The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 217: what you’re looking at

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

RL nna THE MYSTEBIES OF THE COURT. to obtain a few minutes’ private discourse with Tsabella. The thought of separating from her had led him to the sudden comprehension of the feel- ing which he entertained on her behalf: he saw that i6 was not a mere friendly interest: a.secret voice, whispering in his soul, told him that it was love. But how obtain a private interview with Isabella P—and even if he succeeded, what did he purpose tosay?P He knew not; and yet he felt how impossible it was for him to go elsewhere without exchanging another syllable with that beauteous creature. He sat with his door ajar, in the hope that he might hear her issue forth from the front parlour,—in which case he would go and meet her in the passage at any risk. Butno: the opportunity served not—the time passed—and at ten o’clock he heard Miss Vincent ascending to her own chamber, Mrs. Chubb closely ivllowing. Christian passed an almost sleepless night: he rose early in the morning—and at nine o’clock was compelled to sally forth and search for another lodging before he proceeded to Mivart’s Hotel to enter upon his day’s duties. He was not long in finding suitable apartments: he gave a reference to Mrs. Chubb, and intimated that he should take possession of the rooms in the evening. Then, with a heavy heart, he repaired to the hotel; but | during the hours that he was engaged in his avo- cations, he was abstracted, and performed them | the moon only in a sort of mechanical manner. ee ee ee Se ee ee oe eee a) be ~— slowly onward to the parish-clerk’s house: Mrs. Chubb herself answered his summons at the front- door, and begged him to step into the parlour. “ Well, Mr. Ashton,” she exclaimed, “ here’s a pretty business! ve lost the young lady and the guinea a week that was paid for her board and lodging—and all through you!” “Through me?” ejaculated our young hero: but his cheeks became the colour of scarlet—for he felt as if the keen eyes of the landlady were penetrating to the inmost recesses of his heart. “Yes, to be sure—through you, Mr. Ashton!” she repeated: “leastways, on your account. I hadn’t ought to have took you unbeknown to that there Mr. Gibson.” “And who is Mr, Gibson ?” inquired Christian, who now thought he might possibly hear some- thing in respect to the mystery which had ap- peared to envelope the object of his love. “Why, Mr. Gibson is the person who put Miss Vincent with me and paid for her board and lodg- ing.” “And how long had Miss Vincent been with you P” “ Not more than three months, or so,” zxejoined Mrs. Chubb; “and it is wery wexing that she should have gone like this. But who on earth she can be, I haven’t no more idea than the man in !?? “But it surely was not this Mr. Gibson’s own At five he retraced his way to Mr. Chubb’s, | carriage ?” wondering whether he should be enabled to obtain } a few minutes’ interview with Isabella,—in which ! upon the box. ease he was more than half resolved to throw him- self at her feet and avow his love: for it had now assumed all the pure passion and chaste fervour of romance. a carriage, with livery servants in attendance, standing at the door of the parish clerk’s house: & man came out, leading Isabella by the hand—and that man was the same with the sinister counte- nance, whom Christian had seen on the preceding day. He assisted Isabella to enter the carriage,— he himself immediately afterwards ascending to the box, and taking his seat as a menial or de- pendant by the side of the fat, gorgeously liveried, powdered coachman. The equipage drove away in the contrary direction from that whence Christian was advancing ; and he stopped short, smitten with grief, as well as with a bewilderment amounting almost to dismay. Isabella was gone: she had not observed him—or if she did notice his pre- sence in the street, she had not dared bestow even a oe upon him:—she was gone, and she was borne away under circumstances which only added to the mystery already enveloping her. She had taken her departure in a splendid equipage ; and the man who had come to fetch her, was evidently a menial. If Christian’s soul were sus- ceptible of any consolation under this infliction, it was to be found in the fact that his mind was re- lieved from the apprehension that the sinister- looking individual was in any way connected by the bonds of kinship with the beautiful Isabella. For nearly a minute did the youth stand in the street, a dozen yards distant from the spot where the carriage had just driven off: he felt asil a dreadful calamity had suddenly overtaken him—as if a gulf had abruptly opened, separating him from the object of his love. At length he moved But as he entered the street, he beheld ! | he awaited the reply. “ Tn course not !—or else he wouldn’t have got To think that Miss Vincent, who lived here for a guinea a week, should have had a carriage sent to fetch her away——~” “And where is she going to?” interrupted Christian, his heart palpitating with suspense as “ Ah! that’s quite unbeknown to me,” responded Mrs. Chubb. ‘“ Mr. Gibson was always precious close; and Miss Vincent herself never said a word about any relations or friends that she might have. But I always thought that there was some little mystery about the young lady. She lived for a lone time with Mr. Hickman—our clergyman that was ;-and when he died it was through his widow’s recommendation that Mr. Gibson put Miss Vincent with us—Chubb, you see, being parish-clerk.” “And how long did Miss Vincent live in the clergyman’s family ?” asked Christian. “Very nigh two year,” rejoined Mrse Chubb. “She was fourteen years old when she was tust put in Mr. Hickman’s family. She was in deep mourning—for her mother had just died; and lL did hear it whispered that she was a lady of title —but I don’t know how true it may be, for Miss Vincent never spoke to me about her family. And to tell you the truth, when Mr. Gibson put her here, he hinted that she was somewhat peculiarly sitiwated, and that me and Chubb was never to bother her with no questions.” “Then it would appear that this Mr. Gibson was only the agent for some one else?” remarked Christian : “ and this some one else is evidently the person, whether gentleman or lady, to whom the carriage itself belongs. But what did you mean,” he hesitatingly inquired, “by saying that it was through me you have lost her P”—and as Christian put the question, he felt a sad, sad tightening at the heart. “ (EO) 0)(0)©) S CO)