The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

10 \: THE*MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. gaily. “Is it so grand an achievement, after all f aoa you shall sce :"—and she tripped’ upon the ridge. : ¢ ¢ The young Earl at onco followed her. It was with a light step, and her band scarcelg touching the rail, that she thus advanced till she ¢ained the middie of the bridge. There she stopped short; and looking over the rail, contemplated the foam- ing water which was flashing brightly in the sun- beams. “Porbaps it was here, Adolphus,” she at length said, turning towards her companion,—“ here, upon this very spot, that the catastrophe took hace P” “'Yes—the legend « a,” he answered, “ thas it wasin tho middle of the bridge, according to the tale which the ehepherd subsequently told.” “And here, then, they fell over,” aaid Ethel, “the girl’s arms tightly clasped axound the neck of him who was the ruin of ber happiness ?” “ Yes— here,” rejoined the yogng Earl, turning round at the same time, as the Countess had done, to contemplate the water fram the side which was unprotected by the handrail. “Forgive me, Adolphusi” guddegly exelaimed Kthel, At the same instant her arms were thrown about his neck: tightly were they olasped—a wild and fearful cry thrilled forth from his lips -~one desperate struggle to disengage himgclf— | but all in vain !—over they fell—down, down they | went! Tho entire ravine, the grove, and all the : adjacent district echood with the tergide eries of | the young lord: but sot another sound than the words “ Forgive me, ddeiphusf” which she had | Oh,"the sourage [* slic ejaculated, laughing uttered, came from the lips of Hthel. There was a terrific eplash ; and away their bodies were borne, the arms of the Countess Mar tight neck—her hands caper hands of her's constituted an §. areynd his arene vice t CHAPTER LEXXXIV. THE GRAVE-CTONE, e forgotten that beautiful little village in tmoreland where Barney the Burker obtained“de situation of assistant grave- digger to old Jonathan Carnabie. To this village we must pow return. It wag an early hour in the morning; and a female, clad in gipsy-like apparel, stood in the TB reader will not middte of the churchyard, contemplating that grave-stone which bore the simple inscriptiqn of “ Octaber, 1830.” There was nothing wild in her look now—nothing wandering nor restless: it was fixed and replete with sadness, For several minutes did she thus stand gasing’ upon thet head-stone, as if the singular consjaqness of the insoription thus rivetted het attentlon—or else as if there wero something i the date whith more or ir ioin ET, terized by a certain clearness of ton in as, for Instance, comparison with other perivds; | when she gave the information which led to so startling a turn in the trial of Lattice Rodney. The present occasion was one of the happier moods of her ,intellect, as she stooY gasing upon the tombstone; and if an observer had been nigh, he might probably have perceived that beneath that fixity of look and mournful calniness of eountenanne, there was a certain inward agitation or excitement, arising from the powerful efforts end the straining attempts which the poor woman was making ¢o disentangle her thoughts completely and marshal all her 1 associations for the purpose of clear and intelligible review. “He spoke of a poor mad lady,” she presently said in a murmuring tone to herself; “and sho wes likely to have been drives mad if not my poor dear mistress? That date —-—but, Ah! my ideas grow confused again——No, no} I cannot rightly underetapd that which 1t appears as if I seek and want to comprehend |” ‘Bhe tugned away slowly and mournfully; and juet at chat instant old Jonathan Carnabie and his new assistant were advancing towards the gate. of the churgh yard. “ Ah |” she ejaculated, “ there are the men whom I seek !-----they were together the other night when they, paid something ‘which struck me so atmngely “Here ia this poor cragy creature again,” said old Jonathan. “I wonder‘why she is hanging about the village? We must find out where she belongs, and have her passed to her parish: it will never do for her to become chargeable to our local rates,”’ “You are the man, Mr. Carnabie,” esid the Burker, “to get rid of her. Go and try your eloquence. There! blow me if I haven’s forgot and | the mettcek—and I'll just run and fetoh it,” “Do,” responded the old sexton: and he ade wanced towards Creasy Jane, who, being at a dis- tance of about fifty yards, had not overheard a single syllable that passed between the sexton and assistant. his Meanwhile the Burker, turning rapidly away, had sped back to the cottage. “My poor woman,” said Jonathan, accosting Orazy Jane,“ you seem to be a houselesS wane derer-———” A wanderer ?—yes I" she ejacilateds “ because it is my destiny! My mind will not let me rest. Houseless did you say? No—not when I cheose to ask for an asylum : for who would refuse it to 9 peor ereature such as Tam Besides,” she added, after a pause, “T ean pay for what I have when payment is required.” Thus speaking, she dived her leak hand dows into a pocket, and drew forth a quantity of. coin. Bilver and halfpence were all jumbled togethers and is etguok:'the old sexton that. he caught the glitter of two or three pivees of a still more pre- cious metal, Batthe next thstant Crazy Jane had transferred the money-back to her poekel,--exe claiming with aeert of triumph, “Go-you-ese that: @ Sen, g Te oD less ascociated itself with certain mucnotics floating i i of reooguises: Orasy J bane took fr " ) > yen Fe course s ane} we fr one F’ . and it is useless to abserve any mystery RTT ean well plossed, my peor wpeneny* answered | ‘, eathe: ‘Lhe ‘woman bad intdevals which, “to Qed thet you ave thus independent Eon witively lucid, were at all events obaree-| of easual charity. Bust why are you nad with your ar) ies, ‘ “ C ° ° cag ee ea aD SSeS aT ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)