The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 220: what you’re looking at

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

= nr cm a ra mene ee TEI I I TT I TT 2 ESSE EEE a te a ES PC SEC ECS A I I DEE —— ee ee eee eee ee eee ee eee Se en ee i | THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. . 6 w 207 aat her mistress in a large arm-chair, already tivid and ghastly with the changing hues of a death pro- duced by a quick and powerful poison—while on the floor, gith glassy eyes that seemed to stare up at her awfully, waa stretched Lady Prescott also becoming hideous beneath the finger of death ! Something seemed to give way ih Gertrude’s brain as she sent forth that thrilling, rending, piercing cry; then she stood motionless and silent for a few instants—and then, as persons issued from the drawing-room, the horrible laugh of a maniac burst from her lips. Oli! this indeed was a night of horrors at Mara- velli’s house! The suicide of the two ladies seemed the crowning act of the tremendous drama thus re- presented there. Jocelyn and the doctor were tie two persons who had rushed forth froin the dining-room on hearing Gertrude’s yelling cry; aud we need utterable dismay on beholding the teagedy which lad taken place. Qoftus was the first to recover his paesence of mind; and in a few quick but impressive words, he conjured the doctor to summon likewise all his fortitude to his aid, inasmuch as it was abso- lutely necessary to conceal from the three sisters this new incident which had occurred, lest the accu- mulation of so much horror upon horror, beneath the sume roof and within the same hour, should prove more than theirminds could posspbly bear up against. Mavolta was according)y summoned forth from the dining-room to take carge of Gertrude, now a laurhing senseless mauiac; and the uuhappy creature was induced to follow the old housekeeper up the stairs. The door of the little parlour was closed on tha corpses of the two suicide-ladies; and all thia having been done in the course of a few minutes, the doctor and Loftus returned into the dining-room, where the three sisters were now huddling together upon a sofa and gndeavuur- ing to imbibe confidence from each other’s pre- sence,as well as collect their ideas so as to look their actual position in the face. For Agutha had by this time grown calm,—yielding to the consola- tious, the entreaties, and the prayers of her two sisters, who had been recovered frum the fainting condition into which they had fallen. “Young ladies,” said Loftus, on returning into the room with the doctor, “you need remain gere, uo longer than you choose.” “ But what are we to expect, Mr. Loftus ?—.what are we to anticipate?” inquired Agatha, who was still nervous and trembling all over. “ You must prepare to quit Geneva to-morrow,” answered Jucelyn. “ Understand me well—to-mor- row cust yourselyes,"—-and he glanced rapidly at the three sisters one after the other,—* take your departure from this city in company with Mrs. Ranger. Now you understand ine; und-I have no more to say. “Unless indeed,” he added, after an instant’s pause, “you feel that in consequence of the terrible scenes which have taken place you would rather remain here for a wiile longer-——" “No, no,” cried Emma impatiently: for now that her fortitude waa returniug, she reocllected her appointment with Bérgami. “Let us hasten henoe this moment! Agatha—Julia,” she added in quick whispers to her twa sisters, “ ict us depart now directly.” They all three accordingly signified their glo scarcely say that they were overwhelmed with un- the business of a vew day, Doctur Maraveill,” added our hero in a solemn voice, avd with a still sire to go thence; and Loftus, taking the candle in his hand, conducted them to the from door without uttering another word. But just as they were about to issue forth, he bethouht himself of something which he ought to say in his own justi- fication: for not even to such vile, depraved, and heartless girls as these, did he choose to appear in the light of a map capable of unnecessary cruelty, “One moment,” he said, just closing the door ajar ere the three sisters stepped forth from the house. “Jt is due to myself to inform you that the additional horrors of that room”--and he glanced towards the dissecting apartment — “formed no portion of my plan. Had J known evhose remiins those wore that had been brought in by the resurrectioni“ts of the lake, not for an instant should I have suffered you to enter thither |” Having thus spqken, he again opened the doors and the three sisters, drawing down their veils and huddling close together, issued forth from Marae velli’s house, just as the neighbouring church-clock was chiming a quarter to one. Thus was it that they had pas<ed through three quarters of an hour of horrible feelings aud rending mental tortures within those walls; and the silence, the darkness, and the loneliness of the bye-street intvu which they now emerged, constituted an indescribable relief after the whirl of harrowing emotions they had experienced. After having thus afforded egress to the three sisters, Jocelyn Loftus hastened back into the dining-room where he had left Maravelli, and to whom he now said, “Iam going out for an hour or two,” . “Going out!” echoed the doctor, all hia sus- picious of evil snddenly reviving. “Tranquillize yourself—I shail be back in a couple of hours, loug before the city awakes for more solemn look, “ the last houg,hag been one of horrors such as I never knew befvre—such as God grant that I may never know again! Our duty isclear and appareut. So soun as the police- courts are open, We must repair to the authorities avd relate everything that has oceurred.” «Everything ?” cried Maravelli, with haggerd look. Depend upon it,” rejoined Loftus, “ I willsave you from any unpleasant consequences. I have promised you tnis already, and I will keep my word.” He then put on his hat, muffled himself in a cloak, and issved forth from the physician's houge. Meanwhile the three sisters were hastening back to the villa. Imma, whe relied gpon the pro- tection of Bergami, but who did not choose to inform her sisters of all that had taken place be- tween herself and him, said everything she could think of to inspire them with an equal amount of courage and assurance. She represented to them that now the ordeal was past, the worst was known; and that all the harm or exposure Loftus in- ‘ended them, was their prompt exile from Geneva. « But even this decision my be counteracted,” added Eimma, in @ peculiar tone of assurance, which was derived from the secret rellauce she placed in Bergauni, Cy lin ( LDOC cS) CO