The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 276: what you’re looking at

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262 the gentlemen-spies with a peculiar look, “that it was entirely of her own accord.” “ And after full deliberation with Lord Leveson,” observed another of the mouchards. “ And it must be borne in mind that the room in which she is placed,” added the third spy, “is next to that of the handsome young Englishman who chooses to pass under the very euphonious and romantic name of Jocelyn Loftus.” “By all means tell us about this!” exclaimed Jules Martignac. “It seems to be one of the most thoroughly romantic affairs I ever heard of.” “Well,” said the Prefect, now resuming the dis- course, “ I must observe, en passant, that the Eng- lish people, with the disgusting pride and arrogant self-conceit that is so natural to them, are exceed- ingly fond of denouncing the French as being utterly demoralized: but from the very incidents of which we are speaking, and a variety of others which have come to my knowledge, I can assure you my candid and honest impression is that the aristocratic and higher classes of English society are the most depraved, profligate, and licentious in all the world.” “But the afiair of this Julia Owen and Jocelyn Loftus?” exclaimed Jules Martignac, who did not want a lecture upon morals: “is it so very racy?” “ You shall judge for yourself,” replied the Pre- fect. “It appears that this same young gentleman whom we shall still continue to call by his pseudo- nym of Jocelyn Loftus, professes a stoica: degree of virtue which has naturally given great offence in certain quarters, where licentiousness is thereby put to the blush. Now, when the Marquis of Leve- son came over to Paris, it was privately whispered in his ear by Mrs. Ranger, that all the three sisters had become desperately enamoured of Jocelyn— but that Agatha and Emma had vainly attempted | to thaw his ice-cold heart. The Marquis, having a particular reason for breaking down all the ridicu- Jows scruples which have taken such a hold upon Loftus, became much interested in what Mrs. Ranger told him; and summoning the three sisters, he succeeded in wheedling out of the two eldest a confession of all the wiles, manceuvres, and arti- fices which they had adopted to ensnare the object of their passion;—while from young Julia’s lips he elicited the avowal that she had not found an opportunity of trying the effect of her charms, but should rejoice at being enabled to enter on such a love-campaign. The mind of the Marquis was at once made up —his plans were settled—and he pro- ceeded to put them into execution. Agatha and Emma were sent forward with Mrs. Ranger, as I have already told you, to join the Princess Caro- line in Italy: and the Marquis then came to me with a request that Julia Owen might at once be placed in the next room to Jocelyn Loftus. As a matter of course his lordship explained his reasons for a proceeding which at the first glance struck even me as extraordinary. He represented how necessary it was to undermine that stoical virtue which led Jocelyn Loftus into such Quixotic ex- tremes, and which would inevitably lead him, when he regained his liberty, not merely to thwart, but also blazon forth to the whole world the long-con- certed plots and deeply-ramified intrigues that are now in progress relative to the Princess of Wales. It was quite clear, as the Marquis observed, that -_—_— ee _ ———_—_— ——— -— - ———— ———— THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. | Jocelyn knew too much on that point; and the only | way to render him powerless was to retain him in prison, or else drag him down from the pedestal of his exalted virtue. Now, to keep him fora very long time in custody would be to stand the risk of incurring © great scandal: the thing might get mentioned by some Opposition Member in Chamber; and the enemies of the government would make much of it. Therefore, as the Mar- quis reasoned, what scheme could be better than to inveigle the young man within the circle of those temptations to which he was more likely to become susceptible in a state of captivity than when free. * He must be looked upon as a serpent whose sting ishis ViRTUE, said the Marquis: ‘let us rob him of that sting, and we render him powerless. We may thus defy him, whereas at present he is dangerous to a degree. Thus reasoned the Marquis of Leveson; and I not only understood his views, but cheerfully consented to assist them to the utmost of my power. Julia Owen was to be the temptress to allure the young man from the pinnacle of his lofty virtue: she was the sorceress whose spells were to entice him from the pedestal of his exalted chivalry. The first step in the singular drama was therefore to assign her to the chamber next to Jocelyn. This was done—and the girl entered with romantic delight upon the task, all the details and arrangements of which she promptly planned and chalked out. Knowing that it was vain to en- deavour to work at once upon his animal passions, she resolved to appeal to his refined and delicate sentiments. She therefore purposed to introduce herself to him in the light of a heroine—-secure his admiration—-win his confidence—and thus establish herself firmly in his favour before she allowed him to discover who she really was. The char-woman who waits upon the prisoners in that gallery, was secretly ordered by me to further the designs of Miss Julia to the utmost of her power. To be brief, a variety of implements were supplied the young lady, to enable her to excavate an aper- ture in the wall, so that she might obtain entrance into Jocelyn’s apartment. She would thus appear before him as his good genius—the heroine of an adventure promising escape for himself as well as for her " “Ah! then she would be revealing herself too abruptly,’ exclaimed Martignac,— “and before the Legislative | —_ ——— ae eee | | she was well assured of obtaining astrong hold on © his confidence.” “ All this was well weighed, considered, and cal- culated before-hand,” returned the Prefect: “and, as a heroine ought to be a somewhat mysterious charac- ter, in order to inspire a deep interest as well as other engrossing sentiments, Miss Julia purposed to con- ceal her countenance in the folds of a thick veil— to disguise her voice—and to assume the sweetly ro- mantic name of Laura Linden. The plan was altogether well-digested. Conceive an heroic young lady breaking at midnight through the wall intoa young gentleman’s chamber—amusing this young gentleman with some romantic tale to account for her captivity and anxiety to escape—seeking every little opportunity to play upon his senses and be- wilder him with a strange mystification—then hold- ing out to him the promise of immediate fight from dreary prisonage,—conceive all this, I say, and then you will admit that it must indeed be a heart of stone on which such seductive influences could fail COA MIELNOKOLES (C©)