The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 256: what you’re looking at

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

a THE MYSEBRYZE OF SAR COURS, axclaimed the Viscount Dejloeme: and the wards were echoed by the other listeners--while Soe shuddered visibly at the bare thought of the ter- rific dangers which her beloved husband had gone through. “In the morning,” continued Octavian, "TI task leave of the old woman withont suffering hes to suspect that I had evesheard a single syllable of the previous night's discourse between herself and the chief of the gang. Od gaiviug the road leading through the forest, I encountered a body of the polica: { communicated to them all that had taken place; and they were at once strusk with the expe- diency of aeting with the ujmost eaution in evdar to effeet the capture of the obief and of hie whole gang. But inasmuch as [ was utterly unable fo name a single member of that gang, and the suspi- oiones of the poliee were totally at fault on the sub- ject, ic was neoessary to adopt a eourse which should lead to the accomplishment of a twofold alm: namely, that of discovering and identifying the chief himeelf, and that of suffering the gang to assomble at the point already known, but the hour of which assembling had yet to be ascertained. I accompanied the polipe-officials to the Mayor of tho nearest village; and after a consultation, it was decided upon following the policy suggested by cir- cumstanoes.” e Octavian paused for 6 few moments, and then ountinued in the ensuirfy manner :—~— “J set out in pursuance of my journeys; and I expeoted to reach the Chateau before your pasty had loft it. It however happenad otherwise. Qn meeting my wife, I questioned her relative to the friends who belonged to the party. My suspicions could settle only upon one:—this was the Baron De Margaux; and yet J dared not rush preeipitately to the conclusion that he was the criminal. I explained every thing to my wifq: but I enjoined her to say nothing of all those matters until she should pereewe that the dexteuement was approaghiog. I was afraid that if premature revelations were made, You would not be enabled ¢o control your feolings; and that these frolings being reflected in your looks, would show the Bafon that he was suspected and would cause him to decamp—thereby frustrating the ends of justice. You may conceive how difficult it was for me to command my own feelings and exeroiso a perfect eontrol over the expression of my own countenance, when I found myself in the presence of the Baran. I immedi- ately saw that he was galvanized with terror on beholding me) and yet tho misoreant was so ynuch the master.of his own feelings that even ta ma his startled emotion was barely pereeptible—while to othor lookers-an, uncunsejoue of all that was ba- neath the surface, it woyld not bave been peye ceptible at all. That he himeclf was instdntane- | ously lulled inte the belief that I suspected him ° eee - eee Gee Ome oo ee — aves 22 | mee so owe eS not, is evident from the fact that he remained with us to pepsesute his diabolis plane. The sound of hia yolee confiymed mg snapicion that he eces the leader of the gang--the wretch whom I had heard Inst night explaining hie iniquitaus eprojests to Damo Requette. I determined to wash him naye vowly; and you saw that when he prapveed to iesue fovth from this tavegn under tha pretext of remonstraing with the postmeater, I offered ta assompany him. And herve I shoyld absesve that tne delay in ubtaining the hossee wae purpusely aveanged by the police-~a hint being given to that effect ta the peatmaster, eo that the whale ramif- eations of the plan might fully work themselves out, You saw that the false Baron did not wish ane to necompany him) and fearful of oneiting his Guspisions prematurely, I allowed bim ta gu forth alone. But I stole after him: J dogged him to a short distanep from the village s and I suepecded in over-hearing some little conversation between him- calf and his man Moulin. Tortqnate was i¢ that siroumstances Gawad ix this channel: for the falas Baven ordered Moulin a6 ance iata the tw forest and icsue directions to the assembled gang thas they were to make some alteration as to the esene of the eontlempisted attenk, far‘ it wee now praposed to be effeated at a spob further on than that originally intended, no doabi fer tho purpose of allowing the shades of evening to deepen as mii as possible. The false Baron and his man sepa- rated: I intercepted the latter—I seized upon bim and made him my prisoner. His errand to the foreat was thue eut short <A couple of police- officials came up at the time; and I told them all that had occurred. One of them eet off with all possible speed to acquaint the main body of the gendarmerie that the gang was atsembied in the forest, aud that the capture might now be effected + the other official, huvang disposed of bis prisoner, fetched some of his coinrades to offont the arrest of the falee Baron himself, I should observe that frou the conversation whieh took place betwoen the chief and hig man Moulin, I learnt that the latter had been gil the way to the neighbourhood of the Ohateau—that there he had received his chiaf"s instructions———" 4 Yes—+whan the perfdious wreteb,” oxelaimed the Vissount Dalorme, * had iusidiously ascurtained from my lips the settled plan of tha day’s pro» esedings.” “No doubt,” observed Lord Octavian. Than the fellow Moulia must have riddon back with al) possible despatch to the forest tu give Dame Ra- quette the final instructions; and this seaund interview between him and the chief tas fur the parpose of making assprance doubly sure aud ascertaining satisfactorily that no part of the plan had been altered by circumstances, and that there | was acomplete understanding on either side as to all the details, I think that 1 have now explained everything ta"you, wy friends; and if [ eulfered su many leurs to elapee ore tha villain was completely uamasked, it wat for the beat possible motives.” “Ob! under all cirsumetaness you actod rightly,” exolaimed the Viscount Delorne. “ But au nuiva has etruek mal Tlie villain whom J hed deemed an honourable man and my friend, wae doubtless the author of crimes which I had all along attributed to others. May he not have been qannected with the geng at Marrid who robbed me op the occasion whan he psetended to he the saviour of my life ? vemay it nab have been‘he who plundered myself and athess at the hotel at Barcelona ? may it not likewise have besa he who robbed the dquscuse'of har jowele at Naples )—end instead of his cuntem> plated masviaga with the daughter of the Spanish being broken off in apusequenae of eome flaw in the lady's eharanter, may it not haya bean that her fathas rapaived seme whiepered warning velative to the evil repute of the falee Razou hime = eee eee - 8 wee 6 SRE 9 ee ee eee > =r J CR ETE, Se Pay eS A CC te ay ee ne | | | | } LOAO© COLUM SS (CO)