The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 344: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THR COURT. ; The yeader hes already perovived how In-{his aims. He had no diffeulty in past, dora ed laeynt in her own native city the real name Of him who passed by the*fictitious one of Clement Redoliffe—and how from the passionate languege which bad burst from his lips at the time, she gleaned enough to prove thet he had just made the dicevvery of haw he Jaboured under a frightful imputation ie his own netive land. After be had espaped from Inderabad she fol- lowed him to Bogland ; and she obtained an jn- terview with him, 6s recorded in one of the earliest chapters in this naseative. She comprehended that he wes bent upon adopting measures to prove bis innocence, for she knew hin too well to believe for a single ivstant that be could ever have been guilty of a crime, Then it was that the romantio idea of eecrotly gucoouring him ig big endeavour to demonstrate ¢hat innocence, flashed to the mind of the fond and devoted Indore. But having only a dim idea of the ciroumstances attending that crime of which he was accused, Indgra ordered Mark to procure the files of an English news- paper, that she might obtain a perfect knowledg® of all that it concerned her to knoy, In that newspaper she read the particulars of the tra at Oaklands in the yoar 1829; and she bad no difficulty im arriving at the cougiueion that as Ber- tran Vivian himself Wes assuredly innocent, his _ brotber Hugh must be*the guilty person. To visit Ouklands—-to bebola the spot which had proved the ecane of the tragedy—to glean whatecever she might be possibly enabled to pick up—and to avail bereelf of euy circumstances that might transpire towurds the furtberange of her aims,-—-these were the ideas that natyrelly began to ocoupy the at- tentiun of Indore. Thus, when Madame Angelique called at Shrubbery Villa, and in the course of con- Versation proposed a visit to Oaklands, Iudora readily accepted the offer; for though she com- prebended the treacherque reason for which it was made, alg had no fear of being unable to combat iguinst the designs of the Duke, of Marchmont. wWeeidea, she wished to meet that man face to face, that she might form her ows idea of bis dispo- aition, and judge to what an extent it might sub- sequently be worked upon through the medium of his conscienge. Now, it happened that Bertram Vivian himeelf, in adopting measures for the demonstration of his innocence, paid occasional stealthy visite’to fhe seighbourhtod of Oaklands, rather perhaps to trust to the chapter of accidents, than with any proaise and settled plan of action in view at the time. On the occassion of one of those visite— and being concealed amongst the trees—he to his astonishment beheld Indora walking in the grounds with the old steward. He fancied that sho must have been beguiled thither by some treachery~ especially as he knew that Madame Angelique bad conceived designs against her- self and Sagoonah — those designs of which he had given ber a hint, and againet whieh he had warned her in a brisf note written from Mortimer Siveet. Thernfore, on Suding lodord at Oaklands, Bertram Vivian was vesylved to wateh over her astety; and be beheld her take her departure. Hie brother had in the meantime come to Osk- lands ; and Bertram could nop resist the tempta- tion of endeavouring to work upon his fears es one} acqu of the Gret stope towards the eocomplishment of apt efiecting a stealthy entrance into the mansion; and he hep. pened to conceal himeslf in thet very room to which hie brother and Purvis penetrated that they might escertain whether Indore hed replaced the dagger in the drawer whence she had taken it, Bertram was fearful of boing discovered; for he knew that his brother ‘wes villain enough to hand bim over to the grasp of the law-and be at that time was totelly uoprepared with any proof of his innocencei He therefore defhed the candle from his brother’s bend; and he effected his eacape from the spot emidat the ytter derknese in which he thus suddenly involved the room, But he had previously overheard the gonversation which took place between bis brother and Purvis in respect to the dagger; and the.motive of Indora’s visit to Oaklands begen te be spparent to hia mind. He saw that she had aed inveigled thither by treachery ; and he gonjectured that if was on bo- count of hisewn affeizs thet she hadcome. He further surmieed that she myst have hed some per- tioular conversation with Purvis; and he was de- termined to escertain. He therefore introdaced gbdy | himself stealtbily in the night-time to the old ste- werd’s room: he revealed his name~and he subse- quently found « faithful egeistan$ in Purvis. The conduct of Indore wade a deep impression upon Bertram’s mind : it was another proof of her de- voted love for him: he aaw that she was labouring in bis behalf; and so many evidences of her affec- tion went far to mitigate the impression that he bed mainly owed his lengthened captivity in In- derabad to the influence whieh she possessed with ber father. After his visit to Woodbridge end his discovery that the Duchess Elisa bad long been dead, be waited upon Indora at her villas and he then informed her that the circumstances whioh hed previously prevented him from giving ber aught beyond a vague hope, had ceased to exist. The reader now compfehends the real significancy of some of those incidents which at the time of their occurrence wore involved in a cestain degres cé mystery. We need hardly add that liberal rewards were bestowed—not only by Lord Ciandon, but also by the young Duke of Marchmont—upon all those to whom thev Jad any reason to experience gratitude. The prop detor of the lunstic asylum in Northum- berland, who had eo charitably given a home to the unfortunate Duchess Elise, had every ground to be watjefied with the hberality of Christian and Lord Clandon: Jonatban Oarnabie went beak fo Woodbridge with more than suiflisient to enable him to live without work, if he thought &t, for the remainder of his days; and Purvis, the ‘aithfyl old steward, was likewise a special object of the bounty of those whom he had served. Over the grava of the deceased Mr. Ashton a monument was erected, bearing a beautifplly composed tribute of the gra- titude of the twins for the true paternal kindness which they had received from one to whom they were in no way related. e Now that Queen Indora had left Ragland, Chria> tina took up her abode altogether with her brother at Marclim.:t House; and there they were visited bv ali ti® elite of the aristosraty-~as well as: by several friends whom Christian hed red previous to the occurrence of those events which hed proclaimed the secret of his birth, Thus, COMINCOOOKS.CORt