The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

3118 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. « And utterly incapable of such egregious folly,’ she could hate Deveril as keenly as she had loved added Juliana. “ At least,” she immediately said, him—and though she was even meditating revenge observing that Lady Saxondale fixed her eyessternly yet was she still devoured by a consuming upon her, “he is the last man in existence that I passion for that splendidly handsome young man. should have thought likely to commit himself so And she was tortured, too, with jealousy on ac- absurdly. The only excuse to be found for him is count of the unknown rival to whom she felt as- that it was a transient touch of insanity.” sured his heartwas devoted, and whom she longed “ Perhaps so,” observed Lady Saxondale. to punish ! _ She then continued to discourse upon the sub-' When morning dawned Lady Saxondale arose Ject with her two daughters a little longer; after from the sumptuous couch where she had only been which she retired to her own chamber to dress for enabled to snatch a few hours of troubled slumber— dinner. But she had now a new cause for spite a slumber too which was haunted with feverish and vexation, she having seen full well that she dreams. She looked at herself in the glass; and was not believed by her eldest daughter. perceiving that she was pale and somewhat careworn, “Well, Constance,” said this young lady to she stamped her foot impatiently, muttering to her- her sister, the moment they were alone together, self, “ New cares, new sources of annoyance and “what think you of the tale that has just .been vexation, arising up around me! This must not told us P” be.” “That Mr. Deveril’s conduct was most extraor- | And yet she did not put a stop to any of these dinary,” replied Constance, not perceiving the real self-created sources of vexation by at once abandon- drift of her sister’s question. ing her projects of vengeance in respect to William “ And so it would have been if everything took Deveril. No; the strong-minded woman was now place exactly as our mother has chosen to represent enslaved by her passions—those passions which for it,’ observed Juliana. 'so many long years she had dominated as an “What do you mean?” asked Constance, in as- ‘empress-tyrant keeps her foot upon the neck ofa re- tonishment. bellious people. “T mean that there is something more in all this It was between two and three o’clock in the than her ladyship has chosen to tell us. Is it likely afternoon that Lady Saxondale’s carriage stopped —is it natural, that a young man like Mr. Deveril at the house of Lady Macdonald in Cavendish would fall so desperately in love with a woman of , Square: and as she ascended towards the drawing- our mother’s ave?” | room, she settled her countenance in such a manner “ Not so very old,” interrupted Constance: “only | that it seemed to wear a look as if a sense of some just forty—and you must admit that mamma is , ludicrous yet disagreeable scene were lingering in superbly handsome.” the mind. Lady Macdonald and Florina were “Granted! But if she is forty, Mr. Deveril is ‘ seated together in the drawing-room when Lady not more than twenty,” rejoined Juliana; “and it , Saxondale was announced; and they both at once is not likely, I repeat, that he should fall head over | observed the singular look which her ladyship’s ears in love with a woman double his age: for it features thus wore. could only be in the madness and intoxication of | ‘Has anything unpleasant occurred, my dear such a love that he would have ventured to demand | friend?” asked Lady Macdonald when the usual our mother’s hand in marriage. In plain terms, | erectings and complimentary inquiries were ex- Constance, I do not believe the story; and we will | changed. find out something more about it ere long.” “Unpleasant?” echoed Lady Saxondale, as if “But why should mamma tell so wicked a false- | surprised that she should be thus questioned. hood ?” asked the younger sister, reproachfully. “Oh! I suppose that my looks must have reflected “Oh! why, why, why—you always ask why to eomewhat of the topic I was revolving in my mind everything!” exclaimed Juliana, petulantly. “Of as I rode hither. Well, I did not mean to tell you course one may see things or suspect things, and | —but after all, I do not know why I should keep it yet not always know the reason why. How is it ' secret:”—and her ladyship now laughed with every that our mother is so desperately frightened of that appearance of a genuine merriment. old wretch Mabel, whom I hate as cordially as pos- | ‘At all events it is nothing seriously unpleasant,” sible? How is it, again, that our mother gave an | said Lady Macdonald. audience in such a hurry to that old woman the | ‘“ Rather ludicrous and amusing than unpleasant,” other night that I told you about-——” responded Lady Saxondale. “And yet it is annoy- At this moment a lady’s-maid entered to intimate ing too—because,” she added with dignity, “I that it was time to dress for dinner; and the col- flatter myself that there could not possibly be any- loquy between the two sisters was accordingly cut thing in my manner, much less’ in my conduct, to short. | give the slightest encouragement Z Little did Lady Saxondale sleep during the night =“ My dear friend, you are speaking in enigmas,” that followed this day of her discomfiture and defeat said Lady Macdonald, as Lady Saxondale paused. in respect to William Deveril. She lay tossing upon “ Neither Florina nor I can understand to what her downy couch as if it were the hardest and most you are alluding. And yet in the sphere in which uncomfortable mattrass that ever belonged to a we move, people do seem to be growing mysterious pauper’s garret. Or we might even go farther and and incomprehensible. Here’s my niece, who has say that many a poor creature that night slept a been so abstracted and thoughtful all the morn- sweeter sleep upon straw than the great patrician ing ie lady was enabled to woo to her eyes though lyingin “By the bye, my dear Florina,” exclaimed Lady that sumptuous bed. Her heart felt as if scorpions Saxondale, as if suddenly reminded of something wore tearing it: for though she had declared that by the aunt’s ellusion to the young lady, “now that (€() GomiGdooks