The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 45: what you’re looking at

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THE “? Twas you yourself, my charmer, who implored me not to proclaim my love in the presence of Pauline,” said Harley. ‘“ But if you have no confi- dence in me, Octavia—if you fancy for a moment that I would counsel you in any way to your own in- jury or disgrace,” he added, his tone suddenly assum- ing a hauteur mingled with reproach,—* then am I unworthy of your affection !” “Oh! now you are angry with me, George,” she faltered, while tears started forth upon her long dark lashes. “ No—no, my adored girl—I cannot be angry with you,” exclaimed Harley, kissing away her tears. “Only promise that you will meet me to-morrow eyening——” “T will,” murmured Octavia, in a tone that was scarcely audible. “Thanks, dearest—a thousand thanks,” returned Harley ; and the joyousness of his tone and manner excited such ineffable pleasure in the bosom of Octavia, as to stifle the momentary remorse which had stricken her with a sudden pang when her lips breathed an assent to her lover’s prayer. “ To-mor- row evening, then, my beloved one, we shall meet again!’ he continued, in his tenderest and most se- ductive tones. “The place of appointment shall be at the very respectable and fashionable millinery establishment of Mrs. Brace in Pall Mall. At six o clock I shall be there, anxiously awaiting the ar- rival of the most lovely and best-beloved of women. Tell me, then, Octavia—tell me that I shall not ex- perience disappointment.” The too-confiding girl breathed the required pro- mise; and Harley, with difficulty veiling the triumphant feelings which animated him, now be- sought her to compose herself in such a manner that Pauline might not suspect the tender understanding which existed between them. This was by nomeans an easy task for Octavia to achieve, so full of ecstatie feelings was her soul. But love is often wonderfully suggestive of what may be termed a venial dupli- city; and the young lady accordingly succeeded in concealing the ardour of her passion beneath a studied reserve—so that the evening passed away without affording the slightest ground for exciting a suspicion on Pauline’s part. Mr. Harley partook of the supper which had been prepared; and during the meal his conversa- tion grew more animated, sparkling, and attractive than ever. Octavia was charmed and fascinated — and there were moments when she could have thrown off her reserve, started from her seat, and Hung her arms about his neck, claiming him as her lover in the presence of Pauline: but, though it was painful to restrain her feelings beneath the iron control of prudence, she nevertheless succeeded in thus exercising a severe domination over them. On the other hand, Pauline was gay, sprightly, ana in excellent spirits; but while she admired Mr. Harley’s brilliant qualifications, and even felt proud | of possessing such an acquaintance, she shared not in the softer and more tender feelings that had ac- quired such empire over her more yielding, sensi- ' tive, and impassioned sister. It was nearly midnight when Mr. Harley rose to take his leave; and Octavia accompanied him as far as the garden-gate. * You will not forget your promise for to-morrow evening, my angel?” he whispered, as he hastily but fervently pressed her hand to his lips. ei eee ee —, MYSTERIES. a ne “No!” she murmured in a scarcely audible tone; —and they separated—-Harley departing to gloat in anticipation over the conquest which he hoped full soon to achieve—and Octavia returning into the villa, to dream of the man who had obtained such empire over her 397’ CHAPTER X. THE KINCHIN-KEN,—THE TABLES TURNED. In the time of which we are writing, Grub Street was the un-euphonious and repulsive appellation of that long, narrow, and dirty lane in the Cripplegate district, which now bears the name of Milton Street. At the present day the features of that thorough- fare are none of the most inviting: but at the close of the eighteenth century, the aspect of the place was disgusting and villanous in the extreme. There was not a vestige of pavement; and the ground was so uneven and rugged, that few vehicles ever ventured that way—for in the fine weather they stood a chance of being overturned by the mounds of concrete dirt that dotted the lane, and in the rainy seasons the wheels were sure to sink into deep ruts. The houses were of the most miserable descrip- tion—the shops of the poorest kind. Every dwell- ing harboured numerous distinct families ;—and? poverty foreed the poor artizan into a close neigh- bourhood with the avowed thief. The result, in such cases, too often was that the former instead otf bringing the latter within the sphere of acommen- dable industry, became infected with the poison of demoralisation, and in the desperation produced hy failure of work, threw himself into the arms of the villain who promised a rich harvest with little trouble in the reaping. Vice and depravity accord. ingly spread like a pestilence in that locality ; ana as the first words which infants were taught to lisp were oaths and imprecation, so the last which they uttered iu their manhood were too frequently the death-prayer on the gallows! And who can wonder if Grub Street and its neighbourhood had become a noted academy for the training of thieves,;—aseminary whence the ranks of vice, demoralisation, and crime recruited themselves from day to day,—a hideous school of infamy where the preceptors were the wretched children’s own parents ?—who can wonder, we «zain ask, if Newgate, which was so ominously handy, had no fear of finding its felons’ wards and its econ- demned cells deserted, so long as the low lodging- houses, the boozing-kens, the brothels, the receivers’ and fences’ shops, and all the other dens of iniquity in which Grub Street abounded, flourished in all their foetid and rank luxuriance—the noxious weeds of the social system. Reader, take the map of the Great Metropolis— and with “Tur Mysteries of Lonpon” by your side for ready reference, circle with a dark line, either with pen or pencil, each and every loathsome district or neighbourhood which you will find de- scribed in the two Series of that work or in the one which you are now perusing. Then calculate the proportion which the haunts of erime and the skulk- ing-places of poverty bear to the localities where comfort is found or where opulence and splendour reign. The result will prove that two-thirds of the ee ee eee Gomichbooksrscom