The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 118: what you’re looking at

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i VUE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 101 ——< ——s — —=— aclf-accusings on the part of Mrs. Leyden, and when and a generous heart, which indications of character the unhappy mother told him what had taken place were amply corroborated by the high and noble - when her daughter brought home the gold she had forehead that seemed formed to be crowned with received from Angela Vivaldi—and how the inci- nature’s own peerless diadem of intelligence. dent had since dwelt in Henrietta’s mind—the old William Deveril was accustomed to dress in a gentleman at first became very thoughtful. But at style which became a perfect gentleman, but with- length he said, “ You must tranquillize yourself, out the least pretension to finery—much less of, Mrs. Leyden; for I do not think from what I have mawkish dandyism. Nevertheless, a stranger who seen and heard of your daughter, she would suffer beheld that elegant young man, of such exquisite her galled feelings thus to urge her on to so despe- masculine beauty, apparelled iu the most becoming rate a step as accepting libertine proposals. In any style, would have been very far from suspecting that ease you will not lose a friend in me. I shall come he was anything less than a scion of the aristocracy. and see you again to-morrow: but as I feel inte- And yet, as the reader is already aware, William rested in all that concerns you, mind you send and Deveril earned his bread by giving lessons in draw- Jet me know the instant your daughter comes back. ing, music, and painting upon ivory. But then he For that she will come back, with a satisfactory ac- had become quite the rage, so to speak, as a pro- count of Ler present absence, I feel confident. Here fessor of these arts; and teaching only in the best ig my address,” families, he was enabled to turn his talents to a very Thus speakiug, the old gentleman laid his card lucrative advcntage. upon the table; and having kissed little Charley,’ It was about mid-day as Mr. Deveril knocked at who had gone to bed an hour previously, erying thedoor of Lady Macdonald’s mansion in Cavendisk bitterly at his sister’s absence,—the eccentric bene- Square; and to his questions as to whether Lady factor took his departure. He did not however Florina Staunton was at home, the footman who icave the house without placing gold in the land- answered his summons, replied in the affirmative. lady’s hands, and desiring her to minister in all The young professor was thereupon conducted to a possible ways to the comfort and well-being of Mrs. parlour where he found Lady Florina seated alone. Leyden. But, alas! unhappiness had once again The young patrician damsel had already arranged entered that humble chamber,—not the unhappiness upon a table the requisite drawing-materials ; and produced by poverty, for this evil existed there no it had been with a fluttering heart that she had longer,—but the unhappiness arising from the dis- counted the minutes until William DPevsril made appearance of Henrietta and the self-accusings of his appearance. Now, as he entered the room, she her invalid mother. with that command which a well-ked and modest It appeared from the card which the old gentle- | young female is enabled to exercise over her feel- man had left upon the table, thatthe name of the ings, received him with that affable courtesy which poor family’s benefactor was Mr. Jonathan Gun- ghe was always wont to display towards her young thorpe, and that his address was at the Bell and preceptor. Then resuming her seat from which she Crown, Holborn. | had risen, she said, “I have dene but little, Mr, oom Deveril, to this picture since you were last heres CHAPTER XXIV | but I hope to make some progress this morning.” ; | As she thus spoke she bent her head over a picce of ivory, of an oval shape, and about six inches in diameter at its widest part. The subject of the de- THE name of William Deveril has been occasionally ) sign was a beautiful landscape which the fair pupil mentioned in our pages; and we must now intro- , was copying from a water culour drawing made by duce hin more particularly tothe reader. He was Deveril himself; and so far as her performance had quite a young man; but it was not very easy to fix advanced, it gave promise vf being a very tolerable his exact age to a year or two, because his com- imitation of the original. plexion being rendered somewhat dark by alongre-| “ Your ladyship has not touched it, I see, since I sidence in a southern clime, together with a certain was here the day before yesterday,” observed De- thoughtfulness of look, possibly made him appear a_ veril, as he glanced at the ivory: then taking a seat trifle older than he really was. Thus he might have near his beautiful pupil, he added, “ But if your been a little under twenty or a little above twenty: ladyship can give me an hour to day, some progress fur with no nicer precision could his age be fixed. _| will indeed be made.” He had dark hatr, worn somewhat long, and curl- “T wish to have it finished, Mr. Deveril,” an- ing naturally—whiskers which though small in- swered Florina, “ because my aunt is Gesirous to ereased the manliness of his otherwise youthful present it to some one of her acquaintance. I had appearance—and fine black eyes, beaming with in- therefore purposed to beg you to extend the lesson teuigence when not bent down in the mind’s ab- to at least two hours—that is, if it do not interfere straction of thought. He was tall and slen’er, not with any previous arrangement which you have merely symimetrically formed, but modelled with an made.” Apollo-like grace and elegance. His features were “And if I had made any, it should cheerfully be of the Grecian cast—his upper lip short, with that put off for your ladyship!” replied Deveril, with a aristocratic curl which may express disdain where warmth of tone which suddeuly made Florina start there is false pride, but which is equally indicative and the colour rush to her cheeks: for there was of acalm and manly dignity where there is no over- something in those accents which touched the ten- weening hauteur. His teeth were remarkable for derest chord that thrilled to her heart’s core; for she their whiteness and evenness; and there was some- knew that Deveril loved her, and this was another thing peculiarly sweet, tiough by no means ef- of those unwitting and almost unconscious proofs of feminate, in his smile. It devoted akind disposition that love which from time to time escaped him. . THE PRECEPTOR AND HIS PUPIL. eesti COmicoookSs.c®