The Seamstress; or, The White Slave of England — page 110: what you’re looking at

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

-and proper. THE SEAMSTRESS. 103 eighteen months ago, as near as I can recollect ;— | and now, within the last few weeks, he has turned | up again, better off than ever he was—at least, to. all appearances.” * Andis that splendid creature his wife ?” “T don’t know: but I should think not. See —the attentions which he pays her are not those | of a husband: nor does she receive them with the manner of a wife. She is evidently his mistress ?’: “But if you know Mr. Lovel, why do you not) hasten to his box, renew your acquaintance with | him, and procure an introduction to the lady, who- | | ever she may be?” “ Because Captain Lovel and myself had a serious quarrel about a couple of years ago—and since that period we have never spoken.” “Captain Lovel! I thought he was simple Mr. Lovel—and still better known as plain Tom Lovel ?” * Ah! but I understand that since he has turned up again within the last few weeks, he has adopted | the distinction of Captain—doubtless on the strength of that fine pair of moustaches. He keeps a carriage and pair—a tiger and a valet— and has taken a beautiful little villa at Brompton, where he lives with that lady.’’’ * You appear to know ali about him.” “T accidentally learnt these particulars yester- day: but my informant could not tell me whether Captain Lovel was married to that lady or not. She however passes as his wife But the cur- tain is falling on the first piece, and I shall step into the saloon to procure some refreshment.” From the preceding dialogue our readers will have obtained some little insight into the character of the moustached gentleman, whose name ap- peared to be Lovel, and who had recently prefixed thereto the distinction of Captain. But if we now introduce our readers into the private box where the Captain is seated with his lady, we shall perhaps glean from their discourse a little farther knowledge concerning them both. “You are looking splendid to-night, my dear Julia,” said Lovel, in a flattering tone, as he bent towards her. “There is nota lady in this tier of boxes who is not dying of envy and jealousy at the sensation your appearance has made. All the gen- tlemen are gazing upon you—and they doubtless think me a lucky dog.” “But do you consider yourself at all enviable, my dear Tom?” inquired the lady, with a smile which had as much sensuousness as archness in its expression. “To be sure I do, my love,” answered the Cap- tain, in a whisper, as he fastened his eyes gloat- ingly upon the superb countenance of his com- panion. “J often think what a lucky fellow I was to fall in with you at the hotel at Bou- logne——” “And I am sure I shall never forget how gene- rously you came forward to relieve me from the eruel embarrassment in which I was placed,” added Julia. “No generosity at all, my darling,” Captain. | replied the “The whole proceeding was quite natural I happened to learn, from the dis- course of the waiters, that there was an English lady in the house who could neither pay her bill nor talk French; and as I could do both, I sent up my card, You granted me an interview—we were pleased with each other—an understanding a TOT TT a —— was soon arrived at—and here we are, living toge- ther as man and wife, and as happy as the day i is long. Is it not so?” “To be sure,” wauinded the lady ; “and it is no compliment to tell you, Tom, that I love you better than anybody I ever knew before.” “Ah! my dear,” said the Captain, with a slight accent of pique in his yoice, “you have already. confessed to me, when indet the influence of _champagne—of which, by the bye, you are par- ticularly fond—that you have had a tolerable long list of lovers in your life; and therefore I must be a very captivating fellow to eclipse them all.” * But so you do, my dear Tom,” returned Julia. “ Besides, you are so good and kind to me, and © have made me such splendid presents. You must be very rich, Tom ?” “Rieh!” he ejaculated, with an uneasy start: “to be sure | am—as rich as Creesus,” he imme- diately added, with a laugh that sounded very much as if it were strained and forced. “ But at all events, I behave more liberally to you than your last lover, who took you over to France with him and then left you at Boulogne to pay the hotel bill and shift for yourself.” * Ah! that was scandalous indeed,” said the lady—“ and if it had not been for you, I am sure Ido not know what I should have done. How- ever I shall love you as long as A “As what?” inquired Captain Lovel: “as long as I live—or as long as I can keep you in luxury, splendour, and ease ?” “Oh! don’t talk in that silly manner, Tom,” said Julia, affecting to frown upon him: then, laughing gaily the next moment, she exclaimed, “You are always making those kinds of remarks, just to see what I shall say and put my love to the test. But I do love you, Tom—and that is true as gospel.” “ Well, I think you do, Julia * You only think! Oh! you must be sure that Ido. And to convince you that I am not alto- gether a frivolous creature intent only on pleasure, I must tell you frankly that I am often vexed and grieved to observe how mournful you become at times i “ T—mournful !” ejaculated Lovel, surveying his handsome mistress with a strange and almost frightened expression of countenance. “Yes—sometimes you turn suddenly pensive,” answered Julia: “and at others you are so ner- vous that every knock at the front door startles you. Then, in your sleep, you often moan and toss about at “Oh! it is nothing—nothing at all,” said Lovel, with an ill-concealed petulance. ‘Come, my dear,” he immediately added, in a kinder tone, “let us be off—the entertainment is just over.” “T shall not be sorry to get away, Tom,” an- swered Julia; “for this place is dreadfully hot :” —then, rising from her seat, she drew around her the folds of the superb shawl which her companion threw over her shoulders—and, taking his arm, she issued from the box. As the handsome couple proceeded along the corridor and descended the stairs, they were the objects of exclusive attention with those whom they either passed by or encountered on their egress from the theatre; and Julia was evidently far from displeased at the admiration which her charms excited. GoOmicboo (SO)