The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

eR ee ee Cy s age c= CARES atop 252 Sererrarns oF fxm COURT. ra folt his beart beating with so pajnfula vivlence{ “Move nob anotber incl,” ssid the Dake, with that it as if he had just been ebeupply | stern insrepidity 1 “or I eend a bullet through aw out of a hideous dream, 7 brhins |” “Fool, fool $hat Xami” beeaid to himself; “ab “I'm only.a poor feller,” responded the intrader, one instant bold to deaperation !—es another the | “ mhich hes loat hig way in this oursed fog: and I veriest coward that walka the face of the garth! | dida’t go for ta do no barm.” Peshapd after all be is spcveted qlsawhere ie the] “If thé te the case,” guewered the Duke, “£ hopes: for bow, ow that ofher occasion, could he’ will do you no harm either. But tell me—bow caine have procured admittenos within these walls. By | yan to look into that conservatory just now P” heaven, I will not rest till I have searched the place| “Ab, well, I gee you're the same guutlaman throughout!” which wes io that placa: hat I waan’t alier no ill. Again was the fortitude of the Duke of March- | I saw the light—or should rather say, I came right mont returning; and he was about to issue from | bang agin the place is the mides of the fog, and the conservatory to return into the library and | should have emash through it glase and all, if thence regain the other part of the mansion,— {#0 be that is.wasn’s for that there glim as you wien all of a sadden it struck bim that he bebeld | carried in your bend.” & buman countesance looking in at him th Daring this brief palloquy, the Duke of March- the glass. The taper nearly fell from his bands | mont had leleure to contemplate the intruder more the next instant the face wae gone—but his car | narrowly as his eyes grow accustomed .to the ob- distinctly caught the sound of rapidly retreating | scurity which A suspicion srose ia his footsteps. Thus satisiied that it was indeed a living | mind; and another instant’s scrutiny of that vil- being, but having no particular idea of the appear. | lanous hangdog coustenance confirmed 4 He ance of that countenance which he bad seen look- | mow knew beyond any farther doubt who thi man ing in upon him, the Duke hastened from the | was; and it ap to him as if he wore sud- conservatory—sped through the library-eand in a | deply throwma in his way in order to bepome an faw moments reached the private door which was , instrument in the. carrying out of his designs. so frequently mentioned in earlier ohaptera of this| “ My poor fellow,” he said, assuming the most narrative. Of this door he always had the key: | compassionating voice, “ you are evidently a Louse- he opened it~and leaving dhe taper in a recess, he | less wanderer: and eo far from blaming you for rushed forth. é having invgluntarily intraded on my grounds, I “Now, by heaven! if it is ke,” the Duke thought | pity you. What can I do for you? Do you within his own breast—and he found himeelf | require food f and shall I show you aloft over the nerved with en extraordinary strength of mind, or | atable where you mey rest yourself for the night ? rather we should say, a satanic resoluteness of pur- | Be not afraid: I am tho Duke of Marchmont— pose, —“ if it is &e, death—death |” and I flatter mywelf that vo pow man has ever He stopped and listened: the sounds of footsteps | had any resson te complain of harshness of un- reached his ear from a particuler direction ; and | kindness an my part.” thitber bo aped with a ewiftness that amazed him-| “I'm werry much oblesged to your lordsbip,” self. He could however sce nothing—for there | was the intruder’s ; “and if ao bo "tisn’t was a thick fog: but he knew every inc’: of his | axing for too much at this time o’ night for a meal own grounds wall, and could thus kec, tv the | of wittels, I ahould be*uacommon thankful.” gravel-walk even though rushing on at so flcet a} “Come with ma, my poor man,” replied the pace. The retreating footsteps became more | Duke, in the same compassionating woice as be- distinct, Marchwont then kaew that be was in the | fore; “and I will sop what I can do for you. vicinage of a grasa-plot; and by transferring his | This way.” Touto to the soft yielding turf, the sounds of bis| Marchmont aa if he had not the slightest own steps were no longor audible. suspicion of the fellow’s true character; and in All of u sudden the footateps of the other ceased: | this manner he conducted him towards the private then in a few minutes, they appeared to be coming ; door of the house. While proceeding thither, the hastily fowards him; and the Duke stood still. | ill-looking intruder eyed the ncbleman askance, in | Nearer came thoge steps: then they suddenly | order to penetra his purpose end assure himself | ceasud again, as if the individual was @#toppiog | that he was reaay safe: but he saw nvthing on | short to heten; and then they came on once more. | the part of the Huke to make him apprehend any The Duke of Marchmont had a pistol in cach | treachery. His cReumstances were desperate: for | hand; and he was resolved to fire the very moment | though he had money in his pooket, yet he was | he should obtain the certainty that it was bo whom | well nigh famished, from the simple fact thet be | hoe svught—be whom he feared—he whose life he | had not dared approach any habitatiou during the had wade ap his mind to take! Nearer camo the , day, much leas, enter any village or hamlet, in footateps: thay were advancing more slowly along | order to purchase {pod. He accordingly resulved the gravel-walk: they were heavy steps, as if they | to accept the proffered kindness of the Duke: for were clumsy shoes or coarse bouts that were thus | he felt tolerably well convinced thet he incurred ‘treading ;—and Marchmont thought within him- no peril in so doing. poll, “ It cannot after all be he /’ ® Marchmont conducted him over the threshold A few momenta put an end to the Duke's an- | of the private door, which he immedintely locked ; certainty; for a figure was rovealed to him through | and taking the taper from the recess, he led the the mist; and he himself was simultaneously re- | way towards the servants’ offices,—the ill-looking vealed to thas individual. man ing. Proceeding to tho lardes, the “ Hands aff, whoever you are” growled a fero- | Duke eaid, “Take whatever you fancy: be nos cieud voiogs “or I'll dash your brains out—biow | afraid—~Z do not things by halves.” me if I don't |” The man lifted down a cold joint: another abnt 8 8 e SR, EEA ws ne Qe eee eeereee, ~~ meen aR, COMIC OOO© SS (CO)