The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

Nene pe | e pg ne a ‘-atsodeP But no—not for 152 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. é @ thas found herself as it were face to face! and the atreet-door was shut again, and the with Ralph Farefield ? For the doctor’s visitress, 28 the reader has doubtless all along known, was none other than Lady Saxondale! Ce Yes—there stood Ralph Farefleld, looking as if he had not been dead a day~appa- relled, too, in ‘a befitting suit of raiment ; for thus was the doctor accustomed to clothe his subjects, go as to give them a life-like ap- pearance. Yes—there was Ralph Farefield, gazing with his artificial eyes of glass, forth from his coffin-case, upon the horror-strioken Lady Saxondale. _ Fortunate for hor was it that utter consternation paralyzed her voice and for the moment struck her dumb,— fortunate, too, was it that a.massive:table was near, against which she supported her- self ag she staggered back,—fortunate.also wns it that Dr. Ferney had his.own eyes turned towards the corpse at the time; for had it not been for all. these cirgumstances, Lady Saxondale would have screamed out— vould have sunk down upon the floor—and would have petgayor the terrible emotions so suddszly-empited by this tremendous dis- covery. And never, too, had, her natural strength of mind been so abruptly called upon to put forth.all its powers: never was tho readiness of self-possession so completely needed! Nor was she,at fault in these re- spects. She became herself allina moment: but it was with a terrible offort that cost agonies in making i ussumed was unnatural to a degree. - “It is indeed v onderful,. my: dear Dr. Ferney,” she obgerved. “Your success. in | 1 the art of preserVing these objects is beyond all parallel. Truly, you must. have ; covered the Egyptian secret: the lost key has been found by, you. | But, ah!” she suddenly exclaimed, asa clockin the museum struck eleven—a circumstance of which she was only too glad to avail herself‘as an ex- cuse for immediate departure,-—~—" is it poasi- ble that I have been here two Jong hours ? And now it isso late! The time hasslipped away——how fast, how fast!) My ‘Dr. Ferney, I must say fareyell at once.” _ “ And may [ hope,” inquired the physician, “that on some future occasion you ‘will favon:*me with your presence in my humble | the wor | perfectly agreeable to yourself——”" ‘*'Yos, dootor—~I will assuredly visit you. again. Meanwhile you will recollect the promise you have mfidemeP? = (et “It were impossible to forgot anything in connexion with you-—gnd equally impossible | not to keep aay pledge you have required.” Lady Saxondale ‘wag now eacorted ty Dr. out of the museum; and she ap- Ferney ! | peared to wreathe more freely when the door. of that hideous place had closed, behind her. - Carefully covering her countenance with her. veil again, she descendéd the stairs, preceded. by the physician, who carried the light; and in the hall she bade him farewell. For a moment he felt the pressure of her hand as it held hisvywn ; and when sho had departed, A the coolness ahe AG wis '|very. pale and even careworn, there was dis-'|. “Her d unless: jof rebuke, “‘ as to atippose: doctor was left to the sdlitude of his.-own thoughts, that pressure of the hand seemed to Ruger—ét was still felt—and the music | of the voice still sounded‘in his ears. _ Strange was the love which this man felt for that wonfin, ‘whose .real name he know not and of whose stationrif lifo he was equally ignorant! ‘But this love of his— was it an infatudtionP No; it was rather & deep and holy devotion which ‘his heart offered up eternally at the shrine of love. |- How strange, then, is the infldence of love! bat in how. many varied ways does it mani- fest ita power! Even the strong mind of that man—a man given pp to philosophic study and acientjfic research—yielded to its influence: its etherealizing spirit com- migfled with the tide of his erudition—it interwovo itself amidst the tissues of his learning—and ampler and awpler hough the stores of knowledge grew in that man’s soul, there wag yet nd: infringement upon the space forming the tabernacle which en- shrined his love. : . | CHAPTER XXXIIL THE LISTENERS, : |On the following day, at about two o’clock in the afternoon, William Deveril knocked at the front door of Saxondale House. “Ts her ladyship at home? ho injuired of the hall-porter; and while his face wus nevertheless: a. certain decisiveness in his ookd and accenta which indicated a firm and settled purpose. = _ | ladyeht is at home, sir,” was*thec porter’s reply, given coldly though not in- solently; “bat Iam sorry to say I have orders not to admit you.” - © Under néost cir¢umstances such an inti- mation,’’ replied Deveril, “would be ro- spected by any one of good manners and ‘breeding :. put there are also circumstances which justify an individua] in demanding jan audience and insisting upon his demand being complied with. Such are the circurh- * | stances in which I am placed.” . “Tam @fraid I canyot help you, sir,’ said the hall-porter, standing at the door in such @ way ag to be ready to bar Deveril’s en- trance, should he make the attempt. 7 “ po not pay me such: an} ill compliment,” @ observed, in a gentle though manly tone : | ies On thet I shall en- deayour to. force my way into the house. I am incapable of euch conduct. But what I Goslre in, that you send up a message to Lady Saxondale'to the effect that I demand an interview, not ag.a favour, but as a right.” be the ball-porter: and:‘no longer thinking it necessary to keep the door-way guarded, he turned round and directed a footman to re- port to her ladyship what Mr. Deveril had eaid. | e In afew minutes the footman, who, different rs Se eee ee ee eee, ee ee eee oo Qe Ee: ee COLUM A LOAO© SS (CO)