The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

158 THE MYSTERIES extremity of the apartment; and seating herself on a sofa, fell into a profound reverie. By a certain arrangement of drapery in the room, that sofa where Lady Saxondale had seated herself, was concealed from the view of Juliana; and for the same reason the latter, at the place where she lay half-reclined, was hidden from the eyes of her mother. The young lady went on reading her book—ten minutes or a quarter of an hour elapsed—and as the love-passages of the tale grew more interesting, her attention became all the more completely absorbed in the perusal. The consequence was she altogether forgot the presence of her mother in the room— forgot it indeed as completely as if her ladyship were not there at all. | Presently the door opened again, and this time it was Frank Paton who entered. The beautiful youth appeared more beautiful than ever to the eyes of Juliana, inflamed as her-imagination was at the moment, and thus keenly prone to enhance every detail of attraction and lineament of beauty. An electric thrill shot quiveringly through her—the colour heightened upon her cheeks—and fixing upon him as he approached a look brimful of pas- sion, she half murmured, “‘ Adorable boy, how I love you—Oh, how I love you.” He advanced close up to her, handing her a letter which had just arrived. “Frank, dear Frank,’ she said in a low soft voice, as his eyes looked tenderly down into her’s: and she patted his face with her hand. He bent down towards her, invited by her gaze and her caresses to do so; and then their lips met in along delicious kiss. At that instant the recol- lection flashed to Juliana’s mind that Lady Saxon- dale was in the room; and full of affright was the glance which she threw towards the farther ex- tremity. But the drapery hid her mother from her sight, and she experienced a feeling of indescribable relicf at the reflection that she must in the same manner be concealed from her parent’s view. Frank had noticed that sudden start—that quick glance of uneasiness—and the sudden disappearance of the carnation hue from her cheeks of delicately-tinted bistre; and instantaneously comprehending what all this meant, he likewise grew pale with affright. But Juliana gave him a reassuring tap on the cheek with her hand; so that the young page glided from the room more than ever in love if possible with the handsome Juliana. This young lady then resumed her book; but instead of reading it, gave way to all the rapturous thoughts which the little scene just described had conjured up in her mind. But every detail of that scene had been witnessed by Lady Saxondale—and in a very simple manner too: namely, the reflecting of the mirrors which embellished the walls of the apartment, and some vf which, between the windows, descended to the floor. Yes—every detail of that scene had been witnessed by Juliana’s mother! Not that she was watching her daughter at the time through the medium of the tell-tale mirrors: she was not even thinking of her: but it was in a mood of the most perfect abstraction that the eyes of Lady Saxondale were fixed upon the looking-glass opposite to her. Conceive her astonishment when she beheld the page bending over Juliana—the latter caressing his cheek with her hand,—yes, even to the looks of O¥ TIT? COURT. passion which her daughter rivetted on the hand- some youth, did Lady Saxondale behold! But if there were any doubt in her mind—if for a moment she fancied there could be any mistake upon the subject—all uncertainty was cleared up by that long kiss of deliciousness and fervour in which the lips of Juliana and Francis were joined. Lady Saxon- dale sat perfectly aghast. It was impossible to dis- believe her eyes—and yet she still disbelieved the interpretation which she put upon what she saw. She believed and she disbelieved: all uncertainty was cleared up, and yet she dared not settle her mind upon the conviction thus established. But when the page had retired—when Juliana had re- sumed her book—when Lady Saxondale was com- pelled to admit to herself that what she had seen was true, and what had taken place was unmistak- able, she felt such an awful feeling come over her that she sat like one petrified—turned into stone, with all the marble’s terrible chill at her heart! Good heavens! what a blow for the pride of the haughty Lady Saxondalé! She who plumed her- self so highly upon having prolonged the race into which she had married—the time-honoured race of Saxondale; she who regarded that name as one of the proudest chronicled in the pages of British history; she who had hoped that ere long some excellent match must present itself for her eldest daughter; she it was who now became compelled to admit to herself that this daughter had descended to amorous dalliance with a page. And in sucha case it was no wonder if her ladyship abandoned herself to a belief in the worst: namely, that Ju- liana had been more culpable than she really was. At this thought the sense of petrifaction passed quickly away, and was instantaneously succeeded by a feeling as if molten lead had suddenly taken the place of blood in her veins—or as if that blood which a moment before seemed stagnant, had all in an instant been made to boil by the presence of some subtle but all-potent Promethean fire. Tucre was a tingling sensation all over her; and her first impulse was to spring from her seat, rush forward, and tax Juliana with her supposed frailty and shame. But a second thought held her back. She remem- bered the increasing rebelliousness of her elder daughter’s spirit; and she apprehended a scene which might lead to exposure before the household. Besides, if the evil were done it could not be re- paired; and all the angry words in the work! would not restore a lost virtue. Lady Saxondale there- fore curbed her rage, bridled her indignation, and resolved to take no rash nor inconsiderate step. She must separate her daughter from the page: but even this she felt that it were impolitie to do all in a moment, lest Juliana in her wilfulness should leave the house with him, thus abandoning herself altogether to this passion of her’s! Terrible was the state of mind into which the unhappy woman was plunged. Calamities and cares of all kinds seemed gathering around her; and she appeared involved in the tangled web ot a destiny that must terminate in ruin. But not long did her ladyship give way to these gloomy re- flections: she was too strong-minded to become des- pondent or despairing on a sudden, She felt that she had need of all her energies in the various mat- ters engaging her attention ; and she said to herself, “tis absolutely necessary that I should be equal te ie ee ml a ee ee MICLOOOKKS (€@) (CE)