The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 378: what you’re looking at

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

~ ad PE CBD om, deh lee eri I om wx ON 2 ee al pd = ee ey, OE Oe a =| a oon Ee ae OE a a! AO EE nti i Ot ap pea Rly ER er Rare ENG LE I OG ITED car I Meme My. gum TS ea SSL a OT I a STEN OI a ac ig gal - _ a 2 _ —! a THE MYSTERIES OF THR COTRT. « Begone, I repeat!” exclaimed Sagoonah once more: and ghe mifliner shrank cowering back from the fierce ightnings of the ayah's eyes. Then Sagoonuh turned slowly away from the fence, and gave no heed to the ¥renchwoman’s nassionate entreaties that abe would stop and hsten to her. Madame Angelique waited for a few Ytinutes in the last desperate hope that Sagoonah would yet come back: but she did not —and waa presently lost amidst the dense foliage af the evergreens. Then the milhner was com- pelled to betake herself away from the neighbour- hood of the villa—eo bewildered with what had oecurred, and by the terrors which oppressed her guilty soul, that she knew not what course next to adopt: and again, as on a former occasion, she was pursued, surrounded, and hemmed in, by the Sinister and uneccountable influence of Sayoonah's heunting eyes. sminweei e @ CIIAPTER LXX. THE VAULT IN THE CHURCH. Tau scene now changes to one of those beautiful little villages which are to be found in Weetmore- land,—where the hills protect the dwellings from the cold winds of winter, and where Jakes and rivulets reflect in the summer-time the trees that stand upon their banks. The village to which we would now particularly direct the attention of our readers, was situated in a valley; it was more than half embowered by large trees, whose giant arma, covered with verdure, stretched over the cottages which formed the chief portion of that hittle as- semblage of habitations. Jt was intersected by a stream, which, after turning the wheel of a water. mali, passed under a rudely constructed wouden bridge—but all in appropriate keeping with the Picturesque simplicity of the scene; and thence the mvulet pursued ita course, embracing with its sinuosity two sides of the churchyard, and flowing on through the meadows until its serpentine form whe lust im the distance. To this village it suits eur purpose to give a fictitious name ; and we sil! therefore, with the reader's permission, denomi- nate it Woodbridge. _ The church—standing in the midst of its sacred ground crowded with tombstones, wany of which were old enough, and showed the remains of quamt ' gad uncouth eculpturing—the others indicating . the resting-places of the more recently deceased — wae about a quarter of a mile apart from the S67 had held before him—aod very Ii hie grani.- sire also, for aQeht that we can telf to the con: trary. During his parent's lifetime, he uved to @estst in dizging the graves and in opening the vaults; ahd thus from bis very childhood was he brought up to be accustomed to dnd himeelf in contact with the ceremonies, the memorials, and the relive of the dead. Purhaps it was this cir- cumsatance which had so far influenced bis diepogi- tion at to render him somewhat cymeal and morosely reserved: be bad never married—~he as. euciqted but little with the villagers—and it was a rare vecurrence indeed for bim to take a gent of an evening in the partour of the Green Dragos, To his face he was invariably addressed as * Mr, Car- nabie ;” bat behind his back he was spoken of as “Old Jonathan.” It was reported that his habits wero miserly, and that when s light wam seen glimmering, af a late hour, throwyh the window uf his iselated cottages he was counting over his huarded coins. Othere however said that he was fond of reading; and this rumour appeared to re- ceive its justification from the fect that be was a constant borruwer of books from the parson’s tibrary. That he was a strange and ecomtris character, however, there could be so doubt ; and that his feclings were somewhat morbid or pocu- liar, wow equally certain, from the fact that he would just aa soon dig a grave during the night aa in the day-time, and that be was often known to vinit the church during the hours whon othor people slept. Tho natural inference was that he was utterly exempt from superstitions fears, and likewise that os long habit had rendered him familiar with everything that concerned the dead, su he had a sort of hankering to be incesvantly amidst their memorials, ther resting-places, and their relics, In persunal appearance he was sedate, and had even a venerable look, notwith- standing the cynical eceantricity bordeving upon morosencss which mark a bis disposition and cha- racterized hia habits. “le was tall and somewhat thin—exceedingly upright, as if yoars sate lightly upon him: be wae still etrong and active. Buch wee Mr, Jonsthan Carnabie, clerk and sexton of tho parish church of Wyodbridge. It was abou: twelve o’clock at night-—the very same night on which the incideatw of the copra occurred at ihe Princess Indora’s villu—thet a. man, ritdely appereiled, and carrying a etick, which in reference to ite dimensions might better he denominated a bludgeon, came wanderin through the meadows which the river interne After its sinuous course left the churohyard. It waa a bright and beautiful night—so bright indesd village itself; and, as we havo already said, the} that print of a moderate sise might have been churehyerd on two sides stretched down to the bank of the river, which there made an abrupt curve. © Close by was the parsonage—a small old- fashioned house, built of bricks of a deep dingy rud—with a little wooden portico, supported by two thin pillars; and there was a tolerably large gurden attached to the dwelling. Not very far off was a «mall evttage—or rather but; and bere dwelt an old man named Cernabio, but who was more familierle known in the village by bis Chris- .tien name of Jonathan. He was between sixty and seventy; and for thirty years bad Siled the waited coffees of cierk, greve-digger, asd bvil- cuager in thet parish. These situations bys father read : but all along the river's banks Chere wae « mist—very thio, bowaver, and of fleery whitences. The man dragged hirweelf on with the painfulncns of one who wae either in Hikhbealth or cle had travelled a considerable distance. Yet he did not support himself on his stick : he for the most part kept it under his arta—or vise every now snd then took aud flourished if with the vesation of « naturally savage disposition, or perhaps with the desire of meeting sonre ons ov whom, for preds- motives, it might be worth while (> enerviss his skill in wielding thet formidable bludgeon. Purbeps, Hf we penetrate into the man’s thoughts, and follow “their course somewhat, we may bo NOG (C SS