seemed to spend into her, and, after a while, withdrew himself from her reluctant embrace, as she seemed to try hard to get him to go on again.
We could see they were preparing to leave the chapel, so thought it time to make our retreat.
Next day we were presented, and nothing in the manner of the lively Lady St. Jerome, or the demure Miss Clare Arundel, would have led anyone to imagine the scene that we had witnessed in the small hours of the morning.
In the evening we were all at the Duchess's ball. Lord Carisbrooke, to whom I was specially introduced, was my partner in the set, in which danced Lothair and Miss Arundel as vis-а-vis to Lady Corisande and the Duke of Brecon.
Bye-and-bye the hero of the evening led me out for the Lancers, and afterwards we strolled into the conservatory, quite unobserved; his conversation was much livelier than I had expected, for Lady St. Jerome had represented to us that he was seriously bent on religion, and about to join the Romish Church. The conservatory was large, and we strolled on till the music and laughter seemed quite at a distance, and coming to a seat with a delightful fountain in front of us we sat down, but just as he was observing, 'How delightful it was to withdraw from the whirl of gaiety for a few minutes,' we heard some light footsteps approaching, and evidently a very loving couple, the lady exclaiming, with a saucy laugh, 'Ah! No! How dare you presume so; I would never be unfaithful to Montairy even in a kiss'; there was a slight struggle, and, 'Ah, Monster, what a liberty!' and we heard the smack of lips upon a soft cheek, and then, 'Oh! No! Let me go back,' but the gentleman evidently remonstrated, as I could hear him say, 'Come, come, compose yourself, dear Victoria, a little, there is a seat here by the fountain, you must rest a moment.'
lothair, with a start, whispered-'They must not catch us here, they'd think we had been eavesdropping; let's hide ourselves and never say a word about it,' dragging me by the hand around a corner, where we were well screened by the foliage of the delicious exotics.
My heart was in a flutter, and I could perceive he was greatly moved. We stood motionless, hand in hand, as the lady and gentleman took possession of the cool seat we had just vacated; the latter proved to be the Duke of Brecon. I could see them plainly, and have no doubt Lothair did also.
lady montairy. – 'Now, sir, no more of your impudent pranks. Pray let me recover my serenity.'
The Duke knelt down and took her hand, which she affectedly tried to withdraw, but he retained it, saying:
'Dearest Victoria, pity my passion. How can I help loving those killing eyes, and luscious pouting lips. That very fact of its being wrong makes my determination the greater to enjoy you the first opportunity. It is useless to resist our fate. Why has the God of Love given me such a chance as this?'
She turns away her head with affected prudery; but not a blush rises to assert her horror at his speech. One hand presses her fingers to his lips; but where is the other? Under her clothes. He first touches her ankle, and slowly steals it up her leg. She fidgets on the seat, but he is impetuous, and soon has possession of her most secret charms. Her languishing eyes are turned on him, and in an instant, he is on his legs, and pushing her clothes up, displays a lovely pair of legs in white silk stockings, beautiful blue garters with gold buckles, her thighs encased in rather tight-fitting drawers, beautifully trimmed with Valenciennes lace. His lips are glued to hers at the same instant, and his hands gently part her yielding thighs, as he placed himself well between them. It is but the work of an instant. He places her hand on the shaft of love, which he has just let out, and it is guided into the haven of love. Both are evidently too hot and impetuous, for it seems to be over in a minute.
She hastily kisses him, and puts down her clothes as she says: 'How awful; but I could not resist Your Grace without disordering all my dress. It's been quite a rape, sir,' with a smile. 'Now, let's make haste back before we are missed.' He kisses her, and makes her agree to an assignation, somewhere in South Belgravia, for the morrow, to enjoy each other more at leisure, and then they were gone.
It would be impossible to describe the agitation of my partner during this short scene; Lothair seemed to shiver and shudder with emotion, I was also all of a tremble, and nestled close to him, my arm designedly touching the bunch in his trousers, always so interesting to me; I could feel it swell and seem ready to burst from its confinement; he nervously clasped my hand, and was speechless with emotion all during the scene which I have described; as soon as they were gone he seemed to give a gasp of relief, and led me out of our hiding place. 'Poor girl,' he said, 'what a sight for you, how I trembled for my own honour, lest the scene should make me lose my self-control. Ah! wretched woman, to betray your husband so!' Then looking at me for the first time he said, 'Do you not think it is best for a man never to marry?'
Used as I had been to such things, his terrible emotion made me quite sympathize with him, and my own agitation was quite natural, as I replied, 'Ah! my Lord, you little know the ways of the world; I saw a more awful scene than what we have witnessed, only last night, enacted by men sworn to perpetual celibacy, and you yourself were mentioned as a victim to their infernal plot.'
'My God! Lady, pray tell me what it was,' he ejaculated.
'Not now, we shall be missed, do you know any place where I can have a private conference with your lordship? If so, meet me to-morrow afternoon at two o'clock, in the Burlington Arcade. I shall come disguised,' I answered.
He hastily wrote the assignation on his tablets, and we made haste to return to the saloons from which we had been absent quite twenty minutes. A little while after, as I was sitting by the side of Alice, whispering my adventure in her ear, Lady Montairy, to whom I had previously been introduced, came and seated herself by my side. 'Ah!' she said, with a sly look, 'you're in a fair way to carry off the great prize; my sister Corisande will stand no chance.'
'I've only danced one set with him,' I replied, demurely.
'Ah!' she laughed, 'it was not the Lancers I referred to, but your quiet stroll into the recesses of the conservatory. You had quite a lover's tкte-а-tкte.'
'But we did not indulge in a Pas Seul, as you did with His Grace,' I laughed, enjoying her confusion. She was speechless with surprise, her eyes fairly started with affright, and I hastened to reassure her, 'I'm your friend, dear Lady Montairy, your secret is safe with me, and I hope you will not make any remarks in connection with myself and Lothair.'
She squeezed my hand nervously, and asked, 'Do you remember Fred's birthday? I was not there, but my brother Bertram was with his cousins the Vavasours, and passed as their brother Charlie, who happened to be too ill to go with them. I'm initiated into your society. We shall meet again,' she added with a smile; 'I must go now to keep my engagements.'
The supper was a fairy feast, except for its substantial reality, and we returned home to Lady St. Jerome's charmed with everything, and especially with the fine prospect we seemed to have of future enjoyment.
Next day I made an excuse to go out alone to pay a visit to an old schoolfellow, and two o'clock found me sauntering through Burlington Arcade. Lothair was there to the minute, and gently whispered in my ear, as I was looking in a doll-shop, 'Now, this is really kind of Your Ladyship, and proves you can be depended on; I have made a most excellent arrangement, we have only to step across the road to the Bristol Hotel in Burlington Gardens, where I have ordered luncheon for myself and cousin, in a private apartment, and they know me too well to pry into my affairs.'
The chamber-maid attended me in the bedroom, and as soon as I had laid aside my cloak, hat, c., I rejoined Lothar in the adjoining apartment, where a sumptuous luncheon was set out.
Lothair, whose shyness of the previous evening seemed considerably dispelled, most gallantly insisted upon my partaking of refreshment, before a word of my communication should be uttered. 'Besides,' he said, 'a little champagne will give you courage, if it is at all disagreeable; the scene last night was such a shock to both of us that if you now prefer to be silent I won't press you about what you mentioned in the excitement of such a moment.'
His conversation was very lively all through the repast, and when we had nearly finished I asked him to ring for a little milk, which was brought to me; he was at the moment abstractedly examining the debris of a pвtй de foie gras. I poured part of the milk into two champagne glasses, and slyly added about ten drops of tincture of cantharides, with which Alice had provided me, to his portion. 'Now, my Lord,' I said, 'I challenge you to pledge me in a glass of my favourite beverage, champagne and milk, I think it is delicious,' pouring out the fizzing wine, and handing him the glass, which I first touched with my lips.
His eyes sparkled with delight as he drained it to the bottom, and flung the empty glass over his shoulder,
