The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 192: what you’re looking at

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

a a e . THE MYSTERIES <—- ewe eee: Maravelli, whom he had found at home and who at ence hastened to obey Mre. Ranger's acmmons. “My gear madam,” said the physician, who had scarcely been able to conoeal dis agitation im the presence of the waiter, and who now gave free vent to bis alarms the moment that individual had quitted the room,—" what, in heaven's name, means this mysterious Proceeding? Why not come direct to my house as usual? why send for me hither? Ah! madam, a terrible presentiment of evil hangs upon my soul——"’ “Sit down, sit down,” said Mra. Ranger, whose looks denoted a dark and sinister resolution. “ We bave much to talk about!” “ Good Gud! your tone and manner frighten me,’, said Maravelli, sinking upon a seat, as if in a state of exhaustion. “ Would to heaven I never had any- thing to do with thaé business !"—and the wretched man writhed in agony upon the chair which he had just taken, a ee Fe oq RS ee ey _ gr ee ae es Eee tee eee [a ee WY FE Oe ee OF THE COURT. > rng mg ger ee PO EE: | ne ee Ber 179 ——_— see ee ofa terrifie woe GOO oe oe = hey ready seem to shadow forth some ides nature.” “You are aware, doctor,” said Mrs, Ranger, “thit dangers de menace us?—you kuew it even before you received my uote ?—and it was my note that worked you up toa pitch of feverish exemte. {. meut? Come, confeas the truth: was it not su?” . —and she looked him hard in the face, as much as | to sxy that it were uséless to give a denial. . “Yes—you speak truly-—gvo truly,” returned the | doctor hesitatingly. “But you hive betrayed the trust reposed in | you?” she said, still gazing upon him with an ‘ine | tentness ayd fixiiy that scemed resulved not to allow the sight st change of feature on his part to ercape her notice. | “What do you inean?—betray you?” he asked, / atammering and blushing like a guilty man. “In one word, doctor,” said Mrs, Ranger, sternly and still with that fascin&ting luok fixed upon him * Foul—idiot—coward!” sjid Mrs. Ranger, in | —but fascinating only as the reptile concentrates; the thick husky voice of subdued passion and all the magnetic influence of its cod gleaunug contempt. “Is it thus that you show a worse | «yes upon the victim it is about to dare upon,— 7 —— =< oa ee oe es oe, mendous dangers ?”—and as she spoke she grasped | his arm with her bony fingers, and griped it with | _ a force as if it were in an iron vice. “Dangers!” repeated the wretched man, shud- dermg with the very endeavour which he made to control his fears. “AhI I knew there were daigers! I knew it-®@I knew it—the moment | received your note, so mysteri-usly seut, and so imperatively summoning we hither?” “ Yes—there are danvers,” returued Mrs. Rau- ness of pagsion to the sepulchral depth of s0- man's courage, we can avert those perils——whereas, if you are weak-minded and show a crafen spirit, | explanations. ruin will overwhelm us all—not ruin for one, but | | ruin for two—three—all—all conecrued! Now do you understand me—and will you be calia 2” 2) will, 1 will,’ said the doctor. At this moment the waiter re-entered the rooin, bearing refreshments and wine; and when he had retired again, Mrs. Ranger rose from her seat and examined the apartment carefally to sec whether the walls were merely wooden partitions, or wether ' they were iudeed thick evough to prevent thefr voices from being overheard im the adjoining rooms. Having satished herself on this head, she opened the door gently aud lgtked furth into the passage: but ne one was there. Thus con- vinced that there were no eaves-droppers, she re- turned to her seat at the table where Maravelli Was just tossing off a tumbler of wiue in order to resuscitate his courage and his spirits. “Now are you prepared to listen ?” asked Mrs. Ranges. " +} am,” was the resp nse: and he cerfainly ap- peared to have found the tortitude which he sought dn the juice of the grape. “Take another glass,” said Mrs. Ranger, who gaw that the artificial stimulant would reuder him ductile and pliable to her purpo-c, mure cusily perhaps than even her own represen. tuicns. “There! now proceed,” said the ductor, setting down the tumbler whicli he had engpticd a second time. “Lf am prepared for somethmy dreadful. Your look—your maunui—yuur tone uf vice, al- = se ee: ee ee ee on eee a air Ge Pee Pe «eee Se ee eee ee ee ee ee 4 wil imake up my mind to tell you all! ger, her voice suddenly changing from the husti- | _ lemnity. “ But if you are a inan, and wii! show aj didiy all you have said to thie Jocelyn Loftus.” Ee Jee aN Bea, ae = than woman’s weakness in the presence of tre- ;*in one word, you have betrayed all you know to | a young Euglishinanu who is living with you, named Juceiyn Loftus ?” “cis useless—utterly useless—nay, even worse than useless,” said the doctor, “to dany anything. Besides Isee that yoy have some project in view——" “Remember, dactor, that every minute 18 pre- cious,” interrnpted Mrs. anger, ina warning voice. “Whatever you have done J wii not reproach you for: ‘tts past, and caunot be undone. Butit car be anienided or countcracted—andia this must you help me! Now proceed—and tell me frauk?y and can- Dr. Maravelii thereupon commenced the required He stated how an Euglish lady, bearing the fetitious name of Jtoberts, was living at bis house—and how, as she des.téd hange of scenc, he had visited the adjacent vi-agg, to purchase or hire a count:y residence which he might fic up fur her accommodauon. He went on to siate how he had met Loftus there—bhow the young manhad that Baye evening rescued Mrs. Soverts tsom a watery grave—and how he had become an imate of his house, Then he detailed the particulars of ethe scene which had taken place betweea himoelf and Teottus—uand how te had revealed atc he Kuew con- cerning the iucivents of the villa, and hkewise Boma Owen’s episocical adventure with the pohee, He bext proceede. to describe how, late on the pre- ceding nigh") Tyoftus had brought home the corpse of the child—how he had discovered the inwials on the | flannel-wrapper aud the cambrio handkereief—aod how he had deposited te body in the digsecting-reom, Mrs. Ranger was app eticd at the narrative noe revealed to her, and which showed how far advanced Jecelyn Loitus was in following up th® clue that he was evidently pursuing to the unravelment of {]ic whole complicated affair relative to the birch of the | child. But ccmposing her harroaed feehogs. acl | recalling to her aid that more whan fenrnine aut evén more than mastuling resoluuon with which in her own criminal designe she iad previously arud herself, she reflected profoundly tor upwards vf a minute upon all ebe had just heard. | “Lu you kuow what thigself-scy ied Mis. oberts real mame de?’ she inquired at Jenyi. = = _ews -= — » - ‘Gomme: fie pees eee ae eee errrey bie gears CONIC OO OY ( CS CO