The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

66 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. his eyes riveted with a-peculiar significancy upon | means has mixed herself up most uvplearantly ip Stanhope, as it eudeavouring to foreshadow by his | certain affairs of mine. She may moan nothing looks that further elucidation of his purpgse which | more than what she hes hitherto doue: or, on the he hardly knew how to shape in words. For even | other hand, she may mean a great deal more and when villain is talking to villain ‘there ie a height | is only biding her time. 1 have e~ery reason to of villany which embarrasses the one how to pro- | apprebend that this latter supposicion is tho true pose it in all ite hideous details to the qther. The ; one:—therefore am I desirous——~Im plain terms, lustre of the lamp ehwno full upon the counterance | Stanhope, this*woman is an enemy whom—whc™ of Marchmont. a faw minutes back it had been | I must——Perdition seize it! Let the words t- flushed with wine—Lut now it was very pale; aad | epoken!———whom I must remove from my path. it wore so sinister an expression that Redcliffe , Ask me not for further explanations: but say— shuddered, and could even have groaned in bis | and say quickly, Stanhope—to what extent I may (EE EE, are @. ee horror, were he not sensible of the necessity of | count upon your assistance f”’ keeping on bis guard, and were he not likewise “Now, look you, my lord,” said Wilson Stan- thorougtly mastcr of hia feelings and emotivus. hope. ‘“Asto whether I will do this or anything " “Sq many thousands of pounds!” sald Siso- nope, at length breaking that long silence, and speaking os if he were atill in a state of wondering incredulity. ‘‘ Why, my lord,” he added ia a voice that became suddenly hoarse, “ it sag be little shor, uf murder that you wish me tq de ac such a price and for such a reward !" “ And if it were,” said the Duke, in @ tone that was scarcely audible to Mr. Redcliffe at the case- ment,—“ would youe-—” “Would I undertake itf-———-But this is ridica- lous !”” ejaculated Mr. Stanhope. ‘‘Your Grace is playing a pert—heaven knows for what pur- pose!—or else you are joking. And let me teil you that the jest is a very sorry one {” “ And if 1 ware not joking,” said the Duke,— “if I were serious-—— “Then I should say,” rejoised Stanhope quickly, “that having got hold of a man whose circum- stances were the other day desperate, and may soon become desperate again—you are hulding out to him such a temptetion——-But, pshaw! you do Qt mean is {” “] tell you thet I mean it,” answered the Duke, with the alr of a man who was suddenly resolved to beat sbegt the hush no longer, “ but to com? to the point.” “You mean i¢?” gaid Stanhopes and then thore was avothe? long , during which they eyed each other with that significancy which charac- terizee villany when coming to an undursianding with villany. é “Now listen to me,” resumed fhe Dake of Marchmont. “We are speaking within four walls; and I know it is impossible there can be any one to overhear us. If yon fall inte my views, good and well: but if you think to craw forth expila- nations from my lips in order that, without exe- cuting my purpose, you may henceforth exercise a power over me,—yoti will f mistaken! For were you porfidionsly to breathe a syllable in betrayal of what is now taking place, 1 should indignantly deny it: and who would believe your word against that of the Duke of Marchmont? You see that Tam s ng camlidly, Stanhope —because candonr is necessary under the cir- cumatances.”’ “T do not find fault with yout Graco for thus acting,” answered Stanhope ; ‘and now at least I know that you are serious. , my lord; — can be no harm done in giving your expla- nations.”’ ‘‘ They ate brief,” responded the Duke; “and not many minutes neod elapso ere you will have to oomte to a decision. Thoreis a certain woman —e lady I ought to call her—who by some else for evch a sum as fifteen thousand pounds— mark! you have said fifteon thousand pounds !— is @ question speedily settled. I will. But in saying thy, I can of course oniy speak condi- tionally. If there is very much risk—so much that one’s neck must approach uncomfortably near a halter—I should think it is a venture on which you could scarcely expect me to embark. There- fore when I say I will do it, it is in the belief that you have already devised some plan which you merely require me to carry out.” “T have,” answered the Duke of Marchmont, “The lady of whom I am speaking, frequently walks in ber garden ip the cool of the evening ; and although we are nop entering upon tle sutumnal month of September, yet I know that she stil] continues her rambles in that garden, ap- perently absorbed in reverie, even after the dusk has closed in. Sometimes she is accompanied by a young lady who lives with her—at other times sl.e is attended by a female servant: but occasionally she is alone. Of this I am assured: for durive the last furtnight I have frequently watched in that neighbourhood.” ‘Proceed, my lord,” said Stanhope, refilling his * It is for you to seise an opportunity when she is alone,” continued the Duke of Marchmont: “there are approaches to her residence by which you may steal thither unperceived " “Btop, my lord!” said Wilson Stanhope: “all this is very well—and I comprshend you easily enough. A dagger or a pistol would rid you of this female enemy of your's. But what about tho reward ? if once the deed is done, what guarartce have I that my recompense is forthouwing? Will you give it me first of all?’ « . “* Kifst of all!” echoed the Duke. “ And then what guaranteo havo Ithat you will perform Our 29 me Now your Grace secs the difficulty,” coolly remarked Wilson Stanhope. ‘In plain terms, wo cannot trust cach other. Yon will not give me the reward beforehand. and I will not under- take the business without the prepayment of the reward. Suppose that I did—and suppose the deed to be done: I come to your Grace— you assume the indignant—you play the virtu- ous—you repudiate mo—an I? Tothreaten in such a case would be foolish: our lordship would langh at my throats! As for carrying them out, it would be madness; because on my part it would be giving my neck to a halter, with only the remote chance that. you would swing next t moon the same gibbet. ieee Se, o-Ps Me os ees ihe what redress have: COLUM LOAO© SS (CO)