The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 293: what you’re looking at

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

found the ayah accessible to bribery on the very first occasion when I dropped her a hint that a great nobleman had fallen in love with both her- self and her mistress: but she isa strange creature in her way—for she at once declared that her mistress should have the honour of your Grace’s preference, and that she herself would be content to assist in the enterprise.” “Ts her mistress at all gay?” inquired March- mont: “has she been brought over to this country by some wealthy nabob, who by dying or on leaving her, has enriched her ?” “ Nothing of the sort, my lord!” cried Madame Angelique: “she is a paragon of virtue and pro- priety. This much the ayah assured me,—giving me tv understand that the astutest artifice and the most unscrupulous force must be employed for the vanquishing of that stubborn virtue of hers.” - “Then methinks it is a somewhat difficult task?” said the Duke, helping himself to another glass of wine. “By no means, my lord!” rejoined Madame Angelique. “The train for the artifice is laid: it will be for you to use the violence. I have managed admirably—and success is certain.” __ * But what in the name of heaven,” cried the Duke, “is the lady doing in this country? Surely you must have learnt some particulars sali “‘The ayah is a woman of few words—speaks only to the point—and is by no means disposed to waste her breath in unnecessary communications. I could obtain nothing more from her,” continued Madame Angelique, “than what was absolutely necessary for the carrying out of our aims. Listen, my lord. I ere now informed your Grace that fortune favoured me—and it was so. Assisted by the ayah, I obtained admission to the lady; and the conversation took such a turn—no matter how —that I came away with the thorough under- standing that she is to visit Oaklands tor a few days a “What! have you made her believe she is to be the guest of the Duchess and myself?” exclaimed Marchmont, evidently at a loss to comprehend the milliner’s proceeding. “Quite the contrary, my lord! The lady sup- poses that you and the Duchess will not be there at all—but that out of kindness she is to be per- mitted to make your country-seat her home for a few days; and in her ingenuousness,” added Madame Angelique, with a mocking air, “ she has been led to fancy that it is quite customary in this country for a nobleman thus to place his man- sion at the disposal of a foreigner of distinction, no matter whether male or female.” “Well, but what plan do you suggest?” asked the Duke: “for I, cannot for the life of me & “listen, my lord! The lady will go alone to Oaklands: of that I am confident ;—and what is more, she has provided herself with a quantity of European dresses so that she may not have an extraordinary appearance. Of course her Grace the Duchess will remain ignorant that the lady is at Oaklands: but what is to prevent your lordship from finding your way there late some evening, and entering stealthily? You find the bird in your own cage—and what is more, she has flown voluntarily thither. She must succumb; and then it will be for your Grace to convince her of the impossibility of her inyoking the law to punish | THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. te = : you. For how will the matter stand? ‘Here isa lady, who has lived long enough in England and speaks the language well enough to comprehend all its customs, proceeding of her own accord to your country-seat—leaving her servants behind her —discarding for the time being her own habitual costume—having English dresses made expressly for the purpose,—why, who on earth would believe her tale if she were to proclaim that she had been inveigled into a snare? Shall not I be ready to stand forward to give my own version of the manner in which the arrangement was effected between herself and me?—shall I not at once boldly affirm that I was a messenger of love from your Grace to her—and that she accepted the overture. and went to the appointment? Make her understand all this, my lord—and rest assured that she will rather seek to veil her shame as closely as possible, than to expose it uselessly.” *'Yes—the plot is admirable!” exclaimed the Duke; “and you are the most accomplished of useful women. But when is the affair to come off ?” “T will write to the lady to-morrow,” responded Madame Angelique; “and I have no doubt that on the day after she will repair to Oaklands. It is for your Grace to despatch a messenger with suitable instructions, so that she may be received by the servants in the light of an honoured guest at whose disposal the entire establishment is to be placed so long as it may suit her to sojourn there.” “T will send off the necessary instructions the very first thing in the morning,” responded the Duke. “ And now, to discourse upon another sub- ject—what about Lettice Rodney ?” “Ah, the ungrateful wretch!” cried Madame Angelique, with an indignation that could not possibly have been greater if 1t were based on the most honest grounds: “to serve me in such a way after all I had done for her !” Well, but what has become of her?” inquired the Duke. “That is exactly what I should lke to ascertain —but she has been spirited away, no one knows where. They say she is penitent. Penitence in- deed !’—and with as much disgust as if it were a heinous crime the bare idea of which thus excited her, Madame Angelique screwed up her coun- tenance into a strange contortion. “Well, relieve your feelings with a glass of wine,” said the Duke. Madame Angelique followed his Grace’s counsel ; and went on to exclaim, “ Who would have be- lieved it? Most people, when their girls get into trouble, leave them to get out again as best they may. But here was I—with a sense of humanity which no doubt was carried to an extreme,—here was I, my lord, rushing off to Liverpool to see the wretch, and to offer to find her lawyers, and coun- sel, and all that sort of thing—on condition that she kept my name out of the question: but the prison-door was banged in my face—and I was told that Lettice Rodney did not want to see me. Not want to see me!—me, her very best friend ! and now I hate her so that I could scratch her eyes out if she came across me!” “But have you no idea,” inquired Marchmont, “who was at the bottom of all those proceedings on her behalf? The newspapers spoke of in- fluential friends~” E@® JOO S (E(0)