The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES. As Mrs. Mordaunt progressed well after her ac- couchement, Mr. Thurston had returned home at about two o’clock in the morning; and during his absence an earnest and most serious consultation had been held by the young mother and her friend Mrs. Smith, relative to the disposal of the babe. At length they resolved that certain proposals should be made to the surgeon; and accordingly, when he re- appeared shortly after eight o’clock, Mrs. Smith sought an opportunity of speaking with him alone in a room adjoining the chamber of the invalid. “ Mr. Thurston,” she said, “ I wish to submit to your consideration a matter of vital importance— and yet I know not how to open the subject.” “ Perhaps, madam,” returned the medical man, “it willsave you some embarrassment if I assure you that I have already formed a conjecture relative to the aim which you have in view.” “Indeed, sir!” ejaculated the lady, amazed at his keenness of perception. “You can guess, then, tha » “ That it 1s respecting the child.” he added, fixing his dark eyes significantly upon her. ‘“ Be not afraid madam, to explain your views: I am a man of honour !” “Then 1 can no longer hesitate to address you upon this delicate—most delicate subject,” resumed Mrs. Smith, encouraged by the surgeon’s words. “You doubtless observed that there was no wedding- ring upon the hand of my unhappy friend—and I need scarcely tell you that she has become a mother without being a wife! Oh! sir—the honour of an ulustrious family is menaced — terribly me- naced——” “There are ways and means of covering female frailty with an impenetrable veil,’ interrupted the surgeon, in an emphatic tone. “Ah! nowI am still farther encouraged to pro- ceed,” exclaimed the lady : then, after a short pause she said, “ Will you take charge of that hapless babe, Mr. Thurston ?—your recompense shall far exceed your most sanguine expectations.” “T will, madam,” was the answer, instantaneously and unhesitatingly given. “ But as this must be regarded as a mere matter of business—a negotiation to be conducted with the utmost circumspection and prudence—pardon me if J inquire what guarantee you can offer me for the fulfilment of any conditions that may be settled between us?” “Listen attentively, sir,” replied Mrs. Smith; “and ponder well upon all I am about to say. Upon receiving into your house that hapless child whom a mother’s frailty compels her to disown, you must consider that it henceforth belongs to you. Adopt it as your own son if you please—or bestow upon it any name you may think fit,—and devise any tale which may appear to you most suitable to account to your friends for the fact of its being thrown upon your hands,—arrange all these details in your own way,— but pledge yourself solemnly and sacredly never to take any steps to discoverits parents. On these cone ditions the sum of ten thousand pounds——” “Ten thousand pounds!” ejaculated Thurston, startled from his habitual equanimity and self-pos- session by the mention of such a princely amount, and half-fearful lest his ears should have deceived him. “Yes—ten thousand pounds,” repeatell Mrs, Smith. “Will that sum suffice ?” * 1 aceept the proposal, with all the conditions you SS See 15 may annex to it,’ said Mr. Thurston, recovering his outward composure, although his heart was elate with an indescribable joy. “ You will undertake, then, to preserve an invio- lable secrecy regarding what little you already know or what more you may suspect in reference to the mother of that child,’ resumed Mrs. Smith: “TI mean that should you meet her hereafter, you will not attempt to recognise her, wherever that encounter may take place and under whatever circumstances.” “JT assent to all this,” said the surgeon; “ and I swear most solemnly to observe the compact.” “The same condition which I last stipulated, ap- plies to myself,’ continued Mrs. Smith. “ Wherever and whenever you may happen to meet me, we must be strangers—total strangers to each other.” “ All shall be as you propose, madam,” returned Mr. Thurston, ‘ Have you any farther instruc- tions ?” “None,” replied the lady. “This evening the money shall be paid to you—and at any risk to her- self I must remove my unhappy friend to-morrow.” “'To-morrow !” exciaimed the surgeon. “Con- sider, madam—the weather is inclement—it is in tne depth of winter——” “But the case is urgent, sir,” interrupted Mrs, Smith, in a tone which cut short all farther remon- strance on the part of the medical man. Thus terminated the colloquy ; and when they re- traced their way to the bed-chamber,’ Mrs. Mordaunt; instantaneously perceived by her friend’s counte- nance that she had effected an arrangement with the surgeon, After breakfast Mrs. Smith obtained writing-ma- terials from the sisters and immediately penned the following letter :— <5 was prematurely delivered of a male child last night. The infant lives, and is pronounced by the medical man to be healthy. Arrangements have been made in a satisfactory way relative to the disposal of the babe. Circumstances, which I cannot possibly pause to detail, favoured the secrecy of all that has oceurred; and is as well andinas good spirits as can be ex- pected. Iwill write again ina day or two. We shall remove to-morrow to my seat in Herts, “1. 0." This letter was addressed to General Barth, Post- office, Weymouth ; and, having carefully folded and sealed it, Mrs. Smith took it herself to a receiving- house in Oxford Street. Thence she proceeded in a hackney-coach to a banker’s at the West End; and having there obtained a large sum of money, she visited a jeweller’s shop at which she purchased two handsome lady’s watches and several other articles for the embellishment of the female toilette, the total cost amounting to about ahundred guineas. Mrs. Smith then returned to Paradise Villas, and presented the jewellery to Octavia and Pauline. The young ladies, though much delighted with the gifts, which were at onse tasteful, elegant, and hand- some, at first objected to receive them on the ground that it appeared as if any little service which they had rendered might appear mercenary: but Mrs. Smith sueceeded in over-ruling their scruples, by assuring them that the “ trifles” she proffered were merely to be regarded as proofs of a sincere friend- ship. 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