The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 291: what you’re looking at

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| 278 Adolpbus to maintain his usual demeanour, so that the Earl might believe him anxious to avoid the risk of showing the ladies by his looks that any- thing extraordinary had taken place. As for Isa- bella, —she was inwardly sad at having been compelled by a sense of duty to pen that note to Christian Ashton to which we have already alluded; and not being versed in the arta of dissimulation, she could not outwardly conceal this mournful pensiveness. The dinner passed away; and when the ladies retired to the drawing-room, the Earl accompanied them,—not from any particular motive, but merely because on this occasion he had no inclination to eit over his wine. Adolphus went out to take a short ramble by himself: for he again felt the necessity of giving way to his reflections. Thus the evening passed without Adolphus and Ethel being left alone together even for a single in- stant. We must observe, for the better comprehension of what is to follow, that the Countess of Lascelles etill slept apart from her husband; and though the Earl was becoming impatient of this separa- tion of chambers, he had not as yet insisted that it should cease. Night came: silence prevailed throughout the atial mansion of the Earl of Lascelles. Were all sleeping there? Who can say? When the world retire to rest in the evening, they know not what may transpire daring the many hours of darkness ere they awaken to the light again. And during those hours what deeds of mystery and horror are often perpetrated! Wherefore to the timid-minded is night more or lesa terrible, even though their own consciences be without reproach ? It is because they know that crime chooses the hour of darkness wherein to achieve ite purpose: they know that guilt shrouds itself beneath that sombre veil when creeping stealthily along its path of iniquity. They know that if their intel- ligence can divest night of ite superstitious terrors, yet that nevertheless real objects of horror are stalking abroad, and that the votaries of crime constitute frightful shapes. They know that mur- der, and burglary, and violence of every descrip- tion are fearfully personified during the hours of darkness ; and that the breeze which sighs or that the wind which howls around their dweilings, may be wafting the last low moan or else the loud cry of the murdered victim’s agony. Yes—night has its terrors: it is peopled with fearful shapes ;— and the dark passions of man accomplish all this ! The night passed—and morning dawned upon the palatial mansion of the Earl of Inscelles. It was a beautiful day to which that night had thus given birth: the beams of the orient sun shone upon the emerald verdure of the gardens, and made the fruitage glow as if gems were appended to every bough. The birds were carolling in the trees: window after window on the domestica’ storey was opened to admit the breeze of morn, as the occupants of those rooms rose from their couches to apparel themselves for the work of another day. And now a little later, as eight o’clock approached, the casements of other cham- bers were opened,—Isabélla’s here—that of Adol- phus there—and Ethel’s on the ground-floor. The draperies flattered gently to that softly breathiog eng ann Tee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. sephyr, which carried the blithe song of birds upon its wing, and penetrating to every ear, might have infused serene happiness into every heart. But, ah! what horrible rumour is this which towards nine o'clock begins to circulate like wild- fire throughout the palatial mansion ?—has murder been doing its dread work during the darkness of the past night? ar is it some frightful error ? No: it is all but too true; and the unfortunate Karl of Lascelles has been made the victim of a foul and mysterious assassination. It appeared, from the statement of Makapeace, that be went as usual to his master’s suite af rooms a little before nine o’clock; aud that on en- tering the bed-chamber, he was horrified on be- holding the sheet deluged with blood. He approached—and found the Earl lying on hie back, with his throat literally cut from eer to ear. Seized with a mortal terror, he rushed forth on the landing, end raised that cry of murder, which awaking such terrible echoes, speedily reverberated throughout the mansion. Then the other eer- vants began flocking thither, with ghastly horror depicted on their countenances: Adolphus, the Countess, and Isabella, from their own respective chambers, sped with wild distracted looks in the same direction ;—and that morning of guch serena blissfulness out of doors, was one fraught with dread confusion, trouble, mystery, and affright within those walls. Who could have done the deed? Where was the weapon with which it was aecomplished? This was not to be found. Tbe nearest surgeon of the neighbourhood, who was quickly sent for, and who was speedily on the spot, declared that the Earl must have been dead some houra—ead that it was consequently in the depth of the night when the red right arm of Murder b itself foe this tremendous deed. Furthermore, the medical authority affirmed that the fatal wound was in- flicted by some very sharp instrument; but that from certain appearances, he was convinced if was not with a razor, — his opinion being that it was a large knife. Whatever the instrument were, death must have been instantaneous: the unfortunate old nobleman must have died al- most without a groan. But that instrument, 9 we bave already gaid, was not to be found; and when the police arrived upon the spot, nothing was discovered to attach suspicion to any parti- cular individual. Every room throughout the mansion was strictly searched,—Adolphus, the Countess, and Isabella desiring that theirs might torm no exception, as they did not choose to draw a line of demarcation hetween themselves and the domestics under such circumstances. Bat in none of the many apartments of that house was there discovered the slightest scintillation of a clase to the assassin. Yot the conviction was strong that the perpetrator of the deed must be an inmate of the mansion. No burgiarious entry had been effected : no door had been forced—no window. had been found open, when the servants first descended from their own chambers. If therefore the assassin was not a dweller within those walls, could be have been aecreted for boura beneath the Earl’s bed awaiting his opportunity to commit the dreadful crime? But in that case, how did he eacape after the deed was done? Cortainly (GO) AACE DOO Col