The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 237: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 231 aught grand or striking in it: and moreover, that | one hand and understood on the other,—recipro- if he meditated mischief, he was unable to conceal | cated too as well as understood, though not a the pettiness of his mind beneath an air of frank | syllable from the lips may pass between the cordiality and kindness. enamoured pair. Thus was it with Christian Ashton “ However,” thought Christian to himself, “no | and Isabella Vincent. matter what his lordship’s motives are, let me In the presence of the Earl, Lord Osmond and think only of the joy afforded by this prospect of | the Countess were exceedingly upon their guard ; passing hours in the society of Isabella !” and as the young nobleman had every reason to be We must observe that Christian had no longer | rejoiced that Christian was now so much brought the slightest jealousy in respect to Lord Osmond. | within the sphere of the family circle, he had not He had often noticed the young nobleman, the | the slightest notion of interfering in respect to the Countess, and Isabella walking together in the | loves of the youth and Isabella. For that such grounds; and had invariably seen that while Os- | an affection subsisted between them, was visible mond and Ethel kept together, Isabella would | enough to any eyes save those of the foolish old either linger behind, or else walk by the side of | Earl, Christian joined them in their rambles in the Countess and not by that of her cousin Adol- | the garden; and as he walked with Isabella, it phus. Thus, although Christian felt tolerably well | necessarily threw the Countess and Adolphus to- certain that Lord Osmond was not thinking of | gether without the risk of exciting any suspicion paying his addresses to Isabella,—yet on the; on the part of the younger pair as to the illicit other hand his naturally pure mind suspected not | intimacy existing between them. Thus was it that for an instant the criminal intimacy which sub- | both Lord Osmond and the Countess had every sisted between that young nobleman and his | reason to be pleased that Christian was so much beauteous mother-in-law. We may here observe | at the house; and for the same motive the young too that Isabella—even more femininely chaste- ! nobleman did not choose to pay any marked atten- souled than one of the opposite sex could possibly | tion to Isabella, even though by so doing he might be—was equally far from imagining that an un-/| the more effectually have lulled the Earl into holy passion subsisted on the part of her uncle’s | complete security in respect to the Countess, wife and son. One day Miss Vincent was to be presented at Two or three weeks more passed away; and| Court at one of the Royal drawing-rooms. The during this interval Christian frequently dined at | Countess of Lascelles, as a peeress, was to intro- the Earl’s table. Lord Osmond and the Countess ; duce the young lady : but when the appointed day were perfectly well aware of the motive for which | came, she was really indisposed and unable to he was thus brought into their society, and treated | leave the houses Isabella’s naturally retiring dis- as an equal in the little family circle: for Make- ; position would have shrunk from this ceremony peace, whom the five hundred guineas had bought entirely over to Lord Osmond’s interest, had failed not to inform the young nobleman of his father’s delectable scheme. Isabella imagined that her uncle was merely displaying these civilities towards Christian in consequence of a disinterested esteem for the youth’s merits: while Christian himself continued as much in the dark as eyer in respect to the whole proceeding on the part of his noble employer. ee) CHAPTER XLIV. YOUTHFUL LOYE. Iv was a serene but profound happiness which the youthful lovers now enjoyed—for lovers they as- suredly were, although as yet no syllable from our young hero’s lip had revealed the affection which he experienced. But the eyes speak a language more eloquent than that of the tongue; and the sympathies of two hearts, pouring forth in re- ciprocal transfusion—gentle and unseen—make mutual revelations which are not to be mistaken. When hand touches hand and the pulses of the two beat quicker—when the gaze of the lover settles in respectful tenderness and bashful admiration upon the countenance of the adored one, as if his eyes would penetrate through the mirror of her own orbs, deep down into her heart’s tabernacle and feast their looks upon the hived sweetness of her own pure love—and when her eyes, modestly sink- ing beneath that gaze, veil themselves with the richly fringed lids,—then is loye’s tale told on the (on this occasion. which to her had the aspect of an unpleasant ordeal: but it was a whim of her uncle’s, and therefore must be gratified. He was resolved that the presentation should take place: and there- fore as the Countess ceuld not assist in it, the Earl speedily enlisted the services of two titled ladies of his acquaintance. The fact is, the old nobleman was getting wearied of his son’s delay— as he thought it—in openly proposing for Isabella’s hand ; and therefore he was resolved to accomplish another of his fine strokes of policy. He fancied that if Isabella were seen apparelled with all the elegance, taste, and richness which were insepara- ble from Court costume, her appearance would be so ravishing that Adolphus could not possibly tor | another moment resist beseeching her to name the | | nuptial day. And truly beautiful indeed was Isabella Vincent | Her glossy dark brown hair, | showering in ringlets upon her shoulders of daz- | zling whiteness, was decorated with a single white | camelia—a fitting emblem of her own immaculate | purity. The dress that she wore—combining the necessary attributes above specified—set off her tall, slender, sylphide shape to the utmost advan- tage: while the fear that she might not acquit herseli properly, heightened the colour upon her cheeks, which made her seem the fairest image of modest loveliness that ever mortal eye rested upon. And to Court Isabella went: but while proceeding thither in the carriage with her lady- chaperons—while ascending the staircase at the palace, in the midst of a throng of all that was highest in rank, most brilliant in beauty, and most eminent in respect to State dignitaries— while passing through the splendid saloons—while —— CORDICLO© (C S (©)