The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 209: what you’re looking at

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a ant nnn eee | | {98 solution sf the mystery, She now reculleeted the manner ia which ber things had been lovked wut from amidst the scadtered effects on the scene of the accident; and as ale was etill farthor examin-. ing the buxes, to ascertaiu to what extent she had thus become the unintevtions) self-appropriatrix af (he property of tho deceased lady, she discovered a small writing-dosk, with the initials L. BR. on s bruss-plate upon the lid. The desk was open,-» the violence with which it had been thrown out at the time from tho box that contained it, hariag no doubt caused the lock tg yisld; and Lettice Rol? ney, being hampered with no over-nice seruple, unhesitatingly proceeded to the examination of the contents of the desk. She fuund severnl dor. monte closcly gelating to the deconsed Mra. Rayner’s Minirs,-- ihe certificate of her birth, as well as that of her marriago—a Frovch pastport, describing her personally with ae much accuracy ea euch official papers axe enabled, in a limited nuraber of details, to exhibitmand several letters from Mr. Pollard, tho lawyer, writlen at different times and advising ber of periodical remitiences. There were hikew.ae memoranda, evidentiy penned by the doconsed lady herself, and indaoatiung various con- tinental placcs which she had visited both previous aod subsequent to her busband’s death—the whule affording @ tolerably comprehensive clys to her movements since her elopament fram the boarding- asbool, Ine word, the several papers discovered in this desk, superadded to the oral explanations given by Mra, Rayner in tho railway carriage, served to render Lelfice as intimately acquainted us §t was possible fur ber to became, with she affairs of the deeegsed lady. Wile Miss Rodnoy was thus engaged im the perusal of the contents of the desk, an idea era- dually began 4» arise in her mnind,—at fret vague, indcligite, and impalpable—theu acquiriug shape and gansistency— growing atrooger, until at lest it bene an objcet perfectly Ltted for serious and deliberate contemplation. Lettice sat down and pondered deeply thereon. Sbe surveyed the mat. t.2 from every distinct point of view—reckoned all the chances of success and tho probabilities of falure,—at the same tue balanciug the risk sho might incur with the prise Abo might gain by playiug "the strike boldiy. Ter mind was made up; and she now no longer punsidared it expadiont tu throw any light ppan the nume of the dvedased lady who was s¢presegted as unknown in bhp cata; lugue of the killed, Ct CUAPTER XXXVILL TUL MISES. Iz by no means one of tho hast stronte‘ef Liver- puol, was situated the dwelling pf Mr, Anthony Pollard, attornoy-at-law. He has already been deseribed ag a widewer, and of grasping miserly hubity. Mrs. Rayner, when a cliki—ten years previous to the time at which wo haye fouad her apeaking on the subject ty Letice Bodney—had observed his parsimonious character, and was dis- gusted by it: but dauging thoee teu years x6 bad becowe olill wore inveterate us ike yroed Jor gold— more uitense in its cagerpess tia gain. le bad er Poe ee Ol sie eter aE OB, <r ee ly, é i monn, elyrued by ladies THE MY@TERIES OF THE COURT. omen” pws thus uwcyaued ail the very worst attributes of ibe moiwer, -eaericing every persvmal comfort to the | sole object which he had in view. And yet, not to bis ksowledge, did he possess @ single relation on the face of the earth: therc was no one whom he loved for whose snake he boarded up gold—nv one whom he eared fur, to inherit it. The thought troubled hima sot that when the cuid hand of death shopld be jaid heavily on his shoulder, sending through him that eougealing chill wich knows no thaw,~his heeped-up riches wegid cither devolve ty the Crowa, or be dissipated in the cuurse of the law's disputes, or become the prey of any pinnderere who might gather in his last Tarments et bis bed-side, as the ravens troup to where tie corpse will anon be pn tse ficld deatined for the battle. It was sot the question of who should imberié afl this wealth, that oreupied the mind of Anthoay Pollard: it was sufficient fur hitn dbat there wae bis golden image wlueh he had 66 up for Lis own particular worship, -—no matter whet worshipper mught suceced hina, nor whether the image itself might be shatéered, at bis death, by the band of greedy litigants ur ef pluniderers intent upvo « division of the spoil, Most stran ze indeed 1s the toner-worship of the muser, whose idalatry is purely egotistical, and who ministers not at @ high-priest to lead ethers in the track of the sane Gerotion, as well as towards the same cbjcet, om lo cherish the bepe of possessing the same idol ! Mr. Pullard was a man well stricken ‘in years— tal, lean, and lank — with shrivelied linbs—a cadaverous skiti—a sinister oxpreasion of) counte- nanoe—and an eye ever restless in the suspicious glances it was continuously tlinging round about. Though so greedy of gain, Polland was a just wan after Lis own fashion: that is to say, he would acruple not, by means of all the engines of usury, to grind hie victims down to the very dust—ase, or even reduce them to beggary, so long se he obtained his own profit: but on the other hand be would religiously fulfil whatesever obligation be undertook, and whatsvevor truest was evntidod to hun, This wae it dbat throughout all bis dealinys in respect to Mrs Rayncr, his conduct was marked by the strictest probity; and it is therefore to be presumed that her father, ere his death, had selovted him as a trustee front a kauwiedge of the illimitable confidence thas might be repoasd in hun. 1 iate years Mr, Pollard bad grown sv mistrustful ot every age about him, thet he had elmost come pletely given ap his practice as a solicitor, so as tu ayoid the necessity of keeping clerks and of absent- mg hunself for hours together from his home. Besides, he found meney-lending « far more tucra- tive avocation, and ono wiieh‘he could manage entirely by himselt. Thus, at the period when we now introduce hun to the reader, he had no clerks wv los employment; and his growing habitesot par- simmony bad led bing on to dimivial bis domestue ettubliahment, Hinitiey at at length to a house- keeper and a drab of a servant puri. The houso- Lovper who was pow te jis serve, had been witu him barely three weckw: but on appiping for tle wituaiion, she had preduced euch excellent gesti- rank with whom she raprvsented lersed{ to have lived, that Mr. Pollard bad unbositutingly engaged ber. Besides, she eatue from Zondyp; and thie was an additvnal ~~ s ey oe, meer ss oom — = ees ew = Swe, ~~ e oe oe e e w Ee eee eee Oe s SS NOG