The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 263: what you’re looking at

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

of falling in with hag if she ke rambling gbout. 250 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. terest he bad previously felt being immensely en- | curred to Mr. Redcliffe that when she was alone hanced in a moment, “ Ab, i¢ is all gone out of my memory again !” she said, shaking her head dolefully: “ you made me start—you drove it away! It is of no ase:”— and with these words she plunged abruptly into the copse, thus disappearing from the view of the amazed Captain and his equally astonished groom. “There is something extraordinary ip thin,” said Stanley to the domestic: “that woman eti- dently knows something—but the impression of if is upon her mind like that of an ynuaual object upon the roind of a child—too dim and ungesten | to be proper! y explained. We will rejura at opge to the Hall end tell my father what bas takeg place. Mr. Redcliffe, too, anid he should ba bank by luncheon-time; and this is intelligence ward he will be deeply interested to reosive. Captain Stanley accordingly took, took the paaress route tothe Hall, which be reaghed jush as Mr. Redcliffe was alighting fom the Reronch's carziaga, which bad taken bim into Liverpool 4, Wiliam Stanley, hig agp, and their guest were closeted together; and the interview between the young gentleman and Crasy Jave was the qaljeos of deliberation. “This is jadeed wost important,” obaganed Me. Redcliffe: “for i¢ is evidently the same gybject to, which the woman alluded when we met ber at the fence, and when she said that sho bad gomething. mew upon her mind.” “Let us go and see her,” qgelgimed the Ba- ronet, “without delay. But no !— Bedale, you sball go elone—J have wore faithin your power to lead ber into lucid converaation than ia my own, I have already so often fuiled. Besiges, & in fxe- quently to a atyanger that these demented creatures will prove more rational to those whom ¢hey hate known for a long time, and who have always ween accustomed to talk to them in a particular way Yea,” wad Mr. Redcliffe, “¥ will lose no time in seging ber. I think you stated that her hut is about four piles distent®? If you indicate the particular direction, I will get out end walk thither.” “Take the carriage— deuwkank,* claimed the Baronet £S Sh ee “ “No,” rejoined Mr. Redcliffe: “KE wih wok. because in that case | may stand a better And I will go alone too, ag sha may be the less embarrassed and bawildered 4 conversing with one than in talking in the papsence of two or more.” Sir William Stanley gave Mr. Redobele. sufficient explanations to guide him towagda Crasy Jane’s but; and that gentleman accordingly get ont. He had proceeded for a distance of about thrce miles across the fields, when on emerging into a lace bordered by high thick hedges, ho perceived Crazy Jane sitting on the green bank under one of these hedges, rocking herself to and fro and speaking aloud. An idea suddenly entered Mr. Kedcliffe’s mind. He remembered that Captain Stanley had stated how Crasy Jane had spoken of having “said it all to herself,” and how by an incautious ejaculation he had driven the poor woman’s | \thoughts out of her head; and it therefore oo- we, 4 ge that one image as plain 9s ever. she was better able to keep her ideas collected. She had not as yet seen him as he emerged into the lane: he got at the back of the hedge—and stealthily creeping along, halted close behind the spot where Crazy Jane was still seated. She was continuing to muse in an audible tone, but in eizapgely disjointed and broken sentences,—the tepour of qhich was however as follows:— «Xt must be many and many a year since thes -——but J cannes zecollect how many! I was véry differen, at that time———Ah, so different! People did nob all me Cragy Jane. No, it was ‘ Jane my good girl, do this or do thet’—Ab, that was the way my poor dear mistress used to speak! Qb, how I loved her! Alas, alas, that it should Wave all ended as it did——ehocking ! shocking! ¥ know not why I shoald always and always be thigking of it. And yet I can’t help it. Till thet other thing came into my mind, [ never could thiek of anything else. How piteously she wept! —h xeally seems as if I saw her now standing befage me. ‘Yes, when the mist is deepest aroand She wan wot guilty-——Do, no, she was not! I am eure ghe was not! She was too gapd—too kiod for at. Ob, what beqame of you, wag dong, deer mpiatroas ?” Crazy Jane quaagd: but her sobs were auiible tp Mr. Redcliffe ag he listened behind the hedge. “Who was more beautiful,” at length continued the mad woman in ber audible musings, “ than the Dugeam of Marchmont? They should have mar- ied ber to Bertram Vivian—and not to his uncle. Alas, alan! to have thrown that divine creature Quay upon that old man it wes shockicg! abocking ! Qfkan and often have I thought of going to Oaklangs to see the old place ; and I have dragged mygelf fag miles and miles I wonder how maay--—alope the roads and through the fielda, until 5 had pot the courage to go further— and then I baye qme back to my but. No, no— I could not look again upon that house where [ last saw the good Duchess Eliza. I could not tread those gravel-walks where I once saw her move in all the glory of her beauty! Oh, it was a dreadfal day! But those tears which she shed then seem © @h 2 my heart even now like scalding poor dear mistress, I could have laid dome wy life for you Heer there was another pane in the poor mad @oman'’s musings; and did her convalsive sobs reach the ears of Clament Redcliffe. “What darkness and confusion nave been m my brain ever since!” she once more mused audibly. “ And yet there are times that I see it all before me, so plain—so plain—that I think it is taking place ali over and over anew! But this other thing titat is now in my mind Let me reflect! When did it happen? Oh, poor creatare that I am—I cannot remember anything about dates; and yet I am sure it was not near so far back as those dreadful scenes at Oaklands———n0, not near so far back! I was a young woman; and they used to say I was pretty at the time the dear Duchess and Bertram Vivian But what could have become of them both ?” she ejaculated, thus suddenly interrupting herself: “ what could have become of them? I wander again ‘— there is that other thing I wish to get back to my COMMIC DOO Col