The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

—$_—_—.. = rE rn 14 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. oS 2 et eee Sir Wiliam and Lady Lomax and their three lands—were introduced. But still there was one daughters—who were present, you know, at the happy ceremony which made you mine—are like- Wise coming to pass a week with us. Tell me, dear Eliza—are you pleased with these arrange- to arrive whose appearance Eliza deeply dreaded. This was Lord Clandon. When at Oxford, she had never seen Hugh: she was likewise aware that Bertram had never breathed to his brother a ments P” syllable of their love; and it was not therefore The Duke studied his utmost to render himself through fear that this would be betrayed to the and all his plans agreeable to his young bride; Duke, that the Duchess dreaded to encounter and with her habitual amiability, she expressed her | Lord Clandon. But she thought to herself that if gratitude and her satisfaction. Lord Clandon bore a resemblance to the lost. Ber- “ And there is another guest too, whom we may | tram, her presence of mind would be put to the expect this evening in time for the dinner-hour,” ; sorest, severest test it had as yet experienced, and continued the Duke. “My nephew, Lord Clan- | she would have to pass through an ordeal fraught don, who has just returned from a long Conti- | with anguish and mental agony to which the tor- nental tour, has written to offer his congratulations tures of the rack were paradise in comparison. on my marriage, and to express his earnest desire | But the dinner-hour came—and Lord Clandon to pay his respects to my beautiful Duchess. The | made not his appearance. After waiting some letter is altogether nicely and prettily worded— | time, the Duke decided that the banquet should with a manly generosity and frankness too, for | be served up. It wasso—the ladies in due course which,” added the Duke almost involuntarily, and | adjourned to the drawing-room—where in another in a sort of musing strain, “I should scarcely have | hour they were joined by the gentlemen. It was given Hugh credit. However,’ he went on hastily | now past nine o’clock; and Eliza was just con- to observe, as if ashamed at having thus betrayed | gratulating herself that the dreaded meeting would even the slightest fear as to the impression which ; be postponed until the following day,—when the his marriage might have made upon his nephew,— | sounds of an equipage dashing up to the front of “J have answered him kindly, and invited him to | the mansion, reached her ears. Now she sum- Visit us.” 'moned all her fortitude to her aid—all her presence Again did the mention of that name of Clandon | of mind. Sir William Lomax — a tall, thin, eall up with painful vividness the memories of the | aristocratic-lookmg man, far advanced in years— past—those memories which were in reality never | was conversing with her at the time; and this absent from Eliza’s mind, but which unless thus | perhaps was fortunate for her,—inasmuch as if stirred up, floated only with the sereneness of re- } younger and more penetrating eyes had been fixed signation, as a sort of perpetual under-current of | upon her countenance, the evidences of a strong the thoughts. Yet though thus strongly agitated | inward trouble might have been read. The within, her countenance betrayed nothing of what | drawing-room door was thrown open; and a she felt. domestic’ announced in a loud voice, “ Lord In the course of the afternoon Mrs. Bailey’s | Clandon.” travelling-chariot dashed up to the grand entrance The Duke greeted his nephew warmly;. and of Oaklands ; and Eliza was clasped in the arms of | there was something in his cordial clasp of the her father. He mistook the filial enthusiasm of | hand which seemed to convey a heartfelt gratitude her embrace for an evidence of complete satisfac- | for the generous, frank, and magnanimous manner tion and happiness on account of the alliance | in which Hugh had expressed himself with regard which she had formed; and whatsoever apprehen- | to a marriage which he had in ‘reality so little sions had previously filled his mind on that score, | reason to like. For Lord Clandon, in default of were dissipated in a moment. But when Eliza | issue, was the hew to the estates and title of came to regard Captain Lacey attentively, she per- | Marchmont; and this allianee on the part of his ceived that he was looking exceedingly iul—andj} uncle with a young wife only just twenty-one that the smiles which her presence and his own | years of age, naturally gave every promise that relieved thoughts conjured up, beamed upon aj Hugh’s hopes and expectations would be disap- countenance that was thin, haggard, and care- | pointed. worn. She comprehended all that he must have “Welcome, my dear nephew, to Oaklands,” felt on her account—his deep amxiety lest his | said the Duke. “And now permit me at once to parting injunctions should have been disregarded, | present you to one to whom you are anxious to and that she might have betrayed the past when | become known.” made aware of the family into which she had| Eliza had not dared fling even a single glance married. Pained by his appearance, she lavished | towards the door when it opened. She rose from upon him the most tender caresses; and the old | her seat, and stood motionless,—a wild excitement man’s happiness now appeared as complete.as the | in her mind, but with all the outward appearance pride of his ambition had already been. As for} of the unstudied grace of a serene and dignified Mrs. Bailey, it was a proud thing for her to be | self-possession. There was confusion in her bram enabled to salute a Duchess as her relative; so!—a veil before her eyes: Sir William Lomax was that in the increased consequence and importance | saying something to her—she knew not what it which it gave her, she found infinite reason for | was. His voice and the voices of al! the others self-congratulation at having taken the Captain | in the room, seemed like an unintelligible blending and his daughter by the hand in the moment of | of humming, droning sounds. She heard persons their need. : approaching her: then her husband’s voice said, A little later in the afternoon Sir William and | “ Eliza, I have pleasure in introducing my nephew, Lady Lomex, with their three daughters, arrived; | Lord Clandon.” and as the dinner-hour drew near, several other All in an instant she became vividly, fright- guests—dwellers in the neighbourhood of Oak- | fully, terribly aware of the necessity of exertmg eee ee ee ——EEEE———————————e —— ee a le oon = rr eConmicloooks., e@