of order. There was however a good piano as well as a harp ip the drawing-room: for when M. Volney purchased his furniture, he had not forgotten that Clarine had an exquisite taste for music ;—and now, as Zoe was likewise gifted in that respect, the two ladies were enabled to play in concert. Lady Octavian Meredith had already been seve- ral weeks at the Chateau before a syllable reached her ears to the effect that i¢ was reputed to be haunted: and then its evil fame in this respect reached her knowledge from the circumstances that we must record in the ensuing chapter. | CHAPTER GO. THR LEGEND. Ows evening, in the early part of September, the ladies had been practising music together until about ten o’clock,—when Clarine, complaining of @ very severe headache, said that she should at once retire to her own chamber. She bade her friend good night: she next repaired to her father’s study, where she imprinted the usual caress upon his cold pale cheek,—receiving from his lips no kiss in return: and she then withdrew. CONIC OOO <S co