The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

ce A NP A A I ET UN aS r eNR ——— ee ee eg eee ee ern INES 62 suitable acknowledgements to her deliverer: but of her hand had sent with electrifying effect - when she heard the libertine who had insulted her, using threatening terms, talking of satisfaction, and declaring that her defender should hear from him, the proceeding assumed a significancy which, inexperienced as the young girl was in the ways of the world, nevertheless sent the thought flashing into her mind that a duel would possibly be the result of the occurrence. A mortal terror accord- ingly seized upon her: for to this innocent and pure-minded being it seemed shocking to a degree that two human lives should be thus risked on her account, and one of them the life of her gallant de- liverer. Lord Octavian Meredith turned towards the beautiful stranger, and expressed his hope that she was now recovering from the terror into which the incident had plunged her. “ A thousand thanks to you, sir,’ she answered, in a tremulously murmuring voice, “for your ge- nerous behaviour. But did I rightly interpret the words which that rude person uttered? Oh, sir !” she continued, an expression of more than erief—for it amounted to a positive anguish, ap- pearing upon her countenance as she raised her fine dark eyes towards Octavian Meredith,—“ I beseech—I implore that no hfe may be risked i “ Tranquillize your fears,’ interrupted the young nobleman, in the gentlest and most sooth- ing tones of his naturally harmonious voice. “The man who could thus insult such a one as you, must be in his heart a coward; and even should he, through fear of the world’s scorn, dare me to a duel, rest assured that I will chastise him.” “ Good heavens!” murmured the young girl. all her worst fears being thus frightfully confirmed: 17? “ you will risk your life “Ts it indeed a matter of interest to you that [ should take heed of my own safety!’—and in putting this question, Octavian Meredith was irresistibly carried away by those feelings which he had originally experienced towards the lovely unknown, and which were now resuscitated more vividly than ever. “Can you ask me, sir,” she said, still speaking | murmuringly, and tremulously, and with afiliction | in her looks,—“ can you ask me if it be a subject of consequence whether lives are to be hazarded ? Oh! the bare thought is shocking!’ — and under the influence of overpowering feel- ings, she laid her hand upon Meredith’s arm, gazing up entreatingly into his countenance as she exclaimed, ‘‘ For heaven’s sake, accept not the defiance of that man whose conduct has placed him utterly beneath your notice !” The touch of that beautiful girl’s hand—light though it were, and gloved though the hand itself was—sent a thrill of unknown pleasure through | the entire form of Octavian Meredith. He | perienced feelings such as he had never experienced | in respect to Zoe; so that with the rapidity of | lightning did the conviction flash to his mind that he had deceived himself as to his real sentiments + ee ee ee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. through his entire being. He comprehended all in amoment that his happiness was wrecked by the circumstance of having wedded another; and in a paroxysm of irrepressible emotion, he raised his hand to his brow. “ Ah! you yourself, sir, are smitten_with horror at the thought of being placed in a position to take the life of a fellow-creature !”—and the young girl, thus very naturally mistaking the cause of his excitement, clasped her hands entreatingly as she went on to exclaim, “Tell me that you will not accept that bad man’s defiance! Pardon this importunity on my part—but believe me, it would make me very, very wretched indeed !” The nature of this colloquy—the close contact into which it brought Meredith and the lovely stranger—the variations of feeling and emotion which the circumstances developed on her part,— all contributed to display her beauty in different lights, and to afford him a reading into the inno- cence, the generosity, and the kindness of hex soul. If he had felt himself attracted towards her on those few occasions when he kad casually passed her in the street, when he had neither spoken to her nor heard the sound of her voice, and had only obtained transient glimpses of her charms,—how much more deeply was he interested in her now that she was there close to him—that he could look into the depths of her fine dark eyes —that he beheld the pearly whiteness of her teeth —that he had leisure to examine every feature of her ,beauteous face—and that a glance rapidly wandering over her figure, confirmed his previous impression of its exquisite symmetry, promising admirable developments—and when, too, her pure breath fanned his very cheek, as under the in- fluence of her feelings she besought him to abstain from the threatened duel! Zoe was forgotten— or if not absolutely forgotten, remembered only as one to whom he had indissolubly linked himself, and who thus stood as a barrier in the way ol the crowning happiness of the real love which he ex- perienced. Then tvo flashed to the mind of the young man the sickening conviction that despite all his sophistical reasonings at the time, he had literally and actually sold himself for Armytage’s wealth: whereas, on the other hand, he felt that he could have been content to inhabit the humblest residence, if it were shared by this beauteous being who was now before him. Such were the feelings and thoughts conjured up all in a moment in the mind of Lord Octavian Meredith, as the charming stranger continued her appeals. For an instant he had flattered himself that these appeals arose from a tender interest which she herself experienced in him: but he had quickly seen, by her answer to that question which he had put, that her entreaties arose merely from a’ sense of duty and gratitude towards a fellow- creature who had behaved nobly on her behalf. “Will you not promise me,” she said, “ that this menaced duel shall not take place ?” “Yes, yes—I promise you,” he responded in respect to her who had become his wife, and quickly, in order to tranquillize her fears—though that he loved her not as he now felt he loved | without having the intention of keeping the the dark-eyed, raven-haired being who was before | pledge if the threatened satisfaction should be de- him. ‘This conviction caused him to experience a | manded. strong sensation of anguish, which instantaneously « Ah, sir!” persisted the young girl, who, artless followed upon the thrill of pleasure the light touch | and unsophisticated though, She werp., OS, neers (COTAN