The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 335: what you’re looking at

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

. the letters which gave hig a complete insight into _ thought of assuesinating bis unclo flashed into his me «pene ew we es Bape ot 8 §23 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. weg mate form of the Duchess was borne into tho theres his purpose was fisec. But in order to play mausion. The Duke ordered Mre. Bailey’s car- a part which should oaventually avert or disarm riage: to be immediately got in readiness to suspicion, he affected to bo deeply anxious that the take the Duchess away. Lord Clandon inwardly Duchess should be found; and he offered a reward chuckled at the success which was thus attending to aay individual who should discover her retreat. his schemes: but he affected the utmost sympathy ; He went out as if to search for the Ducheas—but with bis uncle, and even upoke as if he were in- | it wag in reality to look for his’ uncle. Ho how.- clined to plead for his brother. The Duchess sont , ever failed in falling in with the Duke; and ho re- a letter by one of her maids to Mre. Bailoy, with a | turned to Oaklands. Shortly afterwards his Grace request that sho woald presont it to the Duke, for | reappeared: buteLord Clandon took good care not whom it was intended. Lord Cfindon voluntecred | to throw himeclf in his uncle’s way. From his to perform this office; and he entered the apart- | valot Travers ho learut that the Duke had gone out ment in which the Duke had shut himself. He | egain. This was past one in the morning; and dared not conceal the fact that he hel been en- | Lord Clandon pretended that he should retire to trusted with a letter, for fear i¢ should subse- | reat,—bidding Travers call him early that he might quently transpire by some other means: but while | get qn horseback and renow the scarch after the appearing to study the language of cdheiliation, he | Duchess. Whon Traveis had retired, Lord Clandon in reality so framed his epeech that it tended to | stole down fronv his chamber; and provided with aggravate and embitter his uncle more than ever, | @ pistol, and with a dagger which he ba! taken if possible, against the Duchess. He thus accom. | from Bertram’s roum, ho sallied forth from the plished the result at which he aimed s for thé Duko | mansion. ‘ His scarch on this occasion was not a positively refused to open hie wife's letté#. How. | Zong one: for he met his uncle close by the pond ever, on issuing ferth from the Duke's presence, jin the bye-lane. The “Duko was indignant on ro- Clandon assured the maid that the Duke Aad read | cognising Ojandon; and he turned away from him. the letter, but that his resolve waa not to be | The next moment the fatal blow was dealt: tho shaken. The Duchese sceing that her last hope | murderer's hand plunged the dagger deep down war gone, then left the house. between his uvcle’s shoulders. With a savage In the meanwhile Bertram’ frow the village ipy | bowl the Duke’s dog Pluto sprang at the assassin ; had despatched a letter to the Puke; and when } and Olandon instantaneously discharged his pistol. Lord Clandon joined him at that tavern, Bertram | Tho faithful animal bad caught the murderer by informed him of the circumstange. The Duke re- | the skirt of his coat, and Clandon did not perceive ceived the letter, the contents of which filled him | that a piece had been torn off. The dog fell with a bewildering uncertainty. After all, Eliza | wounded; and the murderor rushed away. Negain- might be innocent! He sent for Jane, bor Grace’s | ing the wanusion, ho stolo up to his own chamber principal lady’s-meid; and feom her lips be heard | and toseod off his clothes, still unsuspecting, in that the Duchess hed oslled God to witness her | the horrible confusion of bis mind, that a fragment innosence, previous to her departure. Jane more- | of his ayat had remained ia the dug’s mouth. over informod the Duke that her Grace’s writing- | Boon sftor six o'clock the servants of the house- desk contained certain documents to which she |‘hold were again up; and on the portals being had made allusion in the¢etter sent by the hand | opened, the wounded Pluto dragged himself in. of Lord Olandon. The Duké flew to hie wito’s | Lord Olandon, hearing the sounds of meny voices boudoir—opered the writing-desk—and read all | down-stairs, hastily ruse from his bed, and dressod himself in a different suit from that which ho had worn at the timd of the murder; fur he naturally studied overy circumstance to prove that he hati actually been in bed for the last few huurs. On descending to the hall, he found the servants sur- roundieg the dog, from whose mouth the piece of cloth had drupped. Travers was thore at the time: bat on observing that fragment of cloth, he was smitten with a suspicion—and he rushed up to lfs maator’s room.’ There he found the coat which Lord Clandon had thrown off; and while he was yet examniuing it, that nobleman himecif entered thechamber. He saw that it would be imposmble to conceal his guijt from his valet; and with a haggard, ghastly look, he said, “ Traverse, be silont —be secret andéypur fortunc is made!” Travore bowed in silence: but by his own looks he showed that be understood his waster’s mean- ing, and that he might be fully relied upon. The corpse of the Duke was found; and by the devilish ingenuity of Lord Clandon, all circumstances were so well combined as to throw the whole weight of suspicion upon his brother Bertram. rom these explanations the reader can be at no loss to comprehend the details of the confession made by the murderer on his death-bed; and which wore duly taken down by Mr. Coleman in tho presence of Purvis and the physician. the loves of Bertram and Blisa at Oxford. Thon a veil fell from his eyes; and he believed that his wife was innocent. He rushed forth from the boudoir, and encountered Lord Clandon, who bad just come back from the village after*hiv interviow with his brother. There wae then a hory ible clear. ness in the mind of the Duke ; and thetconviction smote him that Lord Olandon had beer laying a most perfidious game. He bade Clandon folluw him into the drawing-room; and there he at once ac- cused him in a manner which made Hugh imagine that his uncle hed by some means acquired a posie tive knowledge of his treachery. He was filled with confusion: the Duke beheld his guilt depicted upon his countenance ; dnd he abruptly quitted hie nephew in a way whiah testified all his disp! :asure. Lord Clandon we Serrified ‘on thus beholding a guif suddenly opening at his qwn feet and thrcat- ening to swallow him up. All bis echomes ap- peared to be redounding with overwhelining vio- lence against himself. The Duke would take back hig. wife, and would restore his confidenge to Bar- tran], Buin and disgrace would remain as the rtion for the guilty Clandon! Then it was that the utter desperation of his soul tha horrible brain, It speedily settled and acquired consistency ST Se saa si rl els SiS | Dae etter YN S (CO) COMIC OOO©