The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 21: what you’re looking at

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ern et ar ene rapid kiss—the lover then concealed himself in the bath—and the lady closed the lid upon him. Scarcely was this done, when rapid steps were heard ascending the stairs; and the lady, having lighted the lamp, untocked the door of her cham- ber. This was a fearful moment of suspense and terror for her—and she trembled to meet the looks of her husband who was approaching. But a few words which he immediately uttered in a kind tone, suddenly relieved her of those excruciating alarms; and she hastily inquired what had happened to bring him home sooner than he had intended. “Do not be frightened, my love,” said the husband, following his beauteous wife into the bed-chamber and closing the door: “but we must leave home instantly! I have ordered the carriage to be got ready—and to-morrow morn- ing we shall breakfast at Dover. Thence we must proceed without delay to France, where we shall have to remain until this accursed busi- ness has blown over.” “What do you mean? and what misfortune has happened ?” exclaimed the lady, now fixing her eyes in mingled astonishment and alarm upon her husband, who was a man of about fifty years of age,—old enough to be her father, —and of somewhot dissipated appearance. “T have killed young Sefton in a duel,’ he observed, in answer to the agitated queries which his wife put to him,—‘a duel fought across the dinner-table at Lord Herbert?’s——” “A duel!” echoed the lady, her blood curd- ling with horror: and her looks involuntarily settled on her husband’s hands to see if they were stained with evidences of the tragedy. “Yes—a duel with pistols—and I shot him through the heart,” he cried, with a sort of fero- clous exultation in his tone and manner: and now his wife observed that his countenance was flushed with drinking as well as with excite- ment. But let us hasten our preparations you must lose no time to dress yourself, my love I am really sorry in the extreme thus to disturb you "t “hen you really intend me to accompany you?” said the lady, with a_half-imploring, half-deprecating look. “Could I not follow you to-morrow—or next day—and in the meantime settle any little affairs which this hurried depar- ture would leave in sad confusion ?” ‘“No, my dear—you will accompany me,” re- plied her husband: and as he gave this answer with a laconic sternness, he flung upon his wife a look which convinced her that any farther re- monstrance would be useless. The lady accordingly summoned hermaid—for in a few minutes both the bed-chamber and the bath-room were thrown into the confusion inva- riably attendant on hurried preparations for tra- velling. Trunks, band-boxes, and portmanteaus were brought in—clothes were scattered about— THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ____= > gcUennng ea en ee = cupboards and drawers emptied of their contents. The lady purposely caused her own trunk to be the entire household wasnow up andstirring: and | _— a ee ee 7 placed upon the bath while it was being packed, so that there might be no chance of the lid’s removal by any accident until after the depar- ture—and then, the frail one hoped, her lover would have an opportunity of liberating him- self. Asa matter of course the lady hurried her preparations as much as possible; and her hus- band was too anxious to start, to create any delay on his side. The carriage drove round to the front door—the boxes Were speedily strapped upon the roof—the valet and the maid who were to accompany their master and mistress, were in readiness—and all the arrangeinents were appa- rently completed. But the lady now lingered in her chamber at the last moment—and her husband was waiting impatiently upon the threshold to escort her down stairs. What did she seek in the cupboards and drawers that she was ransacking ?—what was she searching after amidst the clothes that were tossing about on the floor? The silken ladder, which she had hitherto forgotten in the hurry and confusion of the incidents of the last hour! She dared not leave it behind to be found by the servants who were to remain in charge of the house: for would it not tell a tale—or at least give rise to suspicions—most fatally injurious to herself? But where was it? She felt certain that it had not been packed up by accident amongst her own apparel; and it must conse- quently be somewhere about the room. Burn- ing with the fever of suspense and tortured by alarms, the lady searched in all directions— while her husband, who remained upon the threshold, was becoming more and more im- patient. - “ What are you looking for ?” he demanded. « A ring which I have dropped—one that you gave me,” was the excuse that rose readily to her lips. ‘Never mind it, my love,” he exclaimed, considerably softened. ‘I will purchase you a handsomer one in france.” “But I am resolved to find this,” said the lady. “You can go down—lI will follow you in a moment.” ‘No:—unless I stay here to hurry you on, you will be another hour. I know what ladies are in that respect.” At, this moment his wife discovered the real object of her search—the silken ladder—lying amidst some of the articles which had beén tossed forth from the drawers. An ejaculation of joy fell from her lips—and her husband asked if she had found the ring. “Yes—I see it glittering in the dressing- closet,” she replied: and springing into that place, she lifted the lid of the bath and threw in the silken ladder. This was done as rapidly and as noiselessly as possible. She had no time to look into the eee =.= — eee ee ee im (CO) ElOOOKxS: EO