The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

‘ \! r = ome epee ye 70 op ee ete ewe CUAPTER XCVIL é & STBANGE GUUar AT OAKLABDS. THR Duke of Marchmout, as we have Said, rotired tu hie own chamber aud locked hinself in, But he did not seck his couch: he felt that it were 7 on foe ewe Sf eee 0 eee VO wn A Cn ad ¢ THE MYSTERIES OF THE OOURT. is for the last time. And now, cespite his do- | claration that be washes his hands of tho business | I propose to him, he shall undertake it; and by | rendering bia criminal—by making him en accom. plice, I shall cease to be at his meroy, as I now ‘mora or less am: for uufortunately the incident of this evening has given him an advantage over me.” . The Dake of Marchmout endeavoured to per- 2 gy, vee ame uveless tu lay himself down thereon, for that he | gould not slvep. Its soul had reseived a shock suade himself—or we might even say, strovo hard fic more profound than even Wilson Stanhope to make himself foel that his mind was now come himselt’ had suspected at the time. The Duke first of all examined tha room care- fully,—even condescending to look beneath the bed aod bolind all the draperies; and with an equal degree of scrutiny did he search the drossing- roum adjoning. We have used the word conde- évews because it is ever a humiliating thing for a man to admit even unto himself that ho is a coward; and with some haughty minds it is a diffivult ting for them to bend to any proceeding that in iteelf proclaims their cowardice. But tht Duke of Marchmont was indeed a coward and it was conscience that made him so. id | posed and settled onco again singo he had resolved upon a particular course of action: but he could : not shut out from his convictions that his soul had | received a shock from which it was by no means go easy to recover. Tho sense that it was so, was brought all the more powerfully home to him when he began to disapparel himself for the purpose of seoking his couch; and then he suddenly stamped his foot with rage as he felt that ho was afraid to go to bed! He walked to and fro—he sate down and took a bovk—be rose up again—his restless- now ; | ness was increasin:. “ Butthow could ho have got there?” the Duke Having completed the investigation of his bed- | suddenly asked himself. “The door of the con- chamber and the dressing-room adjoining, the | servatory was locked—and no one could have Duke opened bia pistol-case and proceeded to load | entered the library or the Dilliard-room unper- the weapons. But in thea midst of the operation | cvived by at least some of the domestics, Ah!” be desisted: he pressed his hand to his brow~and | qjaculated tho Duke within himself; “if ho were murmured to himeelf, “ If he be really alive, can I | really there, then he must be there now! Ezress —-gan I ‘lo this?” and he glanced shudderingly at | was impossible!” the pietuls in the epen case. As this idea struck the Duke of Marchmont, a Ho threw himself upon seat, and reflected pro- | devilish notion at the same timo flashed to his foundly, Slow but deep—gradyal but strongly | brain. Lo nerved himself with all his energy to soarked, wery the workings of bis countenance, as , carry it out: he forced upon himself the thousht varied thoughts paseed through his brain. “What oan all this mean?” he asked himeelf: ‘of how much depended upon it: his features grow rigid with desperate resolutenoss—and he deter- “what omens are portended? Why was is that; mined to do that which had just entered his head. ehe—that castera woman—ceme hither P and why | Resuming the apparel which ho had cast off, the does she seem to be taking fip a cause with which sbe can have no earthly concern? And why does de haunt ma nowP Ob, would that I could per- suade uiysolf i¢ were alle dream! Bat if she— that castern lady—were removed from my path— and if he—he lixewise ceased tp exist-—-what cause of future apprehension would remain f” The Duke rose from his seat, and slowly paced to aud tro in the chamber. Aé length he halted at the table on which the ait lay; and as if suddenly making up his mind, Je muttered be- tween his teeth, while his counted inos assumed an air of fierce resolve, “ Yes—by bravea! anything —-no matter what—so long as Bolear my path of those who dase plant themselves in it !” The Duke then Gnished loading the pistols; and he dopusited the case on a small table by the side of his bed. ‘ “Now,” he said, with a demomiae savagences settling for the instant upon his features, “he may eome aguin if he will; and if it ke in the coe- poveal substance that he comes—if it be as a living denisen of this world—by heaven, his next ap- yeerance shall be the last! Withous compunctica without remorse, will I stretch him lifeless os the floar! Bo more pusillanimity on no raora yain, and idle tersore!—for re A my coward yislding to them that he hag part lo} eway—sa cold shudder pi bargin Duke seoured the pistols about his person; and taking a light, issued from his chamber. He descended the staircase, and first of all en- tered the billiard-room. With the taper in one hand, and the other ready prepared to svizo upon a@ pistol, the Duke searched the place—but fuund no one. He passed into the library: an oqually rigid search was instituted there—~and still no one. Thence he pessed out into the conservatory —say- ing to himself, “ Perhaps if [ had only searched this place well at the time, I migk¢ have found him cruuched bebind one of the trees or in some dark nook,” . It was no longer with the slightest scintillation of cowardice, but with a stern, dogged, savage resoluteness of purpose, thaé the Duke of March- mont pursued his investigation here—but all to no effect. He examined the outer door—and it was fast locked, as when Wilson Stanhope had himself examined it. “Oan he be atill in the house P” asked the Duke of himeelf; “ or was it after all naught but an illu- sion P——*or worse still, was i6—was it a spirit from the other world?” Now all in an instant his resolutenessa melted ren through him—his looks recoiling terror around ; and he felt indication of anything supernatural Ft Guuraged +> renew his prauks and endeavour to | would crush and overpower him in a mamen), work upon my fears. ool, fool that I was.te bavi multitude of hosrific fancies swept through his Gay myself in the presonce of Stanhope! Bat {¢ | brains his countenance was ghastly white; and he J 8 ea COLUM LOAO© SS (CO)