CHAPTER X
_The Amours of Josephine--The Spanish Ambassador, and the EcclesiasticalLover._
Josephine, dressed as the 'Royal Middy,' entered the conservatory, andstrolled leisurely along a gravelled walk which led to a little grottocomposed of rare minerals and shells. Entering this picturesque retreat,she placed herself upon a seat exquisitely sculptured from marble, andlistened to the beautiful strains of music which proceeded from the ballroom.
While thus abandoning herself to the voluptuous feelings of the moment,she observed that a tall, finely formed person in the costume of aSpanish cavalier, passed the grotto several times, each time gazing ather with evident admiration. He was masked, but Josephine had removedher mask, and her superb countenance was fully revealed. The cavalierhad followed her from the ball-room, but she did not perceive him untilhe passed the grotto.
'I have secured an admirer already,' she said to herself, as a smile ofsatisfaction parted her rosy lips. 'I must encourage him, and perhapshe may prove to be a desirable conquest.'
The cavalier saw her smile and, encouraged by that token of hercomplaisance, paused before the grotto, and addressed her in a slightlyforeign accent:--
'Fair lady, will you suffer me to repose myself for a while in thisfairy-like retreat?'
'I shall play off a little prank upon this stranger,' thought Josephineto herself--'it will serve to amuse me.' And then she burst into a merrylaugh, as she replied--
'I have no objection in the world, sir, to your sharing this grotto withme; but really, you make a great mistake--you suppose me to be a lady;but I'm no more a lady than you are, don't you see that I'm a _boy_?'
'Indeed!--a _boy_!' Exclaimed the stranger, surveying Josephine withgreat interest. 'By heaven, I took you for a female; and though you area boy, I will say that you are an extremely pretty one.'
He entered into the grotto, and seated himself at her side. Taking herhand, he said--
'This hand is wonderfully fair and soft for a boy's. Confess, now--areyou not deceiving me?'
'Why should I deceive you?' asked Josephine--'if my hand is fair andsoft, it is because I have been brought up as a gentleman, and it hasnever become soiled or hardened by labor.'
'And yet,' rejoined the stranger, passing his hand over the swellingoutlines of her bosom, which no disguise could entirely conceal--'thereseems to me to be something feminine in these pretty proportions.'
'You doubtless think so,' replied Josephine, removing his hand--'but yougreatly err. The fact is, my appearance is naturally very effeminate,and sometimes it is my whim to encourage the belief that I am a female.I came here to-night, resolved to produce that impression; and you seewith what a successful result--you yourself imagined me to be a ladydressed in male attire, but again I assure you that you never were moremistaken in your life. The fullness of my bosom is accounted for, when Iinform you that my vest is very skillfully _padded_. So now I hope youwill be no longer skeptical in regard to my true sex.'
'I no longer doubt you, my dear boy,' said the stranger, gazing atJosephine with increased admiration. 'Were you a lady, you would bebeautiful, but as a boy you are doubly charming. Be not surprised when Iassure you that you please me ten times--aye, ten thousand times more,as a boy, than as a woman. By heaven, I must kiss those ripe lips!'
'Kiss _me_!' responded Josephine, laughing--'come, sire, this is toogood--you must be joking.'
'No, beautiful boy, I am serious,' exclaimed the stranger,vehemently--'you may pronounce my passion strange, unaccountable, andabsurd, if you will--but 'tis none the less violent or sincere. I am anative of Spain, a country whose ardent souls confine not theiraffections to the fairest portion of the human race alone, but--'
'What mean you?' demanded Josephine, in astonishment. The strangerwhispered a few words in her ear, and she drew back in horror anddisgust.
'Nay, hear me,' exclaimed the Spaniard, passionately--'it is no low-bornor vulgar person who solicits this favor; for know,' he continued,removing his mask--'that I am Don Jose Velasquez, ambassador to thiscountry from the court of Spain; and however high my rank, I kneel atyour feet and--'
'Say no more, sir,' said Josephine, interrupting him, and rising as shespoke--'it is time that you should know that your first supposition inreference to me was correct. I am a woman. I did but pretend, inaccordance with a suddenly conceived notion, to deceive you for a while,but that deception has developed an iniquity in the human character, theexistence of which I have heard before, but never fully believed tilltoday. Your unnatural iniquity inspires me with abhorrence; leave meinstantly and attempt not to follow me, or I shall expose you to theguests, in which case _His Excellency_ Don Jose Velasquez, ambassador tothis country from the court of Spain, would become an object of derisionand contempt.'
The Spaniard muttered a threat of vengeance and strode hastily away.Josephine put on her mask, and leaving the grotto, was about to returnto the ball-room, when a gentleman, plainly but richly attired in blackvelvet, and closely masked, thus accosted her in a respectful tone--
'Lady--for your graceful figure and gait betray you, notwithstandingyour boyish disguise--suffer me to depart so far from the formality offashionable etiquette as to entreat your acceptance of me as your_chaperon_ through this beautiful place.'
This gentleman's speech was distinguished by a voice uncommonlymelodious, and an accent peculiarly refined; he was evidently a personof education and respectable social position. The tones of his voicestruck Josephine as being familiar to her; yet she could not divine whohe was, and concluded that there only existed an accidental resemblancebetween his voice and that of some one of her friends. His manner beingso frank, and at the same time so gentleman-like and courteous, that shereplied without hesitation--
'I thank you, sir--I will avail myself of your kindness.' She took hisproffered arm, and they began slowly to promenade the principal avenueof the conservatory, engaged at first in that polite and desultorydiscourse which might be supposed to arise between a lady and gentlemanwho meet under such circumstances.
At length, becoming fatigued, they entered a pretty little arbor quiteremote from observation, and seated themselves upon a moss-coveredtrunk. After a few commonplace observations, the gentleman suddenlyaddressed Josephine in a start of ardent passion.
'Lady,' he exclaimed, taking her hand and pressing it tenderly, 'pardonmy rudeness; but I am overcome by feelings which I never beforeexperienced. Although your face is concealed by your mask, I know youare beautiful--the rich luxuriance of your raven hair, and the exquisiteproportions of this fair hand, are proofs of the angelic loveliness ofyour countenance. Am I presumptuous and bold--does my language give youoffence?--if so, I will tear myself from your side, though it will rendmy heart with anguish to do so. You do not speak--you are offended withme; farewell, then--'
'Stay,' murmured Josephine--'I am not offended, sire--far from it; youare courteous and gallant, and why should I be displeased?' Thegentleman kissed her hand with rapture.
'Oh,' said he, in a low tone--'I am entranced by your kindness. You willbe surprised when I assure you that I am but a novice in the way oflove; and yet I most solemnly declare that never before have I pressedwoman's hand with passion--never before has my heart beat with thetumult of amorous inclination--never before have I clasped woman'slovely form as I now clasp yours.' And he encircled the yielding form ofJosephine with his arms.
'Why have you been such a novice in the delights of love?' she asked,permitting him to clasp her passionately to his breast.
'Dear lady,' he replied--'my position in life is one that precludes mein a great measure from the enjoyment of sensual indulgences; and I haveheretofore imagined myself impervious to the attacks of Venus; but ah!you have conquered me. My leisure moments have been devoted to study andcontemplation; I ventured here to-night to be a spectator of the joys ofothers, not designing to participate in those joys myself. The gracefulvoluptuousness of your form, developed by this boyish costume, fired mysoul with new an
d strange sensations, which, so help me heaven! I neverexperienced before. Ah, I would give half of my existence to be allowedto kiss those luscious lips!'
'You can have your wish at a far less expense,' murmured the lady, herbosom heaving with passionate emotions.
'But first remove that mask,' said the gentleman, enraptured at thesuccess of the first intrigue of his life.
'I have no objection to uncover my countenance, provided you bestow uponme a similar favor,' replied Josephine.
'I am most anxious to preserve my _incognito_,' said the gentleman, in atone of hesitation. 'My standing and peculiar occupation in life areentirely incompatible with such a festival as this, and my reputationwould be dangerously compromised, if not utterly ruined. Nay, then,since you insist upon it, fair creature, I will unmask, trusting to yourhonor as a lady to keep my secret.'
He uncovered his face, and Josephine was thunderstruck when sherecognized in the amorous stranger, no less a personage than Dr.Sinclair, the pious and eloquent rector of St. Paul's.
Yes--that learned and talented divine, who had so often denounced thesins and follies of the fashionable world, and declaimed particularlyagainst the demoralizing influences of masquerade balls--that young andhandsome preacher, whose exalted reputation for sanctity and holinesshad induced the amorous Josephine and her licentious mother to supposehim inaccessible to their lustful glances, and far removed from thepower of temptation--that model of purity and virtue was now present atthis scene of profligate dissipation, gazing into the wanton eyes of abeautiful siren, his face flushed with excitement, and his heartpalpitating with eager desire!
For a few moments Josephine sat overcome by astonishment, and could notutter a single syllable.
'You seem surprised, dear lady,' said Dr. Sinclair--'may I ask if youhave ever seen me before?'
'You can read in my countenance an answer to your question,' repliedJosephine, taking off her mask.
'Heavens, Miss Franklin!' exclaimed the divine. It was now his turn tobe astonished.
'We meet under extraordinary circumstances,' said Dr. Sinclair after ashort and somewhat embarrassing pause. 'Had I known that you are one whoevery Sabbath sits under my ministration, no earthly consideration wouldhave induced me to disclose myself--not even the certainty of enjoyingyour favors. However, you know me now, and 'tis impossible to recall thepast; therefore, beautiful Miss Franklin, do not withhold from thepreacher that kindness which you would have granted to the privategentleman.--Let us religiously preserve our secret from the knowledge ofthe world: when we meet in company, let it be with the cold formalitywhich exists between persons who are almost strangers; but now let usrevel in the joys of love.'
The superb but profligate Josephine needed no urgent persuasion toinduce her to become a guilty participator in a criminal _liaison_ withthe handsome young rector whom she had so long regarded with the eyes ofdesire;--_hers_ was the conquest, that unprincipled lady of fashion; and_he_ was the victim, that recreant fallen minister of the gospel.
Humbled and conscience-stricken, Dr. Sinclair left Livingston House andreturned to his own luxurious but solitary home; while Josephine wasdriven in her carriage to Franklin House, the flush of triumph on hercheeks and her proud, guilty heart reeling with exultation.
City Crimes; Or, Life in New York and Boston Page 10
