The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 282: what you’re looking at

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

ee od iene ee So eet ie ee oid, ee eiPones _ nn —— -_- 22 =_— oo Oo oe ——_e oe Me agihy «~s GV eee — oY = ——- ~ «= - —-— — —-_ ——_ a —_—-s =— we 2» owe wen whew eee eh] Ge Poy Gio = ee —_——— = = —= - ”-— —-— ee, <i ere Ee eee ee ee on eee erp THE MYSTEBIRS OF THE cotnrr. om Gye) antenna veel See Grugadsen'e about the gardens: but the Earl teok good caro to keep them at a tolerabie distance from the private dour, Thus an hour passed; and then he pre- pesed to retura into the house. But on passing iu-duora, the old nebleman made some excuse to leave them; and he hastened back into the garden. *Ah,my young friend!” he said within him- aclf, thus apostruphising Christian Ashton, “I shall find you caught in the trap as sure ag a gun! —but hke a true Jover of romance, you have too mues pluck to roar ouf and thus betray every- thing. Or perhaps sou Lave managed to cxtri- cate vourse}/ij—in which case the teeth will show Whether they bit home, But I am wore incline to think I shall Gnd you pomed taat there,—enjuy- ing a miserable martyrdom.” In luis hasto to ascertain the resulé of an idea which he conceived to be one of the most brilhant that bad ever entered hig fertile brain, the Harl of Lascelles did not pursue tho tedious meander- ings of tho @ravel-walk which led towarde the private doors but be cut noruss the grass-plat— reached the cvergreous—and began working his way manfully amongst them. But all of a sud- dov a terrific sell rang through the grounds; for, lo and behold! tho unfortunate Earl of Lascelles was caught in his own trap. Nothing could exceed tho horrible eries and the pitecus lamentations which kept coming from the lips of the wretched old man. Lord Adeolphus and some of the men-servants rushed forth from the mansion: others followed with lights; aud guided by the Earl’s yells, they speedily reached the pput where he was pinned fast. Lord Adulphus was most painfully afflicted on bebolding Jus father in a plight so unaccountable, but wlich for any one except a son would have had something so exevedingly ludicrous im if. servants turned aside to laugh outright; and Makepeace would scarcely keep hie countenance. Jhe old lord was cxtricated from the trap and borne into tho house: but on arriving there, he would not suffer any one to attend him in his dressing-room execpt Makepeace. The Countess aod Isabella, having retired to their own apart. ments to pub off ther shawls, had not heard tho cries; and when they woro informed of what had happened, they eped to the door of the Hurl’s suitc of rooms to make inquiries and render any novdful assistance. But Alakepeace, opening the dour a few inches, assured them that lis lordslup was by no meaus seriously hurt—that ho desired to oe deft alune—anid that they were on n° ac- count to send for medical assistance. eit was quile true that the old nobleman was not rauch injured—for the simplo reason that the calf of lis leg Bud been protected by a pretty considevr- able pieces of paddiug, which was urtistically fixed inaide lug stocking 80 as to give that appearance of modelled robustness which nature bad deed to those spindleeshanks. And it was likewise on ac- count of this succedaneous arrapyement that tho Lari would not suffer any one to enter his dressing: foom except Makepeace. Sr RS EE, ES wT We Indeed, several of the an opportunity of questwning the under PEEP eC Re af A Ve Rael) Oe ae | ME Wins Fails w yi iefieem ip en Pe vee “CILAPTER WI A REVELATION. THE inmdont of the man-trop remainnd enveloped ina considerable degrec of mystery with the genes rality of the Harl’s household. Wis lords » anid, asif ina cursory dinnver, that he supposed one of the gardeners must havo sot it under the ime pression that there were nocturnal intruders upon the grounds; und he forhado any inquiries to ba instituted. Muakepeaco of course took very good care not to confess hiow far he had been ingtra- mental in producing the iguoble eatastrophe: nox did he think fit to mention the circurastance even to Lord Osmond. The under-gardener likewtye maintained the scevet, in pursuance of the justruc: tions be had received fron the Farl: but the man could not for tho if of him conceive how tho trap had become moved from its ompinal position. When, at the expirntion of a day ar two, the nobleman was enabled to leave his room again, ho gardener; and though the iellow ewore lustily he had planted the trap against tho private door, the Karl could not belp thinking the fellow had go¢ drunk and had placed it amongst the shrubs. However, h@ was content tu leave the mutter as it stood: for be had no inclination to make a disturbe anco relative to an invedent that was so painfully humihating for himself. Yet bitter was lua lord- ship’a vexntion that Cliristinn Aghton ahould have escaped him: for it was lug intention, if the youth had been caught in the trap, tu sumiuon the whole household to wituces him in thet position. The tables had however been turned; it was the Karl himself who was oaught—tho Batkhimself likewise whum that luusehold, with but three or four ex- ceptions, had pourcd forth to seo, The incident produced the most painful impres- sion upon the minds of the Countcea, Adolphus, and Isabella, Without being at all enabied to account for il, they were noverlheless deeply ead- dened Ly the thought that the poor old nobleman had bere placed iu that erucl predicament. Such astate +c fevling brings vividly up into people's minds the wrongs of which they have been guilty, or the duties which they have vivlated, in respect to the individual who 1s tho object of their come passion. The Countess, who had many generous qualities notwithstanding the deep depravity into. ewhich an irrvsistiblo teinptatiwn had led ber, was more than ever aroused to the blackness of hbe abating infatuation for bis young and beautiful mother-in-law, could ny longer look in his father’s face without feeling that bis puilt towards that parent was of the darkest and deopest dya. As for Tsabella,-—- she, with hor feclings far more keenly sensiiive, and with ber notions of propriety atill more exquisitely delicate, was led painfully to refloct that as her uncle atuad in tho hight of @ parent, sie bad proved grievously disobedient to bis wilws in®tealtbily meeting Christian Ashton. The result of all these remorseful feelings was that the Countess of Lascolles penned a note to Adviplius, bdbeeching and implonug that on some pretext be would withdraw from the mansion, and that by means of a long separation they might turpitude: while Lord Osmond, despite his un- Rae” EN aie eee = COMIC OOO© (C SS CO