The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 243: what you’re looking at

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230 erough to convince him that sho v was 8 croue bowed with age. He watohed ber ents, not choosing as yet to give any siga of life which might attract ber attention, for fear lest slic should be connected with the ruffians who hed perpetrated the outrage, and that they might still be within tho summoning range of her voice. Of the extent of this outrage he was as yet igyorant—although ho dreaded the worst, beonuse he beheld not his valet nor the pps- tilione, and because he recollected the viglence of the blows and the report of the fre-arma which he had hoard. Luising himeelf very, very gently upon his elbow, ho endeavoured to penetrate more acrutinizingly through the gloom which prevailed around save fad except where the Isntern glim- mered hke a will-o’-the-wisp. The crone was stoop. ing down: something dark lay underneath the lantcrn— Octavian shuddered with the horrible sus- picion which syept through his brain — but the next instant he shuddered rore deeply dhd goldly still, as the raye of that lantern fell upon the white, face of a human being—— end he recognised his own valet ! Ta a moment ho was upon bis feet: he sprang towards the old woman, who shrieked out in affright ; and clutching her violently +by the arm, he exs claimed in the French tongue, “ Wretch! are you plundering the dead whom your accomplices have niurdered P” “No, sir—nal! heaven forbid!” responded the crone, with so sudden a regaining of her self- possession that Meredith felt convinced slo was in- nocent of the chargo bo had levelled against her. “Tam hero to render assistance, if possible—but it is too late for the others—you only appear to be safe. oD “Too late!” exclaimed Meredith, horrified at the idea which these words conveyed. ‘‘ God for- bid! Let us see,” Ile snetched the lantern fram the woman’s hand; and ,¢ now perceived that his first impres- sion was correct, that she was @ very aged crone aud thut the exceeding ugliness of ber counte- nance might wel] under existfhg circumstances bo taken for doubly and trebly sinister in its aspect. Lord Qetavian—holding the lantern bigh up, so as to fling ite light upon the sene—pre- pared himself for something dreddful: and he prepared hiimeelf not in vain. Near one of the torewheela of the chaise, lay hie upfurtunate valet: the mark where 8 pistol bullet bad entered, was in the middle of the forehead; end thence the blood waa trickling. <A little farther on ley ane of the postilions, with bis skull horribly shattered, evi- dently by a bludgeon; and farther on still was the other postilion, lying lifeless over the trank of a tree which hed been gut down in euch a monner as to fall completely across the road, The cause of the sudden atoppage’ of ¢ vebiole wee thus explained ; and from the position in which this last-mentioned was found, Meredith oon- wluded thas he must at the cutest have been wer the horse’s head by the elrupteess eb the animal had come to a full atop on tag the tree. Then, no doubt, the vil- | m Raspatehed him on the spot; for his skull wes “Ailbewise pastored in. . Mab was the Aarrowing spectacle which in the THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ghastiiness and fearfulnesa of ita detgile way shadowed forth ta tho young nobleman by the light of the lantern, The horacy, 24 we bave alr ready said, wera gone; and on purauing his ine epection, he perceived that his own trunks and that of his unfortunate valet hed been carried off, Bethinking bimeclf of something which hed not before smitten him, he felé ahout his person: hie watch and hie purse were gone—a pucket-book containing bank-notes had likewise been taken from him-—-the very rings from his flogers had been stripped off—he waa completely despuiled, even to a gold pencil-case which he was wont tv carry in hie waistooat-pocket. He now examined the person of his valot: but as he had only too well anticipated, it was similarly rifled. Tho entire investigation of the scene and of all these parti- culars, had occupied but a few minutes :—stupen- duously shocking as the details were, thero was, alas! no difficulty in embracing them with a tuo frightful accuracy at a few rapid glances; and all the while Octavian go managed as not to lose sight of the crone. For if she had attempted to eacape he wouldasg once have brought her back; and he would naturally have regarded the circumstance as a proof of hor guilty complicity with the per- petrators of the whole satanic outrage. But she showed no iuclination to Quit tho spot; and now Octavian accosted her once*more. “How came you hereP” he asked, narrowly watching her countenauce as he held the lantern up for the purpose. “TI live in a cottage hard by,” she responded ; “and hearing a nome in the road, I got up, dressed myself, and oawe out. I[ thought at first if was a carriage which had upset: but on reaob- ing the spot 1 found how dreadful was the work that had been done; and I was looking to see if any of the viotims yet lived, when you started up and uccosted me.” Her countenance changed not in a suspicious manner ; and even despite her hidsous wylness, there was upon it an expression of rude rough peasant-like framxuesy. She was very poorly clad: indeed her appearance was indicative of the ut- most poverty. Her tale seemed probable enough ; anc Meredith was inclined to believe it. “This is a dreadful crime which has been per- petrated,” be said; “and I am bewildered how to act. Are here no babitations nearer than the villages at the entrance and at the extremity of the forest ?” “Qnly a few auch poor cottages as the hut that I live in,” wae the women’s answer. “ But por- haps some of the mounted police nay come this way presently —— “ Dues the forest bear a bad repute P” inquired “People have been sometimes robbed here,” anaworgd the woman; “ but they have generally been solitary travellers, either on horse ar faot; ‘ and I never bafore knew of such a desperate par. formance da this. I bave lived for years and years | in the depth of this foreat—with my poor deceased ” husband for a long time—-and since hia death hy s but I never till now kuew af blood being shed: ‘T suppose it is some gang thes gathered in the forest; but tha polige will soon Auntthem down. after sueb 9 crime as this.” Meredith suffered the old woman to ga on talke | ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)