The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 371: what you’re looking at

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

958 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. spectators experionced unfailing amusoment—those the sudrounding scenery. This house, after remain- of our readers who have never visited the Judge and | ing unoccupied for some timo, bad within the last — 2948 oes OW ee ee, «me eo eee - =. | Jury Bociety, will be enabled to understand how well | three weels become the abode of Mr. Gurthorpo. ' gustained the spirit and interest of the proceedings | The moment he had decided upon taking it, he lost : must be.* © | no time in fitting it up in a very handsome mannocr. Lord Saxondale waited until the ond, when ho | Everything this gentlemafi did might appear to the | adjourned to the supper-room below; and there he | shallow observer to be done on the impulse of the invited the Lord Chief Baron, the barristers, the clerk of the court, and tho witnesses, to sup with him. The conviviality was kept up until a some- what late hour; and if it had not been that a couple of waiters conveyed Lord Saxondale into a cab, he never could have reached it of his own accord. Edmund slept until a late hour on the following day; and when he descended to the broakfast- parlour, it was with a‘racking «headache and an accompanying depression of spirits. The morning newspapers lay upon the table. He took up, ono; and almost the very first announcement upon which his eyes fell, was that of a horrible and -nystérious murder committed in Lincolnshire. He road on: and callous, indifferent, emotionless though he naturally was, it was nevertheless with dismay and horror that he thus learnt tho particulats of the frightful tragedy which had occurred on tho “s of the Trent. The journal concluded its account by stating that the whole affair was involved in the deepest mystery, suspicion attaching to no known person. And mysterio was it indeed to Edmund Saxondale: nor could ho of course form the slightest conjecture as to the author or authors of the crime. é Having hastily dressed himstlf, he proceeded without delay to Evergreen Villa. ‘Cho intelligenca. had already reached the cook, the groom, and the coachman,—the newspaper having liketvise been their informant. Consternation and dismay pre- vailed at the villa;.and indeed great was tho ex- citemont throughout the neighbourhood, it being known that the mistress of the houso and her at- tendant maid had met with their death under such mysterious circumstances in Lincolnshire. Some relations of the unfortunate Emily Archer, and who dwelt in London, made their appedrance at the villa soon after Lord Saxondalo’s arrival there; and they teok possession of the house and all tho pro- perty it cdntainod. After somo little deliberation, it was decided that one of them—an uncle—should proceed without delay into Lincolnshire, and bring up the corpses for the purposes of respectablo in- termont,. d Dispirited, and with a gloom sitting heavily upon his soul, Edmund quitted the villa and returned to Saxorfdale House, his mind filled with the awful tragedy which bad taken place under such extra- ordinary and unaccountable circumstances. CHAPTER LXXVL MR. GUNTHORPE’s VISITS. In the neighbourhood of Stamford Hill‘was a hand- some residence, sjtuated in the midst of spacious grounds, and commanding « beautiful view of all * At the time of which we are writihg (1844) Lord Obief Baran Nicholson illuminated the Garrick's Head, with his presence: but at the present period (1852) he shines in undimmed glory at the Coal Hole tavern. . moment: but it was not so. Tho key to the reading of his character was this: (hat he made up. his mind quickly, yct mot without as much deliberation © As the incident of the momont might deserve; and when once he had resolved how to proceed, he lost no tie in carrying out his plafts. Thus, the very day after he had taken Stumford Manor—as it was cilled —waggon-loads of tke costliost furnituro arrived atthe place. Ife did not fit up the house by degrees, nor eyen tnke a week to do it: his orders were given at the moment to upholstorers whose warchouses furnished proofs of their com. tancy for the commission’; and as monoy to Mr. uuthorpe was no object, his will and plcasuro were promptly exccuted. A few days after his return from Lincolnshire, and ab about eleven o'clock in tho forenoon, Mr. Gunthorpe entered his carriago, and drove to a pretty little cottage situated at no groat distance from the manor. The moment his modest equipa:zo stopped af the déor, little Charley Leyden, nicely dressed, and full of joyous spirits, bounded forth to welcome the benefactor of his mothor and sister, lenrietta herself was,,likewise speedily seen upon the threshold to greet Mr. Gunthorpe; and the old gentleman was introduogd into a nent little parlour, whore Mrs. Leydon, considerably improved in heaith, received him with a degreo of warmth which was due to one who had dragged her forth from the depths of poverty. “T am cume to havo half-an-hour’s chat with you, Mrs. Leyden,” said Mr. Gunthorpe, “respecting a certain matter you spoke to mo,abont somo days ago :”—and ho glanced slily fowards Henrietta, who, blushing deeply, roso tc leavo the room. “ No— you needn't go!” cried the old gentleman. “On the contrary—you arg, a&.very necessary person to the present conforence. But fou, Master Charley, can run out and play in the garden till you are sent for,” he added, patting the child kindly upon the cheek. “Oh! do Ict me stay,” said Charley. “TI am so fund of being where you are, I did nob much like you at firgt,” he wont on to observe with boyish ingenuousness: “but since I kfew you bettor-—” “ Hush, Charley—hush!” interrupted Mrs. Ley- den, somewhat severely. ‘ You should not speak in this manner,” “ My dear madam, let bim epvak as bo will,” said Mr. Gunthorpe: “everything he utters comes up froua his heart, You are a good little boy, Charfoy; and here is somothing to buy a toy with,” he addod, placing a five shilling piece in his hand. “But I would rathor stay with you than have that, if you mean me to go away,” said the child, pouting hig pretty lips and looking as, if he were going to cry. “You must run out and play a little by yourself for the present,” said Mr. Gunthorpe, kissing him; “and if you 40, you shall come and stay a whole day with me at my house.” Charley’s quntenance now brightened up; and ny Reena) eqeeesseese, Senne Te a sea a ceases, ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)