The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 247: what you’re looking at

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

eters arenes G6 Stqgeee CO en eee eae" «ag, =. Ge 234 —— =o ont ——cenhe sone gently cloned: the door of communication he- tweon the two rooms was neat opened with an evident atudy to avoid making tho slightest dinturbance ; and this was an additional proof to Meredith that an unreccssary crime wus not contemplated. Ho kept his eyes closed : the footsteps of a man advanced towards him —but they wero only just audible. Tho light was pansed three or fupy times acrosa his countonance: he moved pot—he maintained the moxt perfect »el{-pessession—his cyclidis quivered not: ha looked what ho feigned to be—— fast asicep. ‘Lhe ruflan retreated an noinclerrly as he had entered: Meredith would not trust himself even to the slightost raising of an eyelid, for foar least the robber should still be looking towards him; and ho knew that the fainteyt disclosure of the eyeball would refloot upon the lantern. The man passed out, and the dvor clored behind hin —the whole proceeding being conducted with extremest caution on his part. Meredith now heard the voices of ‘Dame Ro- quette and the man whispering in the adjoim- ing room; and with thé utmost caution diel ho move towards tho door in the thin partition. There he listened. Never was breath more susponsefully held: never wero oars more keenly set to catch the sounds of low speak- ing tongues. Andas the eyes get accustomed to the darkness and gradually perceive objects through them, so do tho ears got habituated as it wore to tho accents of the voice, how- ever low the whispering may bo: for it is thus that the human jaculties at times de- velop their wondrous powers. So it was with Meredith now; and if he could not catch all that was being said in the adjoining room, ho at least heard rufficient fo make hin aware of a most ramified piece of villany that was in embryo, and algo aufficiont to make him rejoice inwardly that he was enabled thus to iston., Presently, when Octgvian thought that tho conversation betwixt the man and the woman in the udjoining room was drawing (to a close, he was about to oreep back to his placo upon the straw,—but a question put by the male vil- luin Jed him to tarry at the thoreshold a IRtle loner. e “ And after all, then,” he enid “it was a falne alarm ?” ‘ Yes--no one passed the tpot—yo one camo near it,” yephed Dame Roquetec, “ and there I consequently very soon was, with my lantern th my hands. I had just «tripped the valet of his watch and pur:¢ when tho gentleman himeelf came to his hens 6— ” ‘Kut you had previously riflod him like. wise ?”’ ‘Of course !—~or how could I have just now given you all the things I found alcut him P lt was a wonder,’ continued Dume Ko- queite, “that he didn’t come to his senses while I was dipping my hands into his pockots and pulling off his rings: but he did not. Ah! how he startled me for a moment when ho aferwards came rushing towards “Qh, but you have got such s brazen bardi- hood!” rejomed her riffian companion: “you are se dom or never taken aback }”’ “Hush, hush!—not too loud!’ said the daqwe. '* Oh, he was sloeping as soundly as possible,” answored the chief ofthe ganc: for suo Meredith had discovered him actually to be. “And now I fnust be off—for I’ve got many THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. wemneaer we - - eee eee Gee Ee Se, tad good miles to ride before daylight. Remember all I have said {"’ ‘* Yoo, yes—there’s no fear,” responded Dame Royuette. “Directly Moulin returns to-mor- row, I will send rouzd the word.” Meredith now coneidered it expedient to creep back to the straw; and this move he accom- plished with a most scrupulous caution. About five minutes afterwards the brigand again entered the little room with the lantern in his hand: again did Merodith submit with admir- | able presence of mind to the process of having the light passed before his eyos; andl the desperado retreated, with the tull conviction thut the young nebleman was sound asleep.. Hio then issued from the cottage; and Octavian ve within kimself that he was now altogether Fale, He might have availed himself of the present opportunity to scize upon the old woman accord- ing 10 one of the ideas which had onginally struck him: but ho no longor thought it ex- | peclient ¢o adopt this course. ‘The tacts he had | earnt from the whispered convorsation decided | lim upon going on altegethor another tack. | llo theretoro lay quiet: hour after hour passed —he tdit not the shghtest inclination to sleep— and the reador may rest assured that he did not voluntarily court the advance of slumber. The gray dawn of morning at length began to glimmer through {8 little square window which thore was in the room where Octavian lay; and he now iesolved to depart. He knovked at the partition-door : ame Roguette, who was alrendy up and dressed, bado him entor the room—and he did so. ile as-umed tho most courteous deneanour—thoanked her | for her hospitulity—and promiscd to take the | earliest Oppertumt of rewarding : er. ! She had already begun to prepuro breakfast ; and she invited him to remain to partake of it; | but he declinod, pleading his anxioty to get to | the acarpes villuge and continue hin journoy on- ward. Bidding Dame Roqueite farev cl], Lord Octn- vian Meredith issucd from uo cottage, and ¢ wnade the best of his way thiough thi purt ot the forest which led towards the road where the foul crime of ¢he preceding night had been per- potrated. On reaching the spot he found half-n-dozen |, of the mounted puiice there: they had only | just discovered ihe clinise and the hideous | i agedy which its ghastly contents revenled. | Nesedith was at onco cnabled to give thore | eS eee es eee eee a fearful explanations which are already known | to the reader; and the officer who was in com- ; mand of the party requested the young noblo- | nan to accompany them to the village at tho | commeneemont of the forest. A couple of the : gendurmes’ horses were attached to tho haise ; and towards tho village did the procession re- pai. It will be ecen that Dame Roqnette was still suffered to continue at large, vlthough Octa- vian communi uicd to the officers all that he knew ‘concerning her complicity with the or- ganized gang. ‘The reason that she was not at once arrested will presently transpire. On the village being reached, immense was the sensation produced amongst its inhabitants by tho tidings of the hideous tragedy in tho forest, and by the spectacle of the corpses as ihey were borne forth from tho chaise. Lord Octavian and the officer of the mounted police lost no time in holding a conference with the Mayor: but this was of the most private character, and nothing of its nature é 2 ES Cee ge ee ee ceedammeel emer a ane ANICLOOOKS (C©) (CO)