The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 161: what you’re looking at

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Lc I tt rate toilette with complete success: and the part- ing look which she threw at herself in the mirror, brought a smile of triumph to her charming lips. Having put onacloak and bonnet, she descended to the parlour, where her husband was anxiously awaiting her. In order to flatter and put her into as good a humour as possible, he passed some high encomia upon her beauty—that beauty the enjoyment of which he was about to sell to another! Issuing forth from the Manor, Mr. and Mrs. Brad- shaw proceeded along the lane, till they reached the spot where a hackneéy-coach was already waiting. Mrs. Gale was inside: but she descended, ostensibly for the purpose of paying all possible civility to the lady, but in reality to catch a glimpse of her countenance by the moon-light. Mrs, Bradshaw instantaneouly divined her intention, and threw back her veil. An ejaculation of joy burst from the wornan’s lips: and this expression of unfeigned satisfaction on her part struck deep into the lady’s soul as a presage of success in the design which she had formed with regard to the gentleman she was about to meet, “Mind and tell her that he is young and hand- some—and leave the rest to chance,” were the words which Bradshaw hurriedly whispered in Mrs. Gale’s ears, as his wife ascended the steps of the vehicle. The woman gave a nod of intelligence, and put a purse into the hand of Bradshaw, who felt by the touch that it contained notes and gold. Mrs. Gale then beckoned him away: and when he wasa little distance up the lane, she entered the vehicle, which immediately drove away. : Some time elapsed before Mrs. Bradshaw could induce herself to open a conversation with the procuress seated by her side, and for whom she entertained an instinctive loathing: but at length she did volunteer some remark—and, the discourse being fairly entered upon, she put some questions relative to the gentleman she was about to meet. Mrs. Gale launched out into the most fervid eulo. giums upon his elegant manners, his liberal dispo- sition, and his handsome appearance: and she also expatiated upon his wealth and possessions. The subject of his age was not mentioned: but Mrs. Gaie, when pressed relative to his name, positively declared that she was not at liberty to mention it. She however observed that he was unmarried, and volunteered a hint that no doubt the lady (for she affected not to knowit was Mrs. Bradshaw herself) might establish a close intimacy with him if she should feel so inclined. This remarls was not lost upon the frail fair one, who received it as another harbinger of success in the design which she had formed. it was about half-past nine when the hackney- eoach stopped at Mrs. Gale’s house in Suho Square. Mrs. Bradshaw drew down her veil, and was imme- diately conducted by the woman into a handsomely- furnished chamber, where she laid aside her bonnet and cloak, and arranged her hair. Mrs. Gale, who was now able to contemplate her by a light more powerful than that of the moon, was per- fectly astonished by her extreme beauty, and be- came lavish in her adulatory remarks. In fine, everything appeared to promise Mrs. Bradshaw a triumphant success; and, feeling as if she were already emancipated from the tyranny of her hus- THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ee. ee 147 ——— band, she grew radiant with smiles and literally beaming with the transcendent light of her love- liness. Mrs. Gale conducted her from the chamber, across the landing outside: and, throwing open the door of a splendid apartment opposite, re- quested her to enter. Mrs. Bradshaw accordingly advanced into the room—the door closed behind her—and an ejaculation of horror burst from her lips as she found herself in the presence of the Marquis of Leveson. CHAPTER XLIV. THE UNCLE AND NIECE. “ERNESTINA!” exclaimed the Marquis, staggering as if suddenly struck by a hammer: “in the name of heaven what brings you hither? Oh! I dare not—dare not think for a moment——And yet, my God! it must be so!” The nobleman sank upon a seat—covered his face with his hands—and wept like a child. The whole truth was revealed to him all in a moment: it was his niece who had played the meretricious part with the Prince of Wales—his niece who was the heroine of the mystic adventure at Beechey Manor on the preceding Monday night—his niece who had deposited the pocket-book in the vase at his mansion on the memorable Wednesday! And now also it was his niece—his own beautiful, loved niece—the only being in the world that he really cared for—who had consented to sell her charms for gold, and who had come thither expecting to be received in the embrace of a paramour! Vile, profligate, and unprincipled as the Marquis of Leveson was, all these circumstances fell upon him with crushing and overwhelming forece—striking him as it were blow upon blow, as every detail in the train of incidents developed itself in hurried succession to his understanding. And Ernestina—the wretched, guilty, shame- stricken Eruestina,—Oh! never did Indian sealp- ing knife—never did the torture of rack or slow fire, inflict such excruciating anguish as that which she now endured as she threw herself upon her knees at her uncle’s feet, and burst into a flood of the bitterest weeping. And, Ah! if scalding tears could furrow the cheeks and sear the flesh, all her beauty would have been annihilated in a moment by those torrents that now rained hot as molten lead from the eyes which they almost blinded: and never did that superb bosom heave and fall so rapidly or so violently in the transports of love, as it now did in the tortures of immitigable anguish ! For some minutes did the Marquis of Leveson and Lady Ernestina Dysart thus give way to their afflictions: but when the violence of their feelings had partially subsided, they looked each other in the face with an exceeding mournfulness and a profound humiliation. «This is no place for us to linger in, Ernestina,” exclaimed the nobleman, suddenly remembering where they were: and starting up, he said, “ Dry your tears—assume as composed a look as you can—and let not the woman of the house suspect that anything is amiss,” He then rang the bell; and Mrs, Gale herself answered the summous Se sss sss tess sess sss CONnMICOOOLKS iEO