The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

20 ee es ee i THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “Tf my happiness were consulted, Harold, in this matter,” rejoined Florina, the tones of her voice now flowing in that clouded contralto which is ever so touchingly expressive of a deep pathos, ‘the sooner the engagement were broken of the better.” ‘Pooh, nonsense, Flo!” returned Lord Harold angrily. ‘ You know it will be a brilliant thing for you r* “ At all events we will not discuss the question again—nor here,” interrupted Lady Florina, as tears started forth upon the long dark lashes of her superb blue eyes; but she instantaneously wiped them away. | ‘‘ Now, ina few minutes,” said Lord Saxondale, turning again towards his intended, “we shall have the fair debutante. I just now learnt that the reports which have appeared in the news- papers are not a bit exaggerated: and this is a wonder—for the journals do lie so confoundedly. But I am told that in the present case there was really no scope for lying in respect to the beauty of this Signora Vivaldi who is to appear for the first tine to-night.” ‘““ Did you receive that intelligence from the friends in a neighvonring box, to whom you and Harold went to speak a few words?”—and as Lady Florina put this question, there was a gleam of contempt in her looks and a tinge of sarcasm in her accents, as if she guessed full well whither the two young noblemen had really been: but the next moment resuming her wonted serene yet somewhat pensive sweetness of look, as if she felt it was actually beneath her even to appear to notice the circumstance in the most distant man- ner, she observed, ‘' How crowded the house is! It is always well filled: but to-night ia “ Perfectly insufferable!” remarked Lord Saxondale. ‘“ There will be a fine crush on go- ing out presently: and that will be rare and amusing.” ‘Indeed, with your lordship’s permission,” said Florina, quietly, “we will wait till the crush is over ere we take our departure.” | “Just as you like, Flo,” responded Edmund, with a display of familiarity so flippant as to border upon impudence even on the part of an ac- cepted suitor. “Yes, I shall prefer it,” said the young lady, the carnation deepening upon her cheeks. ‘“The house is indeed famously crowded,” re- sumed her intended. ‘‘Won’tshe have a brilliant reception !” he exclaimed, in allusion to Signora Vivaldi, the new danseuse who was to make her first appearance there that evening. ‘ My sisters will be mad to think they didn’t come.” ‘‘ And why are they not here to-night ?” asked Florina. “It was remiss on my part not to in- quire before.” “Oh! that’s explained in a very few words,” responded Edmund. ‘In the first place you must know that my lady mother abominates operas and all that kind of thing; and as she and I hada little tiff this morning, she was less in a bumour than ever to come here to-night. Then Juliana was unwell—and so Constance stayed at home to keep them both company.” “Tam sorry to hear that you had any words with Lady Saxondaley” remarked Florina, in a | serious and even reproachful tone. ‘Why, it was all her fault,” answered the young nobleman. ‘She will persist in treating me eae aa ee ee ‘like a child and I don’t choose to stand it. So whenever she gives herself airs, I always let her know I am uot tied to herapron-strings. In fact, I told her pretty plainly this morning that she must not take upon herself to lecture me any more, a8 I am resolved not to put up with it. But what made her particularly savage, was because I had occasion to remind: her that the rank and the wealth were all on the male side of the family, and that she herself was origivally nothing more than a poor country parson’s daughter.” ‘You do not mean me to believe that you really spoke thus to your mother?” said Florina, looking up at her intended with mingled surprise aud sorrow ; for perhaps the poor girl thought that he who would treat a parent in such amannuer, was not likely to be over particular how coarsely and cruelly he behaved towards a wife. ‘Indeed but I did though,” replied Edmund, with a malignant chuckle, as if it were something to congratulate himself upon; “and because old Mabel interfered I threatened to bundle her neck and crop out of the house. But,ah! whom do I see down there in the pit ?’”’—and as he thus spoke he thrust his quizzing-glass into the socket of his eye, screwing up his face so as to retain it there without the necessity of holding it with his hand. Florina mechanically glanced in the direction towards which Edmund's looks were bent; and as she at once recognised the individual who had attracted his notice, the colour deepened to a richer hue upon hercheeks. Atthe same instant she dropped her fan, which she hastily stooped to to pick up; and a very close observer—had there been one near—might have fancied that it was in the confusion of suddenly excited feelings she thus dropped the fan, or else did it purposely asa pretext for hiding her emotions. “ Well, I never knew that the steady and hard- working Mr. William Deveril was a frequenter of operas,” continued Lord Saxondale. “Upon my word, teaching drawing and music must be very profitable things now-a-days, when they enable their professors to appear in handsome costume at Her Majesty’s Theatre. By the by, Deveril has given you drawing-lessons—has he not ?” ‘He has,” answered Florina, who, having taken her bouquet from the parapet of the box, was now bending over it apparently in deep contemplation of the flowers that composed the nosegay: but suddenly raising her head, she observed, “‘ Since that new style of painting on ivory with fast colours was introduced from Italy a year or two ago, a great many young ladies have gone to school again so far as that beautiful art is con- cerned; and I have been among the number. That is to say, I have taken a few lessons from Mr. Deveril ; and I believe your sisters are doing the.same at the present time ?” ‘ That’s how I came to know the fellow,” re- marked Saxondale contemptuously. ‘ But, by Jove! only look at his impudence! He has actually bowed to us.” The young aristocratic coxcomb turned round disdainfully, not choosing to notice the respectful salutation of a drawing-master; but Mr. Deveril was more than recompensed for the insolent youth’s conduct, by the graceful acknowledgment of his bow which he received from Lady Florina Staunton. ——pr en ee CONnNIELOOOKS (E)