The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 313: what you’re looking at

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

i an a eae ea 2OS THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Se eee ow. ght—the birdth tho melodiouth—quite chawm- | polished affability, assured the applicant that she did ing, chawming.” __ | mot mean to dance any more that evening. He ac- “T have no doubt your lordship enjoyed your ride cordingly bowed and retired. amazingly,” observed Juliana, glancing towards the “ Give me your arm, she said to Mr. Hawkshaw, spot where Hawkshaw stood. ‘ and let us lounge into the card-room and see what TI had my eweam-coloured horth—thuth a thplen- | 1s going on there.’ lid eweature—and he wath tho frithky, Mith Fare- Her companion was delighted ; and as her hand field, I thought he would wun over the common | was gently laid upep hie orm, even that soft »seople in the woadth and fieldth—but he didn’t. feather-like touch appesred ed send an unknown \Wathn’t it conthiderate on hith part? Ah! he’th | thrill of ecstacy through his enure form. They pro- thuth a thagathiouth animal. Do you wide, Mith | ceeded to the eard-room; and after loitering round Farefield ?” the tables, retired to ap inner apartment, where “Oh! yes—oceasionally,” was the response. portfolios of prints lay open upon a table for the “Chawming! chawming! I thall come and feth inspection of those who thought fit to lounge there. you thome mawning, if you are agweeable, to have Juliana seated herself near a console, upon which a wun over the fieldth. I wode thwough a flock of her arm rested; and Hawkshaw remained standing ceeth yethterday—and thuth a hithing, Mith Fare-— by her side. ; field, you never heard. I thought there wath a “It is quite delightful to get away from those thouthand thnaketh in the gwarth, It wath veway heated rooms,” said J uliana. RS The air in the ball- delithiouth—veway amuthing.” room was quite oppressive,—or rather the absence ‘It must have been,” said Juliana. of it was intolerable. You, Mr. Hawkshaw, who In such edifying and delizhtful conversation as | are always accustomed. to the open air, with plenty this did the intervals in the quadrille pass; and | of manly exercise,—-I 9m almost astonished that you when it was over, Juliana, having promenaded two | can endure the stifling atmosphere of apartments _or three times round the room with her partner, | crowded with guests °” , was escorted by him back to her seat. He then * At all events, on the present occasion,” he an- made his bow and retired in the usual manner ; | swered, in a low and somewhat hesitating voice, “ I and the next instant Mr. Hawkshaw was by her | am overjoyed that i came hither this evening.” side. “Tndeed!” exclaimed Juliana, affecting not to “ Why, where have vou been?” she said, as if she understand him. “ And what particular inducement had not been watching his countenance almost the | might you have had?” whole time that she was meandering with the grace; “None to bring me hither— but perhaps some of a Venus and the dignity of a Diana through the | to make me +emain later than I should otherwis« dance. “I really thought you had taken your de- | Lave done:’—~and he now looked at her with a rap- parture, or that you were still with the gentlemen | tare which he could not conceal, and which she could in the dining-room.” not have mistaken, even had she been ten thousand These words came for a moment like a shock | times less experienced than she was. upon Mr. Hawkshaw: for they appeared to bespeak | ‘You are speaking in enigmas,” she observed ; the most perfect indifference on the part of Juliana | but slightly inclining her head, she appeared to be —an indifference, however, which he himself was | playing with her fan. so far from reciprocating! Juliana saw the effect| At this moment three or four ladies from the of her words; and aa 1t was no part of her intention | card-room entered the apartment where the dialogue to throw cold water upon the flame she had already | was taking place, and where it was so rapidly ap- excited, but morely to avoid having the appearance | proaching an interesting crisis; and Juliana in- of laying herself out to ensnare him, she hastened | wardly wished all iniaginable evils on the heads of to speak in other terms. those who had thus interrupted the téte-aA-téte “At all events, I am glad you have found me out | Outwardily, however, she cid not display her vexa~ again,” she said, in a sort of confidential manner: | tion: the discourse became general with those whe “for I have been terribly faticued by the dull plati- | had just entered; and for the rest of the evening tudes of that silly young man who did me the | there was no farther opportunity for Miss Farefield honour of dancing with me; and I quite missed | to draw her admirer out. the lively discourse you and I had at the dinner-| On handing her and Lady Saxondale to their table.” carriage, My. Hawkshaw could not help pressing “Tam rejoiced that you should feel yourself abie | Juliace’s hand; and on returning to his own abode, to pay me such a compliment, Miss Farefieid,” said | it struck him to be so gloomy, lonely, and cheerless, Mr Hawkshaw, now full of rapture again. “ But | that he would have felt quite in desponding spirits, hither comes a gentleman who, I know, means to | had not the image of the beautiful and brilliant ask you to dance :’—and he looked annoyed. Miss Farefield been present in his mind to cheer “Do you not dance?” inquired Juliana, already | him. well aware that he did not. “JT am sorry to say,’ was the response, “that I See en em not sufficiently a lady’s man.” “Well, after all,” observed Juliana, “it is very i Lae insipid: and to tell you the truth { care nothing about it.” At this moment the gentlemar alluded to, ad- | Two days afterwards a travelling-carriage drove up vanced and solicited the honour a her hand in the | to the gate of Saxondale Castle, at about six o’clock next quadrille for which she m) it happen to be | in the evening; and Lady Macdonald, accompanied tisengaged: but Miss Fareticld, vith the most | by Lord Harold Staunton and Lady Florina, alighted HAROLD STAUNTON. eee ————— ee ee . ECOMMICOOOKS . EO) r