The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

ee ee 234. which she wiped away the tears which the recital | of her parent’s history drew from her eyes: and Christian, taking her hand, pressed it tenderly. “T do not remember my father,” continued the young maiden, in a soft plaintive voice: “he died when I was only three years old. You may easily suppose that the widow of a lieutenant in the army did not find herself very happily placed in a pecuniary sense. It was for my sake—for the sake of her orphan child—that she wrote imploring letters to her aunt and her brother, beseeching their forgiveness and their succour. I regret to say that so far as forgiveness was concerned, their hearts were closed against her: but her brother the Earl consented to make her an allowance of three hundred vounds a-year. This was at least some consolation to my poor mother : for she knew that her child whom she loved so tenderly, would be beyond the reach of want, and that she would likewise be enabled to give me a good education. Tt was in Lincolnshire that my father died; and it was there that my mother continued to dwell. I was educated, until the age of fourteen, under her immediate supervision: she would not send me to a boarding-school—she could not consent to separate even for a single day from the only joy of her heart! It was when I had obtained that age of fourteen, that this fond and affectionate parent of mine was seized with an illness which speedily threatened to prove fatal. Ah, Christian!” con- tinued Isabella, in a voice so low and tremulous that it was scarcely audible; “never, never can I forget the scene at my mother’s death-bed! It often steals upon me during the day—and comes back to me in dreams by night: methinks that 1 feel the last fond pressure of her arms now around my neck—the last kisses she imprinted upon my cheeks—and the tears too which bathed these cheeks of mine! Then it was that she told me her own past history ; and amidst conyulsing sobs informed me that I should be left in the world dependent upon an uncle whom I had never seen. But I must observe that when her indisposition had first threatened grave consequences, she had written to the Earl of Lascelles, imploring him to send her the assurance that her daughter—so soon to beceme an orphan—would not be neglected. The Earl wrote back to say he would look after my welfare ; and thus my poor mother’s death-bed was not one of unmitigated affliction: she had still the hope that her brother’s promise would be fulfilled on behalf of myself. And while breathing this hope, and invoking heaven’s choicest blessings upon my head, that dear mother of mine surrendered up her spirit into the hands of the Eternal!” Here Isabella again paused; and Christian gently said, “ Do not continue your narrative now : it afflicts you too much.” *“Yes—I will complete it, Christian,’ she an- swered: “for it is a tale which must be some day told to your ears. You may well conceive that the task is a painful one; but being entered upon, itis better to achieve it than to be compelled to renew it at a future period.” Christian recognised the truth of the sweet maiden’s remarks; and she continued in the fol- lowine manner :— “IT wrote to my uncle the Earl of Lascelles, to inform him of my poor mother’s death: he re- mitted me money, and bade me, when the funeral was over, come up to London, where he had secured me a home beneath the roof of a highly respectable family, whom he named. Conceive my distress when I thus learnt that I was an ob- ject of no sympathy with my titled relative—but merely a being for whom he felt himself bound to make an eleemosynary provision so that I should not starve! Instead of hastening in per- son to bestow a paternal protection on the poor orphan of so tender an age, he bade me journey up to London by myself: I was not even to find a home beneath his own roof—but was to be consigned to the care of strangers. Ah! Chris- tian! my first experience of the world was thus sad enough.” “Do not weep, sweetest Isabella!” whispered our young hero, as he now pressed her hand to his lips. Fortune’s aspect has changed towards you —and you are differently situated now.” Tsabella threw upon her lover a look of bashful tenderness ; and she continued her narrative. “T arrived in London—and proceeded at once to the house of the Rey. Mr. Hickman—by whom, as well as by the ladies of his family, i was kindly received. Mrs. Hickman took an early opportunity to make me understand that in con- versation before strangers I was not to claim re- lationship with the Earl of Lascelles, nor on any account was I to speak of the circumstances of my mother’s history.” “ Doubtless the Earl was somewhat ashamed of his conduct towards his deceased sister ?” remarked Christian: “and hence that injunction of seerecy and silence conveyed through the medium of those to whose care he had entrusted you.” “That was the conjecture which I also formed at the time,” rejoined Isabella; “and I have no doubt it was the true one. I remained in the | ——— an Rey. Mr. Hickman’s family for nearly two years, —during which I was well treated; and as Mr. Hickman had daughters of my own age, and a | governess to instruct them, my education was com- pleted under the same tutelage. But Mr. Hick- man died suddenly; and as he left his family but indifferently provided for, they had to go abroad, to accept a home that was offered them at the house of Mrs. Hickman’s brother, who was a mer- chant or banker—I know not exactly which—re- siding on the Continent. The departure took place hurriedly after the funeral; and as I could not of course accompany them under such circum- stances, it became necessary to find me another home. That was the first occasion on which I ever beheld the person who then called himself Mr. Gibson. He informed me that he was the Ear! of Lascelles’ confidential agent, and that he was empowered to provide for me temporarily, until my uncle should make up his mind in respect to other arrangements. Everything was done in a hurry; and by Mrs. Hickman’s recommendation, a lodging was procured for me in the house of her deceased husband’s clerk—where, Christian,’ added Isabella, with a soft blush, “ we first met.” There was another pressure of the hand on the part of the enamoured youth; and he observed, “ But the change from a residence with a genteel family to the abode of those coarse yulgar people ” “JT do not think it was altogether my uncle’s fault,” interrupted Isabella: “and I will presently ae ane COMIC OOOKS. EO =|