The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 213: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. she vowed that the delay was caused solely by the difficulty of coming to a decision on the point: and she added that the morrow being Sunday, they had resolved to devote the morning to an earnest de- liberation on the course which was to be pursued. Jocelyn was satisfied to wait four-and-twenty hours longer;—and no more was said upon the subject this day- Having visited a theatre in the evening, the party returned to the hotel at about eleven o’clock, as usual; and soon afterwards they sought their respective chambers. But when Jocelyn entered his own apartment, he found a note lying upon the toilette-table: and on examining the address, he perceived that it was in a beautiful female hand- writing. For a few moments he hesitated to break the seal, suspecting that it was a communication from one of the young ladies: but considering, on a second thought, that indiscretion and ingelicacy could scarcely be carried so far, he opened the letter. His charitable conclusion was however doomed to dis- appointment; for the contents of the note ran as follow :— “Tt is absolutely necessary that Agatha and Ishouid have a few minutes’ conversation with you alone, and as soon as possible. I am altogether of opinion that my sisters and myself should retire from the false and pain- ful position in which the influence and intrigues of others have placed us: and for my own partI am re- solved to follow the excellent advice which you so gene- rously, disinterestedly, and kindly gave Agatha. Ina word, Ishall resign my appointment as lady-in- waiting to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. Agatha is also inclined to adopt the same course: but Julia can- not be persuaded to fall into the same view—and Mrs. Ranger is perversely bent in opposing it. This lady watches us narrowly, in order to prevent any private conversation with you upon the subject. To-morrow, immediately after breakfast, we are to hold a consulta. tion; anda decision will be arrived at. But it is ab- solutely necessary that Agatha and myself should have the benefit of further counsel from your lips before this consultation. Will you, then, have the kindness to meet us to-morrow morning at eight o’clock in the Champs Elysées ? “EMMA OWEN.” “Tt may be written in full honesty and sincerity,” said Loftus to himself, as he contemplated the note which he had just perused: “but still I have my misgivings, Nevertheless, I will not prejudge the writer, but will keep the appointment.” 3 CHAPTER LVI. ANOTHER PHASE OF FASHIONABLE DEPRAVITY. CLEAR, bright, and beautiful was the Sunday morn- _ ing, as Jocelyn Loftus issued from the Hotel Meu- rice and bent his way to the shady avenues of the Champs Elysées. This beautiful resort was not above ten minutes’ walk from the hotel;—and on reaching the central avenue, Jocelyn was almost instantaneously joined by Emma Owen. “Where is your sister?” he inquired, with a some- what serious air: for on fiading that she was alone, his misgivings of the preceding night returned with double force to his breast. “ She was so long in dressing that I feared to be late,” responded Emma, with an air of frank sin- cerity: “and as we breakfast at nine, you know, there was not a minute to spare.” “We will at once, then, proceed to the object of | our interview,” said Jocelyn, offering his arm to the | young lady, and leading her gently along the avenue. We must here pause to observe that on the Sun- day morning, in those times as well as at the present day, large numbers of the working-classes were in the habit of proceeding early to the villages in the suburbs of Paris to pass the day in dancing, ram- bling in the woods, water-excursions, pic-nics, and other innocent recreations. There was scarcely a Sunday without a ducasse, or fair, in one of these suburban villages: and the Champs Elysées were © always sure to be thronged in the morning with the pleasure seekers repairing to the scenes of their amusement. Such was the case on the present occasion: and it was evidently impossible to pursue a serious and uninterrupted discourse in the central road of the Champ~ {tysées. Jocelyn was there- fore compelled to «1, “et his fair companion into one of the less frequented paths; and indeed they soon found themselves entirely alone in a secluded avenue of trees. Emma was elegantly dressed, and looked truly beautiful. The morning air and the inward flutter. ing of her feelings heightened the colour upon ‘yey cheeks and appeared to enhance the lustre of hor eyes. Few men could have been stoical enough to resist the artillery of such charms: but Jocelyn loved his absent Louisa with the purest, holiest, and most fervid passion—and such a love is an armour of proof for him who experiences it, “J have read your note with much attention, Miss Owen, and with unfeigned pleasure,” he began, de- termined to take her at her word precisely as she had expressed herselfin hercommunication. “ You have resolved to resign your appointment—your eldest sister is prepared, you tell me, to adopt a similar course—but Miss Julia cannot so easily abandon a post which she doubtless considers to be invested with brilliancy and honour. Mrs. Ranger is obstinately opposed to the course I have pointed out: and she perhaps exercises considerable influ. ence over Miss Julia’s mind, Is this the actual position of the affair?” “It is,” replied Emma: then, gazing up fondly in Jocelyn’s face, she said in a low and tremulous tone, “lt was a fatal day, Mr. Loftus, when you first resolved upon your present enterprise, how- ever generous and even chivalric may have been your motive.” “What do you mean, Miss Owen ?” he demanded, surveying her in astonishment. “JT mean, Mr. Loftus—and I implore you to hear me with attention,’ she cried, grasping his arm firmly with her elegantly-gloved hand, as if she were fearful that he would escape her,—*I mean that you have deprived me of my peace of mind— of all my hopes of happiness in this world! You have extirpated one idea from my soul—but you have implanted another there, which is indelible, You have destroyed the dream of grandeur which I had pictured to myself in connexion with my ap- pointment to the little Court of her Royal High- ness: and you have left in the place of that golden vision the image of yourself. Oh! start not— attempt not to withdraw your arm—you must and you shall hear me!” she exclaimed, with a wild ea Se COM JOOKSAEO im