The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 233: what you’re looking at

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

—— ee SSeS MM en — — —— £20 {it was well worth my while to bribe him by means of his own freedom. More I need not say upon THR MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. not reside with his parents, but had apartmente in some other fashionable quarter of the town. He the subject-——-unless it be to enjoin the strictest did not know that his sister had passed the night secresy on your part in respect to all that has thus | beneath the paternal roof; and therefore instead of occurred.” “T am sure, Sir Frederick,” answered Madame Angelique, “after your kindness to me of this morning, you have only to express your wishes in order to have them fulfilled by me. But how came you at the house’in the very nick of time——” Sir Frederick explained that he hed ridden across from Balham Hull, to ask some more ques- tions in respect to the topic which had been dis- coursed upon in the morning: but Madame Ange- liquo could give him no further explanations. She declared that she had never, to her knowledge, seen the paramour whom Lady Anastatia bad occa- sionally met at her house; and in short, Sir Frederick Latham took his leave of the ex-milliner no wiser on that point than he wae previous to this second visit. 7 But the mystery of the cash-box appeared to him to be now fully elucidated. Indeed, it was most natural for him to entertain the conviction that Anastatia had given Lord Rushbrook the key of the safe that he might help himself to its con- tents. . “And thus,” easid Sir Frederick to himself, as he rode homeward, “ has my own wife enabled her own brother to rob me!—that wife who had al- ready so grossly deceived me—that brother of her’s whom I had already allowed to prey upon my puree! But there shall be an end of all this! Maledictions upon my folly in having married into one of the families of the aristocracy !” CHAPTER CXXVII. THR DENOUEMENT. Sse Fesvkricok Latuam rose at an early hour in the morning, after having passed an almest sleepless night; and he immediately sent off one of his domestics on horseback to the residence of the Earl and Countess of Fordwich, to inquire after the health of the latter. It was pot that Sir Frederick had the slightest consideration for the health of the Countess: his object in sending was to learn by indirect means when bis wife Anastatia would be likely to return to Balham Hill—and whether the illness of her mother was of a severity calculated to detain her away from her home. Lady Ansstatia sent back a note by the domestic, —wherein she cordially thanked her husband for his kindness in sending to inquire—she assured him that her mother, having passed a good night, was in a condition that inspired no further appre- hension—and that she herself should be at Balham Till by lunch time at two o’alddk. On the receipt of this note, Sir Frederick sate down and feoned a brief letter to his brother-in-law Lord Rush- brook, requesting him to-call at Tudor House pre- cisely a6 two o’elock, on business of considerable im Having sent off this letter, the City tient walked forth into his grounds to delibe- “yate again upon the plan which he had settled in bis mind during the past night. We should observe that Lord Rushbrook did just this moment entering thehouse. I waved repairing thither to accompany her back to Bal- ham Hill, he drove down in bis own phaeton. It happened that the Viscount’s equipage reached | Tudor House only about five minutes before Lady Anastatia herself returned in her own carriage ; and Sir Frederick Latham, who was watching from an arbour at the extremity of his grounds, was well pleased to observe that his brother-in-law and his wife accidentally reached Tudor House almost at the same instant. For he did not wish tp be compelled to speak to one before the arrival of the other; and thus did circumstances favour hie views in this respect. The Viscount—who could not altogether oon- jecture what Sir Frederick wanted with him, but whose guilty conscience was nevertheless haunted by fears and misgivings—at once inquired for his brother-in-law and was informed that Sir Frede- rick had left word that he should be in punctually at two oglock. While lingering upon the steps of the mansion to ask additional questions, the Vis- count beheld Auastatia’s equipage approach; and as he helped his sister to alight, he learnt from her lips that she had been since the previous day in attendance upon their mother. “Sir Frederick has written, desiring me to be here at this hour,” said the Viscount; “and he telle me in bie letter that it is upon important business. I wonder what on earth the business can be P”’ “If you cannot conjecture it, Robert,” answered his sister, “ you may be assured that I am still loss able; for Sir Frederick seldom or never speaks to me upon matters of business. Let us go and seek him. Perhaps we shall find him in his study P” “No,” answered the Viscount; “ he is out—but will be in at two o’clock. I¢ wants ten mihutes,” he added, referring to his watch. e “I will basten up-stairs to make some little change in my tgilet,” said Lady Anastatia: “and I will join you in the room where luncheon is served. I am happy to inform you, Robert, that our mother is now out of danger: but last evening she was in a etate that filled me with the greatest apprehen- sion, She might have died, Robert, before you would have come to inquire after her |” “‘ No one ever sent to tell mo she was ill,” replied the Viscount carelessly ; “or if such a message were left at my lodgings, it was not delivered.” Anastatia heaved a profound sigh es she bent upon her brother as reproachful look, which was as much as to say that she feared all affectionate in- terest on behalf of his relatives was waning in his breast: but without another word she hastened up to her chamber, where she made some change in her toilet,—little suspecting the while that a storm was about to burst over her head. quarter of an hour she repaired to the apartment where the luncheon was served up, and where she found her brother standing at the window. ¢ Here comes Sir Frederick |” he said; “he my baad to him-—-but he did not appear to notice is. He is a singular fellow at times, this iGsiaud of your's, Anastatia!” ~ “He has been very munificent towards you, In about a- ing e & Eerie “eaoeeeien SERS a Se as eee ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)