The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 174: what you’re looking at

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

Sy THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. : 159 the task of meeting all difficulties and accomplishing all ends.” Lady Saxondale’s musings were suddenly inter- rupted by the bursting open of the door nearest to where she sat,—for there were two doors to that spacious apartment ;—and the housekeeper Mabel bounced into the room. By the agility of her movements she certainly appeared to have got well rid of her rheumatism; and if she had been eating the most peppery viands for dinner she could not possibly have been fired up with a greater degree of irritability than she displayed at present. We may even go so far as to state that she was’in a boiling rage; and her red face, inflamed as it was with passion, looked like a perfect conflagration in con- trast with the white cap with large frills that bor- dered this rubicund physiognomy. “ Mabel,” exclaimed Lady Saxondale, starting from her seat in anticipation of a scene with her irate housekeeper; “ what is the meaning of this abrupt intrusion ?” “‘Intrusion indeed!” screamed forth the woman whom this unfortunate word now appeared to excite almost to a positive frenzy: “everybody is bent on insulting me! But I will put up with it no longer. There is that jackanapes of a fellow who calls himself——” “ Mabel!” cried her ladyship, “take care what you say !”—and it was a strange look that she threw upon her housekeeper. “Tell me, what has my son been doing ?” “Doing? he is always doing something to vex and annoy me,” was the response. “I never saw such a sneaking, cowardly fellow in all my life. He has been and told his valet that he will have me bundled out neck-and-crop just because I didn’t stand aside and curtsey to him as he came down stairs this afternoon. But you know very well that he can’t put his threat into execution—don’t you, Lady Saxondale P” “Mother,” said Juliana, now rising from the sofa and advancing towards that part of the room where this scene was taking place, “‘I hope you will not believe everything that Mabel says agairst Ed- mund: for I must declare that a more insolent woman than this never had existence. She is con- stantly showing her airs to me and Constance; and all the servants of the household hate her.” “Oh! they do, do they?” shrieked forth Mabel, the sharp tones of her querulous voice ringing through the room: “then I will make them have something more to hate me for—and as for you, Miss, I snap my fingers at you.” “Mabel, Mabel!” eried Lady Saxondale, who appeared cruelly tortured by this scene; “I must insist——” “Mother,” interposed Juliana, “ things have come to this pass in respect to Mabel that either you or she must show who is mistress here. For my part, I am resolved not to put up with her insolence any longer:”’—and with these words Juliana walked out of the room, closing the door somewhat violently behind her. “There! you see how I am treated!” cried the woman the instant she was alone with Lady Saxon- dale. ‘ Everybody in the house thinks they have a right to insult me.” “Compose yourself, Mabel,” said Lady Saxon- dale, with a look and accents of earnest entreaty, eee ee # > “Tt is useless for you to give way to these fits of rage a “Rage indeed!” she echoed. “Then why do they insult me—eh? Answer me that—answer me that !” “T must say that you either imagine insults where none are intended, or else draw them down upon your own head. No one, Mabel, would travel out. of their way to put a wanton and unmerited insult upon you.” “Ah! I suppose you are going to turn round upon me now. But you shan’t though,” cried Mabel, with threatening looks and gestures. “ Re- collect, Lady Saxondale, that with a single breath I could blow to the winds all this fabric o He ** Hush, Mabel—hush, for God’s sake! talk not so wildly—so rashly!” exclaimed Lady Saxondale, as she flung a quick glance of apprehension around. “The very walls may have ears——But stay—let us come to some understanding. You are not happy beneath this roof; and over and over again I have offered to provide for youelsewhere. Why will you not retire to some comfortable little retreat, where, witb. a handsome allowance, you can he your own mistress and do exactly what you like?” “ Why don’t 1?” ejaculated Mabel: “for many reasons. In the first place, because I don’t choose to be kicked off like an old shoe: in the second place because I am fond of authority, and therefore mean to keep my post of housekeeper here; and in the third place because I hate certain persons be- neath this roof, and therefore enjoy the opportunity of showing my dislike.” These last words the woman spoke with a fiendish malignity which testified to the abhorrent nature of her disposition ; and Lady Saxondale became deadly pale and trembled in every chord and fibre of her whole being as she listened. “But, Mabel,” she said, subduing her emotions as well as she could, “this is most unreasonable on your part. Do, for heaven’s sake, have some con- sideration for me! What have I ever done to offend you? Have I not treated you with confidence— done all I could to make you happy——” “Come, none of this stuff and nonsense, Lady Saxondale!” interrupted Mabel, who looked as if she were determined not to be appeased in any way. “T just tell you once for all that I mean my autho- rity in this house to be second only to your’s—that I will have that jackanapes of a fellow and that minx Juliana treat me with becoming respect. So you had better tell them to do so; or else I will have my revenge, no matter what are the conse- quences.” The woman had grasped the handle of the door as she thus spoke, and was about to fling out of the room, when Lady Saxondale made a motion for her to remain. “Well—what is it?” demanded Mabel inso- lently. “ You must not—you really must not give way to these humours * * Humours indeed !”—and Mabel burst forth into another tirade, pretty well in the same strain as before. While she was thus giving voluble vent to her perverse and malignant feelings, Lady Saxondale gradually grew grave and thoughtful. Somo idea seemed to be expanding in her mind, and it was ECOMmMIIclboooks (CO)