The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

34 TUE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. _—~— of Lords, and being asked whither he was going, he would not immediately reply—it was possible he might be on his way to the one place or the other—but he would not pledge himself to the fact he would rather not compromise himself by she assurance that it was so—many things might happen in the interval. Indeed, Lord Petersfield had a holy abhorrence of all downright questions, aud never could give a prompt or straightforward auswer. He even once, when accosted at a party aid asked if he were not Lord Petersfield, looked positively dismayed at such a pointed question, replying that he did not exactly kKnow—he had not considered upon it—he would rather not com- promise himself—he might be Lord Petersfield— it was possible — but still no man ought to be called upon to answer in a hurry a query of such grave personal importance. Nay, it was even whispered that when his lordship (who married late in life, conducted his intended to the altar, and was asked “ whether he would take that woman to be his wife,” his countenance grew awfully grave and his looks profoundly solemn, while he assured the clergyman that he was not prepared to s'eak decidedly upon the point—he did not like to compromise himself—and had a very particular aversion to such pointed queries. Such was Lord Petersfield, one of Lady Saxon- dale’s guests on the occasion of which we are writing. Mr. Marlow, Edmund's other guardian (of the firm of Marlow and Malton), was also invited; and a very different person he was from his colleague in the trusteeship. For precisely as Lord Petersfield was slow, pompous, and heavy, -was the solicitor quick in action, glib in speech, and volatile in motion. When the door was thrown open and his name was announced, he rushed in allin a flurry, just as if he were late for an important case coming on before the Judges at Westminster; and in the space of three minutes he would talk more than Lord Petersfield ever spoke in three years. A quick succession of guests soon followed the arrival of Lord Petersfield and Mr. Marlow,— —Lords and Ladies, Right Honourables and Ho- nourables—in short, a brilliant company to the number of fifty: for this was a very grand dinner- party that Lady Saxondale was giving on the present occasion. Lord Harold was amongst the guests: but it was not till the very last minute, and just as Lady Saxondale was beginning to despair, that Edmund made his appearance. It was now just five minutes past seven o’clock, and Lady Saxondale, who liked to be very punctual, felt happy as she glanced around, and rapidly counted to herself all the guests who were present, saw that their number was com- plete. That elegant-looking page whom we have especially noticed in a preceding chapter, now en- tered the room, and gliding noiselessly over the thick carpet, approached his noble mistress, who, fancying that he- came merely to receive the usual order to serve dinner upatonce, noddedin a significant manner to that effect. But it appeared that the page’s object in accosting Lady Saxon- dale at the moment was of another kind: for he bent down and whispered, “ Please, my lady, a woman is waiting in the hall to speak to your ladyship upon very importaut. business.” “Did you not give her a proper answer ?” asked Lady Saxondale, in a low tone, but with —e an angry look, as if she thought the page had not done his duty. “T assured the woman,” was the whispered response, “ that your ladyship would see no ona now ; but she desired me to say that she must have an interview if only for a minute, without delay too, for she has got to be quite at the other end of London by nine o'clock. Please, my lady, those are the woman’s own words.” Lady Saxondale seemed struck by an astonish- ment not unmingled with dismay at this intelli- gence, and for a moment she hesitated how to act—murmuring to herself, “* Who can it possibly be?” Then suddenly making up her mind, she said, “Go and show the woman into the parlour down stairs, and I will come to herina moment.” None of the guests overheard this rapid and brief colloquy between her ladyship and the page: nor was the emotion of the former, on re- ceiving so insolent a message, observed by any one present in the drawing-room, save her elder daughter Juliana—and this young lady’s atten- tion was only drawn to the incident by the cir- cumstance that from under her long eye-lashes she was bending stealthy and sidelong glances towards the beautiful page the whole time that he was in the room. ‘I'‘hus was it that Juliana was led to observe that something had trans- pired to vex and alarm her mother: but though suddenly animated with a deep curiosity to learn what it was, she did not dare follow her parent» from the room for the purpose. Lady Saxondale, with a gracious apology to those guests who were seated near her for her being compelled to leave them for an instant, quitted the apartment, and proceeded down stairs to the room where the obtrusive visitress was waiting to see her. Her ladyship remained absent for about a quarter of an hour, during which in- terval Juliana was puzzling herself to conjecture what on earth it could be that had thus evidently troubled her mother. Atthe expiration of that time Lady Saxondale returned to the drawing-room ° and still from beneath her long dark lashes did Juliana intently watch her mother’s countenance She at once saw that it was pale, and bore the traces of very recent agitation—an agitation, too, which was evidently still heaving within her ladyship’s bosom, but all outward appearance of which she was endeavouring with a mighty effort to conceal. Returning to her seat, she at once entered with high-bred ease and graceful courtesy into the topic of the conversation that was going.on around her; but in the tones of her mother’s voice the keen and cunning Juliana per- ceived the evidences of that inward trouble which she had already observed reflected in her looks. Dinger was announced; and the aristocratic throng proceeded to the banquetting-room, which presented a magnificent appearance to the eye. It was comptctely flooded with the dazzling lightshed from two lustres eachcontaining at least forty wax- candles; the table literally groaned beneath the massive services of plate; andtwenty domestics in corgeous liveries were in attendance. The dinner passed off as all such banquets in high life usually do—that is to say, heavily,—all realenthusiasm of feeling and true sense of enjoyment being weighed down and chilled by the petrifying influence of formality. Lord Petersfield was, if possible, more reserved, guarded, and cautious in all hesaid and CORMICOOOKS . EO)