The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 149 ee ne —— — —— —— ————————————————————— SEE OEE ee ee ae ie ln oO) Me ee “ Dr. Ferney,” was the dady’s response, “after all| “And are you not surprised to receive a visit / the generous words you have spoken to me, and | from me?” asked the lady. after declaring that you would rather lay down your “Yes—and yet not altogether surprised; for lifeto do me service than breathe a word to do me | without being able to explain it even unto myself,” an injury, it would be wrong—it would be ungrate- | continued the doctor, “I must inform you that ful—were I to treat you with such mistrust as to | there has often arisen in the depths of my soul a retain my veil over my features. Besides—you say | presentiment that we should one day meet again. that my countenance is impressed upon your me- | But observe, this presentiment has not been accom- 3) mory panied by hope. I never was wildly enthusiastic “ Yes—indelibly !” exclaimed the physician. “ But | nor drivellingly foolish enough to anticipate that it would be happiness which I had never dared | the feeling which my heart has cherished would anticipate to behold it once again.” ever be crowned with happiness. Yet I felt, as I The lady slowly raised her veil ; and an expres- | have said, that we should meet again; and I now sion vf mingled delight, admiration, and surprise | rejoice that we have thus met. Such is the tone caine upon the countenance of Dr. Ferney. So! and temper of my mind that when you depart little had time changed the beauty of those splendid | hence, no dreariness nor dismalness will be left be- features that it appeared to him as if the lapse of , hind you; but, on the contrary, the light of your nineteen years had not taken place—that it had | transient presence will appear to linger within these been all a dream—and that he saw her now as he had | walls and cheer me on my way. You see that I can been wont to see her when at his mother’s residence. ' speak rationally and calmly upon this subject, as For that lapse of time, while maturing the beauty ' becomes my years, and as becomes perhaps the po- of this magnificent woman, had only seemed to add _ sition of her whom I am now addressing. For that to the glory and thle splendour of her loveliness. . you were not what you seemed when dwelling at = There was perhaps less of youthful softness in her | my mother’s residence, I felt assured; and that looks—but the light of her eyés had not waned—the your’s is no plebeian nor middle grade, Iam equally raven darkness of her hair had not paled nor lost confident now. But who you might have been I its gloss—the richness of the red had not withered never sought to know; and who you are I purpose on the lips—nor the evenness of the flesh become not to inquire at present. Those are your secrets— indented with a single wrinkle. and they are sacred in my estimation. LBesides, I “Tis the same—the very same!” murmured the ' have no undue curiosity; mine is a disposition of physician, in accents that were only just audible: another stamp. But pardon this long speech. All then passing his hand over his eyes, he said, “Is it I have said is merely to inspire you with the neces- a dream—a delicious dream? or is ita reality? It sary confidence to induce you to explain the purpose is a reality! I cannot doubt it:’—and once more of your visit: for that you have an object in coming did he appear so overpowered by his emotions that to me this evening, I must of course conclude.” he looked as if almost about to faint. “Dr. Ferney, you are a man of too much sense,’ “ And during this long interval,” said the lady, | replied the lady, “for me to dream of flattering or repeating her former question with an evident complimenting you so emptily—so transparently— anxiety to receive the confirmation of the former as by a declaration to the effect that I came hither response, “ you have never once secn me?” for the mere purpose of reviving the friendship of “ No—never once,” returned the physician. “By former days. No—it was a purely business-matter the nature of the query I must of course suppose that brought me hither; and as I ere now said, lit- that you either dwell in London or visit it frequently: | tle did I anticipate so kind, so genervuus a reception. but even if you are constantly riding or walking I fancied that we should meet almost as strangers : abroad it would not be surprising that we have but it has proved otherwise—and I have thercfore never met: for I go out so little—never into society the less difficulty in explaining my purpose. Do you —only to visit the patients who cannot come to me; recollect that when you had your little house in and in those professional rounds I am whirled Islington—at a time when you could scarcely fore- rapidly along in my carriage, for my time is so pre- , see the eminence to which you were destined to rise, cious! Then, even when thus flying about in my and which has enabled you to move to this fashion- carriage, my attention is ever fixcd on some book ' able quarter of the town,—do you remember, I ask, which I take with me; so that seldom is it I gaze that you had a little laboratory opening from your forth from the window of the vehicle—and thus, if private sitting-room up-stairs ?” every day you pass me by, I should not see you. * When I removed from that house,” replied Dr. But let me again beseech and implore that you will | Ferney, “it cost me many a pang to do so, because experience no mistrust in me. Good heavens! I! you had visited me there. Ah! can I forget that am incapable of injuring you; and even if I were | laboratory? do I not remember that one entire capable, I know not that I have the power. For , morning was passed with you there ? and you seemed with reference to that incident to which I need not to take so deep an interest in the various experi- allude more pointedly, I scarcely understood its | ments I showed you Oh! it was that which em- meaning and purpose at the time, and assuredly I boldened me at the time to throw myself at your fecl no inclination to fathom it now. Whatever mysteries be your’s, keep them—cling to them—and | ‘And you remember also,” continued the lady, rest confident that so far as I am concerned they | “that there were two or three of your experiments are safe. You have conferred upon me too much in which I was so much interested that I besousht happiness by thus permitting me to gaze upon that you to give me written descriptions of the several countenance again, not to inspire me with the live- processes—and you did so.” feet and declare how much I loved you!” liest gratitude in addition to any other sentiment I, ‘ And those receipts—have you preserved them ? may have experienced towards you.” | have you ever thought any more of them?” asked COMN|CEOOKS.CO