The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 357: what you’re looking at

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

ee ieee DS EE me aw wcewE op -e- . paid to Lord Harold’s chamber. = ein 5 ee ee ogee ee 5 SD ees" er ee a eee Ss. .. Se ee =" oe 04-4 @ ae ee ee ee ee eee ED carefully noted by the authorities—and thp ma- gristrate then decided upon having the corpses, conveyed to Gainsborough. Some hurdles werd. procured; and upon those the budies were placa. Tine procession then set ont along the bank of the river, throuzh tho deluzing rain, towards the town, | | euaneinl CHAPTER LXXIL TUB CHAPEL Wea left Lady Savondale and her guests seated to- other in conversation jn one of the magnificent drawiny-rooims of the castle, aftor a visit had boen Lady Saxondale herself had retired for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour to the library, as she stated, go write e fetter or two; and on her return to tho drawing-room she joincd in the convorsation which was progres#ing at the time. Mr. Hawkshaw sat with Juliana a little apart from the rest; and though they both 1 mingled in the general discourse, yet he found an ‘opportu- nity of manifesting these little attentions and payipg those assiduitios which belong to the pleasing cere- mony of courtship. Florina was, alone of all the party, desponding and s»bstracted. She was pre- viously in low spirits before the accident ocourred to her brother; and that circumstance had naturally tended to depresa her still more,, Lady Mucdonald, satisfied that there was nothing alarm- ing in hor nephew’s position, had fegained tho wonted equanimity of her disposition: Lady Saxon- dale studied to render herself as agreeablo as she could—and such an attempt on her part was never mado in vain. Towards Mr. ILawkshaw' she was particularly courteous and affable—although thero was nothing in her mannor to show that she played the part of a manmuvring mother endea- vouring to sccuro an eligible husband for her daughter. Nor indeed was it at all necessary for hor to Jend her aid in the mattor: as Juljana bad played her cards so well that Mn Hawkshaw was onsnaged, ed, to all appearances, beyond the posaibility of self-ergancipation from the thraldom of love. © At about ten o'clock supper was served up; and Florina suggested that as her brother had taken but little refreshment sinco the accident of the morning, he might possibly require some now. She accord- ingly intimated her intentioa of ascending to his chamber to make the inquiry. “I Will accompany you, Flo,” said her ladyship, displaying all the concern of a generous hoe tess with regard to an invalid guest. The two ladies thereupon quitted the room, ard. ascended to Lord’ Harold's chamber. On reaching the door, Lady Saxondal¥ said in a whispering voice, “Tf he sleeps, Flo, it will be a pity to disturb him. Let us onter very carefully indeed.” Lady Saxondale accordingly opened the door with the ntmost caution, aud listened upon the threshold. The war-lights were burning upon the mantel; and her ladyship, motioning with hér hand for Florina to remain where she was, ad- vanced on tiptoe towards the couch: then having peeped between the curtains, sho retreated in the eame noigeless manner towards Florina, to whom ae whispered, “ Ho is sleeping soundly. " e THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. The young lady was pleased by this announce- ment—because the circumstance appeared to indicate an absence Sf pain on her brother's part, aud. there- fore that he had in renlity received no sorious injury. Lady Saxondale closed the door again with the sama caution she had displayed on opening it; and, ac- companied by Florina, she retraced her way tu the apartment where the supper was served up. “What nows?” inquired Mr, Hawkshaw, who throughout had shown the most generous interest o& Lord Harold’s behalf. “Our patient is sleopiny soundly,” replied Lady Saxongalo with an air of great satisfaction. * So much tho better,” observed Mr. Hawkshaw. You may depend upon it that in a day or two he will be all right ogain’ If he suffered much pain he would not bp sleeping in that manner.” Florina was well pleased to hear an opinion which thus confirmed hor own hopo; and she felt sorgqwvhat more cheerful. It was nearly elaven o'clock before Mr. Hawkshaw took his departure; andere ho withdrew, he asked Lady Saxondale to be allowed to ride oveg in the morning and mako personal in- quiries relative to the invalid. Thig permission was of course accorded ; and the Squirce’s horse having been gotten in readiness, he left tho castle. Immediately after ho had thus taken his leave, the ladies withdrew to their respective chambers. It was now eleven o'clock: and Lady Suxondale, on reaching her own room dismissed hor maids for the night, with the jgtimation that she intended to sit up “reading a little while cre she sought her couch. In about a quarter of an hour—when she thought the hdusehold was quict—sho stole torth from that chamber, and proceeded to Lord Larold’s. There she remained only a few minutes, in convere sation with the y6ung nobleman; and on issuing forth aguin—instcad of returning at once to her own room—shd proceeded along tho gallories lending io the wostern side of the castle. Sho .extinguished tho candle which she carried’ in her hand, and felt her way through the gloom of those corridors to the chapel—on entering which, sho closed the dvor and then ro-lighted the candio, having brought matches with her for tho hurpose. This pro- caution sho adopted to prevent any of the in- mates of the castle perceiving, from tho opposite side of the court-yard, a light moving along the gallories of the uninhabited portion of the building. _ - Scarcelg had she thus obtained a light again, when the sounds of footsteps reached her ars ; and forth froin the place of tombs emerged the unmis-. takablo form of Chiffin the Cannibal. “ Ah! you have come at last?” said Lady Saxon- dale. a “ Yes,” mahi growling response: “ but IThada deuced great mind not to venture here at All to-night —for there's al drecious rum thing took place ata littlo distance, abbut two or three mile away towards Gainsberough.” ° « And what is that P” demanded Lady Saxondale, fixing her eyes upon the ruffan in a, penctruting manner. a “Why, nothing more nor leas than a double murder,’e responded Chiffin. “A double murder?” echoed her ladyship. “ What do you mean? Have you—— ee No, not I: and it’s a precious luoky thing for Qe -e-- owecemeees Veueee-~ -Sewar anus. a = oe = ees: oe ees =< ee eee eee act tia aaa aaa amma aaa seas aiaaaaaaaa tases ca a eae a SS me AR i 7 PP oS ST Wi oS GES = =e > Sees ee =e eee eee = ee ee eee, ee. ee ws = COMIC OOS Lo) SS (CO)