The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

THN MYSTERIES OF THE Cover. 67 © You refuse, therefore,” said Marehmont. | ten, ot the Duke of Marchmont's proceeding that “TI refuse,” replied Stanhope,—" unless every | he did uv loom roand to ascertain what was the shilling-——No!” he interrapted himeelf, “I will | cause of his Gract's terror. Then, at the aame in. effect a compremise with you. You have specified , stant that the vile nobleman sank upon the carpet, the recompense’ at fifteen thousand pounds: give ' Stanhope sprang forward te raise him up; and me the half—seven thousand five hindred—and I | thus when he did fling a glanoe towards the case- awear to do the deed, trusting to your honour to | mont, the drapery hed ceased to be agitated. pay me the remainder.” | Though utterly usable ¢v.compreherd the meaning he Duke of Marchmont deliberated for some of the circumstange, Mr. theught it momeute, with vexation and bitter annoyanes | would not be well to sammon the domestics to the visibly depicted upon his countenance: but sud- ' Duke's succour: be aoourdingly bore him to a sofa denly breuking ailence, he exclaimed, “I will do .—loasened hie neck-tie—and by sprinkling water it.” on his countenance, endeavoured te recover him. “Give me your cheque, and full particulars in | In a few minutes the Duke slowly opened bis eyes° respoct to the lady—her whereaboute—and #0 | -—gased vacantly up at Stanbupe for awsoment-~ forth-——” ,and then, es if smitten by a sudden and terrifie We will settle this matter at once,” said the ; recollection, flung his horrified looks towards the Duke. “TI should have a cheque-book here: for I | easoment. brought that writing-caso down with,me from! No one was thero: the Duke raised his hand to London this afternoon.” his brow--gave a low subdued grosu—and thea Thus speaking, the villanous nobleman rose! syddenly etartiag up, reed to the window. from his seat; and proceeding to a side table, took | Fimging aelde the draperies, he opened the case- thence the writing-case to which he had alluded. | ment, and looked into the conservatory. He could Rosuming his seat, he opened it, and drew forth | ses no one; and stopping short, he again raised his his chequo-book. At that same instant Mr. Wed- | hand to his tow, muttering, “Could it possibly cliffe opened the casement to a width sufficicnt to | have been the imagination?” enable him to take his stang upon the threshold: for the window, be it anderstood, reached to the floor, and thus served the purpose of & glass doors The reader will recollect that he was enveloped in his cloak. He raised bis right arm as if in @ warn- ing manner: tho fulds of the cloak flowing over 4, partially obscured his countenance by intercepting the beams of the lamp which stood upon the tuble: yet hie face could be seen, though with a shadow upon it, if the Duke of Marchmont were to raise his eyes from the desk. With his left hand Mr. Redcliffe held the crimson drapery aside:—and there he stood motionless. “ Now observe,” said the Duke, as he began to Gillin the date of the cheque,“ when you pre-e sent this at tho bank to-morrow, you must appear to be in high glee; and you must, as if boastfully, declare that you had ao run of luck to-night aad that this was the produce of the card-table. You understand me P” As the Duko of Marchmont put this question, before he filled in the body of the cheque,—he raised his eyes: an ejaculation of horror buret from his lips—the pen ffl from his hand—he regled on his seat and sank senseless on tho floor. At that sime instant Redeliffe stepped back and closed the easement. The next mozient he was outside the ooneervatory, the door of which he tocked, and he hurried away. Regeining the statue where be had envountered Purvis about an hour back, he found the steward again waiting for him there, he having errived at the place of appointment about ten mi- mutes previously. Redoliffe spoke a few hasty , words of explanation —returned the key to the old moan—and burried off, A CHAPTER XOVL THA WAND-BILL. Tv. Hon. Wilgon Stanhope was taken so mush by surpri-e, and was seized with so much consterna- “What tn the devil's name ails your Grace ?” inquired Wilson Stanbope, who had followed hia to the threshold of the wiwlow. “What dose all this mean @ ‘You have absolutely terrified me !” “* What doos it moan?” asked the Duke, gazing vacantly at bis questionsr. “It means-——-But no! you cannot understand x i” “Did you sappose, ay lord,” iaquired Stanhepe, “that anyevody was listening or lovking on? or if eo, we may have placed oudrssives in no very comfortable predicament" “I¢ wee nothing !-—sest assared Nv was noe thing I" hastily intemnetes the Duke of Marsh- most, making ineredible effonte bo regain his self. possession. “Nothing f” sjacalated Stankope infpatiently ~ “it is prepostercas to tell me than it was nothing, when you were so awfally alaemed. If I believed in ghosts, E should verilably fancy you had scen one.” “A Prasand % wae with a countenance as white as eo sheet that the Duke of Marchmont now gased upon the Hon. Wilson Stanhope. “Py heaven,” eried the iatter, who wae himself ahnost as much algrmed ss astonished, * there must be something in all this! Did yom faney that you saw some oneP gle may have escaned!”~—and Stanhope rushed to the outer door of the conser: vatory. “ Locked! fast looxed! But these win- dowe—they belong to other rooms !—and see! the casemente open! they aro not fastened inside! My lord, if it were one of your domesties who is playing the epy upoa you, I would counsel you to take heed. As for myself, I wash ny bands alto- gether of the Vusinese you propose to me—I will have nothing to do with it—lI wish to heaven that you bad got even spokon tc mo o% the subject! Thére is such a thing os Punming <no’s head into @ noose at the very instant ume thinks that safety and security ere the most éompiete.” Stanhope spoke with ocousidesable vobemeace and excitement; end his speech bad beca inter- rupted by the burried visits-be paid to the dvor of the conse and to the easements of the ad- joining billiard-room and library. The Duke ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)