The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 309: what you’re looking at

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a thing,” responded Marchmont,—“or in some- thing much worse than nothing: for my discom- fiture was complete—my failure signal perdi- tion take it!” “And will there be any evil consequences? does she threaten law?” demanded Madame An- gelique, quickly. “No, no—we are safe enough upon that score,” rejoined the Duke. *“ Then wherefore look so wild? why appear thus troubled? Your Grace has frightened me sO 93 “T scarcely know what is the matter with me,” answered the Duke. “I too have been fright- ened But no, no—that is all nonsense on my part In a word, I don’t know what I am say- ing. Give me more wine!” “Pardon me, my lord,” said Madame An- gelique, “but I really think you have taken enough.” “Why, you old wretch!’ he exclaimed angrily : “it is wine bought with my money, I'll be bound!” “Well, well, my lord, pray do not get out of temper ;’—and she filled him a tumbler accord- ingly. “This is the elixir that makes man forget his cares and drowns thought!” cried the Duke, affecting a hilarious mood—but it was a feeble and sickly endeavour. “ There!’ he added, “that cheers me—that inspires me !”—and yet an almost ghastly expression of care and anguish swept over his features, Madame Angelique gazed upon him with mingled terror and astonishment. She knew not what tothink. Im spite of the assurance he had given her, she still laboured under the apprehen- sion that some trouble would arise from their defeated projects in respect to Indora. “What ails your Grace?” she asked in an agony of suspense: “there is something unnatural in all this !” “If you said that there was something ex- traordinary and incomprehensible in the eastern lady’s conduct, you would be right enough,” re- sponded Marchmont. “Instead of finding one who was to be easily vanquished Hf “ZT never tcld your Grace that the conquest would be an easy one,” interrupted Madame An- gelique. ‘I warned you that she was a paragon of virtue cs “A dragon you might have said,” replied Marchmont bitterly: “for when I found my way to her chamber, she brandished a dagger in my face :”’—and again did an expression of ghastly horror sweep over his countenance. “Well, my lord,” said Madame Angelique, al- most contemptuously, “and were you not pre- pared for resistance? What! you, a man, to be frightened at a dagger in the hands of a wo- man ?” “ Perdition take you, old beldame!’’ vociferated the Duke fiercely : “how dare you make your in- solent remarks upon my conduct ?” “I crave your Grace’s pardon,” cried Madame Angelique, with an air of irightened humility. “I only fancied that I had prepared your Grace sufli- ciently to expect some degree of resistance i “Silence—and listen!” interrupted the Duke sharply : then with another attempt to affect a gay THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Nr nr a ee ee 303 and hilarious mood, he burst out into a laugh, say- ing, “Come, my dear madam, I was only jesting -—I did not mean to offend you: but your good wine has put me into such spirits—ha! ha!’ and there was sickliness and feebleness in his forced merriment. “Well, my lord, the scheme failed—no matter how. But why—why,” asked Madame Angelique urgently, “has it affected you thus P” — © There is a mystery which must be cleared up,” was the Duke’s response ; “ and vow alone can un- dertake the task. Indora had some ulterior mo- tive which you never penetrated. She is not the credulous inexperienced creature you take her for. She had some design in going to Oaklands: and what that design was, you must discover. A thou- sand guineas if you succeed: but if you fail, you shall never again see me cross your threshold This is plain English: do you comprehend it ?” “Ido, my lord—but I am perplexed and be- wildered :”,—and the woman’s looks justified her words. ‘“ What earthly motive could the lady have had a “ That, I tell you,” exclaimed the Duke pas- sionately, “is what you must find out. While this lady was at Oaklands, she was asling a thou- sand questions—prying into all sorts of things— troubling herself with matters which one would have fancied to be scarcely known to her at all,— in short, Madame Angelique, she had some deep design—of that I am convinced !” The infamous woman reflected profoundly for upwards of a minute; and then she said, “ The only way in which I can possibly learn anything, is through the ayah Sagoonah: but as I have pre- viously informed your Grace, she is a woman of a few words ‘4 “Lavish gold upon her—and it will loosen her tongue,” ejaculated Marchmont. “You have brought me into all these perplexities—and it is for you to extricate me perdition take them !” ‘‘T really am at a loss to comprehend your Grace,” said Madame Angelique, with an air of the most unfeigned surprise. “So long as this eastern lady does not threaten us with law- proceedings, or seek to punish us for anything that has taken place, what earthly reason has your lordship to apprehend that her visit to Oak- lands can involve you in any pefil P” “No matter !” exclaimed the Duke: “there is something sinister in that lady’s proceedings—and I cannot get it out of my mind that so far from being your dupe, she made a tool of you. Pray try and recollect the precise terms in which the subject of that visit to Oaklands was first intro- duced.” Madame Angelique again reflected for a brief space; and then she said, “ Well, I do remember that it was of her own accord she remarked that she had heard of your beautiful seat at Oaklands and should like much to see it. I had just men- tioned your Grace’s name as if quite accidentally, when she made that observation v “Tt is as clear as daylight!” exclaimed the Duke angrily: “you have been outwitted—and I am the victim !” | “The victim, my lord! But how? Your Grace really makes me half inclined to think that there is something more than you suffer me to know; and unless you give me the fullest expla- CONIC OOOLKES2CO