The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 255: what you’re looking at

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

_EEEio=? @ hb we wa eas e } ie SF Ripe sea © So OE 6 CPT en ee eee eS Oe 943 me EVEL nae TE wn Gy THE MYSTERIES OF THA COURT. ” Murderer f” echoed the Viscount Delorme. not catch what he said: but presently, to my sun “‘ Tmpossible ! terrible mistake has been committed? Stop !”— and the young nobleman, violently excited, rushed forward to detain the gendarmes as they were moving away with thelr prisgtied, “Viscount!” exclaimed Meredith, “ your gene- ous confidence has been: villanously betrayed. You know not the plot from whish you have secaped. Look dt thet galsereant/—his whole de- meanour beats evident $6 lis guile! Away with him !” The police-offleets hurried the false Baron—now utterly discomfited, and quivering with terrur— from the apéttment: but the ‘utmost excitement prevailed atonget those who were left behind ia that room. Clarine had éuok down with « subdued shriek of horror upott the sofa When the lips of Ootavieti proclaimed De Margaux to be a inuidever: but Zoe was at hahd to sustain abd eatalater to her friend. The notary’s wife, with a groat ebptessive of tho fearful sensatloti produced upoh : clung to ber husband) and be stared in borrilied consternation upon the false Baron as he was being hurried out of the dpartiient. Ootavian caught the Viscount Delorme by the arm, and hurried gavo him a few wotdé of explanation, to whid that young noblemaii iiytened with feelings that cau be better imagitied that described. Immétise wae the sensation witich prevailed throughout the inz., and which speedily spread through the vil- lage, when it was known thet the leader of the gang which had perpeteated thd diabolic orime of the preceding evenitg had been diecovercd and taken into custody, When some degree of Géhlimsiens wae testuted in the room where the arrest @ag Atootpplished, Lord Octavian Mere lith proceeded to give certain ex- planations. He stated how hip suspicions bad been oxcited at Dame Wolte’s hut, aud how he was on the point of making an endeavour to steal forth (hence when his ptirpuse was frustrated by the arrival of the band in the vicinage of thé little dwelling. He then went px to explain how the chief of the gang, havitig dismissed the fest, entered the hut, QH@ passing the light before his eyes, had been begulied ifito tho belief that he was asleep. ry “ But instead of olecpis " odntintied Kotd Ov- tavian, “I hetened to the distuures whith eneded between the chiefof the gaug and Danid Roqueite, I could sot succesd in overhearing all that was said: bud in the Gret instance I whe sutprised to find that the leadet of that gang of mledevants wae speaking in langtigé we mated Grammatically ace. rate, and in a toné whieh appeirdd to denote the polished | gentleman, fustend of the law brutal ruf- fian. Having made suiad Comméstd upun the awful work which bed jyet bash accuaiplished, the leader went on to esplain Katte Roquette the business which he bad if hasd for the morrow— namely, for this dag, wit talk of a ati- bush to be laid and the tuueterlng of the gang at some ven point in the forest, in ordér that a gran ) fully 2 fer $he chief expressed his conviction that w might be sttuck boldly and success. - What madness is this P— what! prise and consternation, I heard him mention the names of M. Volney and his daughter. Ah! you may suppose that I was indeed startled on hearing those names: for I knew them to be those of the kind friends beneath whose roof my own wile was sojourning.” “The miecreant!” exclaimed the Viseoynt De- lorme. ‘And to think thet I should have for some ears considered that man to be amcngst my best nds! But proceed, my lord :—-we are impatient for Jour explanations.” After that low whispering,” continued Octa- vian, “the leader of the murderous gang went on speaking to Dame Roquette in a somewhat more audible tone; and then gour name, Viscount, was mentiuned. I gathered that you were the accepted suitor of M. Volney’s daughter—that the bridal was to take place to-day—that after the ceremohy you were to seb out on your way towards Fousuinebleau—atid that you would pass through thié forest. I likewiso lcarnt that by some means or atiother the miscreants vhief had ascertained that you would tiost probably have a very large sum of tondy in your possession, and that the wedding- presente of the brid’ were to be of a most costly plion. Then the leader's voice again grow fadietinct; and all t could succeed in ascertaining of this portion of his discourse, was that he himself Would be upon the foad—but whether in your enm- pasy oF fiot, I eould not rightly understand. Ie oweter gave Datae Roquette instructions relative to the part which she would have to perform. One of his gang—a man bearing the name of Moulin~ was to bo likdwise upon the rodd, and even I Balieve to penetrato into the heighbourhood of the Ohateaw itself—at all events to find an opportunity to hold sommunication with his chicf and rcecive thé orders which circumstances might render no- Gebtaty. It is evident that the villanous Icader wb 48 that time only partially acquainted with your plans; atid he knew not precisely when you would pass trough the forest. For precautiun’s take he did not desire his gang to muster too soon ; diid therefore the object of this Moulin’s meetiny him along the line of route, was to receive the instructions as to the bour off assemblage. It was then to be Dams Hoquette’s duty to carry round the final order to the separate abodes of the indi- Viduals of the band; and tliua, you perceive, uo preewation was omitted by the fiendlike author of hw plus in ofder tu ensure its fullest success. But I mush gheveve that throughout this discourse whieh tool place between himself and Dawe Lv- qtsette, I did not otice hear her address him by any dt; nor was there 4 eranny in the door through whieh,I might to Gbisin w glimpse of u:e éounténandd, Zwiee did he dome into the littie ro6m whith had beun allotted to tne: twice di:l be pass the lentega befbre iny yes to aseuro himself that I slept: Bib of neither fle yh évén BO much as a hair’s breadth, tur @ ujlsereant should perogive that I really slept not! and as I knew that he was armed to the teeth, while I was altogether weaponices, I was completely at bis merey. Thus you will under: stand that the chief went forth from the cotiag< there would be more than one equipage, and thefe- | without my having succeeded in obtfining «hs fore. gyauy péople to deal with. Then for some | slightest ides of his personel appearance.” he spoke in a lower tone so that I could “I¢ was a ight of horror which you passed ”* a a a ttdared Irae . ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)