The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 292: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTRRIFS OF THE COURT. ———— 279 ee = eee - = - — — = <-> not during the night: for, as already stated, no dismay, and the consternation which prevailed door nor window was found open in the morning ; | throughout the house: yet no one offered to leave and such assassin could not have slipped forth from the premises after the servants had risen without being perceived by those who were moving about within the walls, or by the gardeners in the prounds. No—it appeared incontestable that the murderer was an inmate of the mansion: but on whom could suspicion alight? There seemed to be no reason to imagine that any one had a motive for such 4 crime : or at least such was the dpinion formed by the police after carefully and minutely inquiring into the case. But if the author of the deed were thus involved in an obscurity which seemed impenetrable, not less mysterious was the motive itself. Could it have been plunder? There was no evidence in the Earl’s suite of apartments that a single thing of any value bad been removed. His purse, con- taining some thirty or forty pounds in notes and gold, was on the toilet-table,—as were his saperb watch and massive chain, bis diamond rings, and several other articles of jewellery. A box con- taining other jewels stood on a chest of drawers; and though unlocked, it had not been rifled. Plunder therefore was assuredly not the assassin’s object. Then, what could have been his motive? Private vengeance P No: this idea seemed alto- gether incompatible with the harmless, frivolous, inoffensive character of the murdered nobleman. The mystery was great: it seemed as if it would remain impenetrable. In ninety-nine cases out of every hundred where a fc .1 crime has been com- mitted, suspicion at once attaches itself to some individual ; the circumstances of the deed present a clue—or there is a known motive which might have influenced the suspected person. But in the t case there was nothing of all this—no clue left behind by any want of caution on the assas- sin’s part—no visible object which any one had to gain by such a deed—no known motive that might have served as an impulse to any particular indi- vidual. After the discovery of the terrific crime, the Countess of Lascelles was borne in a swoon back to her own chamber, whence she had hurried to the tragic scene, as above described. Isabella, on learning that it was all too true, likewise fell mto unconsciousness, and was conveyed to her apartment,— a serious indisposition supervening. Adolphus appeared most profoundly horrified and shocked ; and for some hours he was quite incape- ble of issuing any instructions. Mak be- wailed the loss of the master who had always been 90 kind and indulgent to him; and all the other servants of that extensive establishment seemed to be stricken with consternation and grief. Indeed these feelings appeared to be universal within those walls ;—and yet many doubtless aaid to themselves, “There must be one accomplished dissembler amongst us—one being whose hypocrisy is as per- fect as his crime is tremendous !” It was therefore a fearful thing for those who were innocent, to be compelled thus to reason within themselves. As one looked upon another, he said to himeclf, “ At this moment I may be gazing on the assassin :”—and that other was with equal probability saying the same thing within his own heart as he looked in the face of the former. Such a state of things aggravated the horror, the A ne A rT A A I a SS SS SE «Ee G 7 P S it; for such a proceeding, by iteelf alone, might have at once drawn down suspicion on the head of such person. Tbere was a Coroner’s inquest: but nothing trahspired to throw the faintest light on this ap- ing mystery. The proceedings terminated without affixing the remotest suspicion upon any individual. Not & garment had been found bear- ing a blood-stain in any room, save that where the tragedy iteelf occurred: no knife, nor weapon of any other description, had been specially pointed at as the one which had been used by thé mur- derer’s hand. The tragedy created an immense sensation out of doors: the mystery in which it was enveloped, strack with awe the myriad readers of newspapers. Everything appeared to be out of the ordi course in reference to this foul crime; for not even did the whisper of scandal suggest a single name as that of the probable author of the deed. Conjecture itself was stupified—surmise was prostrate. It ap to be one of those deeds which, terrible in their mystery and in- ecrutable in their motive, now and then occur upon the theatre of the world as if to prove that things may take place on earth defying the power of man to fathom, and which are to remain entombed in darkness until the finger of heaven for its own wise purposes shall draw aside the veil and bring all to light. Throughout the day when the murder was dis- covered and the two following ones, the Countess of Lascelles kept. her chamber,——a physician being in almost constant attendance upon her, as she was in a state of fever, and frequently hysterical. The Earl of Lascelles,—as we must now denominate Adolphus, for he refused not to adopt the rank to which the world believed him entitled, and which there seemed nobody to dispute,—-kept his own room for the greater portion of the first day: but on tho second he attended at the inquest; and afterwards he assumed the position of head of the establishment. But he appeared deeply to feel the terrific tragedy which had taken place: his countenance bore every indication of profound sorrow—his step was languid and slow—his voice was mournful and subdued: he appeared as if he were merely exerting a little energy for duty’s sake, but that it cost him the most painful efforts to do so. As for poor Isabella,—she continued seriously indisposed ; and we may as well here re- mark at once that it was not until after the funeral of her deceased uncle that she croesed the threshold of her own apartment. But it was before that funeral took place—and on the fourth day following the night of the mys- tertous murder—that Adolphus and Ethel met for the first time since the moment when, on the morning of the foul deed’s discovery, they had rushed from their respective chambers to the scene of the crime to ascertain whether the frightful in. telligence which had reached them was indeed true. lt was in the drawing-room that they now met on this fourth day, as above stated; and they were alone there together. Ethel had so far reco- vered that she was enabled to ascend without assistance to that apartment: but she was much changed —the colour bad totally forsaken her cheeks, which were haggard and sunken ;—and the EEE ED we a A oe 00s 6 eve. ee 2) OCR ow ee (GO) an (C DOO Col