The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 212: what you’re looking at

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In that hour much may be done.” “But what can we do?” inquired the three sisters, as if in the same breath, “If we persist in continuing our journey to join the Princess,” proceeded Agatha, “ Jocelyn Loftus wis. hasten on in advance and poison the mind of her Royal Highness, so that we shall be dismissed in ignominy when we seek her presence: and to abandon the enterprise without a struggle, would be to compel our return in equal ignominy to London.” * Agatha,” said Mrs. Ranger, fixing her eyes with a peculiar but unmistakable meaning upon the eldest girl, “were there no means by which you could have silenced this moralizing babbler? Ah! if I were of your age and possessed such sweet lips as yours, they should have been employed as a seal to set upon his mouth.” “ He is beyond temptation,” replied Agatha, the blood rushing to her cheeks and suffusing its crim- son glow on her neck and shoulders, down to the very hemispheres of her bosoms. “Ah! 1 understand,” said Mrs. Ranger, now observing the luxurious exposure of Agatha’s charms and comprehending the motive. “ We must adopt another course. Sit down at once and pen a few lines to your mother—tell her what has happened—demand her immediate counsel—and say that we shall remain in Paris for her instruc- tions. I will in the meantime go myself and arrange with the proprietor of the hotel for a courier to become the bearer of the letter, as we cannot wait the delays of the ordinary post.” “But Jocelyn must not know that we are despatching a courier to London,” observed Aga- tha. “At least, it would be better that he should not——” “Leave the affair in my hands—and lose not a moment in penning your letter,” said the old Hecate of iniquity. “In half-an-hour it must be ready.” She then left the apartment. “And so Jocelyn was proof against your witcheries ?” exclaimed Emma and Julia, the in- stant the door closed behind Mrs. Ranger, “His heart is of stone to ws,” was the emphatic response: “but he loves another. For my part, I have done with him—at least I think so—and yet he is so agreeable as a companion, that I should be sorry to lose him altogether from us.” “Well, my turn is now come to lay siege to him,” cried Emma, her looks glowing with the animation of hope, Agatha now began to write the letter to her mother: and in about twenty minutes it was con- cluded. Mrs. Ranger soon afterwards made her ap- pearance, followed bya French courier, ready booted and spurred: the despatch was delivered to him— and he instantaneously took his departure. At six o'clock the dinner was served up—and _ Jocelyn made his appearance, Mrs. Ranger and mm | ee LLL LLL the girls were less cheerful than hitherto: but there was no alteration in the friendly tone of their manner towards himself. Indeed, a glass of champagne presently restored them all to some- thing near their wonted liveliness;—and after dinner Jocelyn escorted them to the theatre, They returned to the hotel at about eleven o’clock, and sought their chambers, The following day—(this was Wednesday, and the same on which Venetia and Sackville were married in London)—was passed in visiting the various exhibitions and public buildings that re- | mained to be seen. Nota word was spoken rela~ tive to the all-important matter then pending: but Jocelyn remarked that Agatha did not seem 80 anxious as betore to keep near him when they were walking, or sit next to him in the carriage which was hired for the excursion ;—whereas it was now Emma who monopolised his arm and en- grossed to herself all the attentions which the rules of courtesy compelled him to display. The next day (Thursday) was passed in a similar manner,—still nothing more being said about the important topic of Jocelyn’s discourse with Agatha —and Emma still constituting herself the monopo- list of his attentions. The ladies all seemed to be a trifle less cheerful than at first : and it was there- fore evident that the affair had made some impres- sion upon them. But why they took so much time to arrive at a decision, Loftus could not imagine. If he were however at a loss on this point, he had no difficulty in observing that Emma was as- sailing his heart with a thousand little seductive wiles and insidious fascinations: but he seemed to take no notice thereof—and he assuredly gave her no encouragement. This same Thursday brought letters from England—some for the Misses Owen; and others for Jocelyn. The former, written by the young ladies’ mother, made them acquainted with the burglary which had taken place on the pre- ceding Sunday at Richmond, and the death of the footman. ‘The correspondence for Loftus was from his beloved Louisa, who gave him the fondest and tenderest assurances of her unalterable at- tachment. Before Jocelyn retired to bed that Thursday night, he read Louisa’s letters over and Over again, and sate up late to pen her a long epistle in reply. He stated frankly that he was still in company with Mrs. Ranger and the Misses Owen-—that he had broken the ice with regard to the object of his visit to the continent—and that he hoped to succeed in inducing Mary’s sisters to abandon their nefarious enterprise of their own accord, without compelling him to expose them to the Princess of Wales. The following day (Friday) was passed in the same manner as the two preceding days; and Saturday was slipping by in a similar way, when Jocelyn thought it high time to express his hope to Agatha that a decision would be promptly an- nounced to him. He accordingly found an oppor- tunity of mentioning the subject apart to her; —and she at once assured him that on the morrow he should receive a final answer. A suspicion which he had already conceived, to the effect that the ladies were awaiting instructions from Eng- land, now became strengthened in his mind: and he frankly stated his thoughts to Agatha. But — Owes nnn CU TIE eee with an appearance of the most ate) jive svere) aS,