The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

$2 England! Tho wretch, ttren, had been to London on his iniquitous business, and had only just re- tnmed. And Ramsey was laughing at tHe accounts he gave of his success; and they drank to each other’s health—for they had been dining together. I was riveted to the spot: my ear was nailed to the wall;—and now Ramsey began to tell his partner in fraad how he had been that afternoon to the Manor while he knew that I was in Ayles- bury,—how he had seen Lady Stanford and re- vealed to her the ruin which had assailed the bank,—how he and Martin had taken good care of themselves,—and how they had hit upon a cer- tain plan for disposing of se—her husband—to which she had finally consented, though with some hesitation. What this plan was, did not appear; but I heard enough to convince me that Martin had made al] the arrangements when in London to carry it into execution. The wretches! did they intend to munier me? My blood boiled as if a lava-stream were circulating in my veins: but still I listened. Martin now spoke; and it appeared that he had succceded in finding out in London a certain Joseph Warren, nicknamed the Magsman, who had cheerfully undertaken for a heavy bribe the business which they had in hand regarding me! Ramsey esked Martin if he were sure that this Warren would be punctual—and the reply was in the affirmative. They then spoke of Warren in connexion with some former trans- action relative to spurious coin; and Martin re- minded Ramsey how well the man had behaved in that instance. I know not how it was that I restrained the indignation and the fury which were boiling within me as all this complication of atrocity was developed: bit I suppose it was that I desired to remain and hear the two miscreants to the end. And perhaps I was the more com- pletely riveted to the spot fnasmuch as I sought to glean the nature of the dark and mysterious project that they had devised relative to myself. Bet presently the seducer of my wife—the villain Ramsey—began to speak of her in such light, lcose, and ribald terms that I felt maddened as if drops of molteti lead were falling upon my brain; —and when, no longer able to restrain myself, I was about to rush from the room and burst into the presence of the two men,a dizziness came over me and I sank senseless npon a chair.” Here the baronet paused again ; and moanings of unutterable anguish escaped him. “ By heaven!” cried Page, “if I can only get out of this place, I wil] hunt those two scoandrels into Newgute before I have done with them! But pray proceed, Sir Richard—I am dying to hear the rest.” “ And the remainder is terrible!” exclaimed tho unfortunate baronet, with tle emphasis of a poig- nant mental agony “I told you how I sank down in a swoon,” he continued, endeavouring to | master his emotions: “when I awoke from that senseless state, my watch informed mo that nearly half-an-hour must havo elapsed while I remained thus unconscious of all that was passing. I list- ened again at the partition wall: but the voices had ceased—all was silent. The villains had evidently retired. How was I to act? I was bewildcred—stunned—stupified. Should I return home, and wreak my vengeance upon my wile ? No—I could not harm her, guilty though she were; for her beantiful image floated with sup- plicating eyes before mef Bt YT felt that forgive her were imposaible. And then those two miscreantsa—how wus I to act towards them? Oh! it was easy to lecide that point: J was & and could myself issue warrants for their “pprehension. This I resolved todoin the morning—for I was too heart-sick, too much ex-~ hausted with mental anguish, and too deeply over- whelmed with ineffable woe, to take any deliLerate step that night. It was twelve o'clock when I reached the Manor; and the servant who opened the door toadmit me intothe honse, stated that Mr. Ramsey had been waiting for the last two hours to see me. An unnatural composure took sion of me: I cannot account for it—but such was the fact ;—and I resolved to hear all that my vil- Janous partner might have to say before I pro- claimed how much I knew. I entered the dining- room, where my wife was seated on one side of the supper-table and on the other. I threw myself upon @ chair with no affected exhaustion, but a real weariness alike of mind and body ; and Lady Stamford inquired what had detained me at Aylesburyso long. I observed that there was a sub- dued anxiety and atremulousness inher voice, and when I endeavoured to speak, my tongue clave to the roof of my mouth. Ramsey remarked upon the loveliness of the night, which was of frosty clear- ness and moonlit; and he asked me to walk out with him {..to the shrubbery, as he wished to con- verse with meupon matters of great importance. It. flashed to my mind all in a moment that he sought to inveigle me into some snare—perhaps to put into execution the mysterious scheme aguinst me at which he and Martin had so darkly hinted -— and my blood, an instant before so sluggish, be- gan to circulate like thrilling electricity in my veins. Starting from my seat, I poured forth the most bitter invectives alike against Ramsey and Lady Stamford. Did my life depend upon it | could not now recapitulate all that I thensaid: but I re- collect that in a few hasty and cutting words I re- vealed enough to convince the guilty pair that everything was discovered. With incredible ra- pidity I must have glanced at the scene at the Jeweller's—the dishonoured cheque—the exami- nation of the bank-books—and the conversation which I had overheard at the inn. Ramsey ante stupified upon his chair: my wife became dis- tracted—throwing herself at my feet—confessing ail and everything of which I accused her—and imploring my mercy and my pardon. The scene was terrible: my cyes must havo flashed fre— my features must have been couvalsed with rage. Sensations of decp and burning hatred filled my soul—and my brain was ina ferment. ut still my wife knelt before me, with upturned eyes and clasped hands—and her penetrating, agunising voice, rendered wild with despair, continued to beseech my forgiveness. Oh! even* now that voice rings through my head,—and the sound will never cease to vibrate there—no, not when old age shall have made my ears impervious—if live so long! Suddenly I spurned her.from me —and she fell back: but in the next moment she started up with a wild and piercing cry, and seizing a sharp fruit-knife that lay too ready at hand, plunged it with the energetic violence of despair into her own bosom. Both Ramsey and myself rushed forward at the samo instant to arrest the hand which wielded the fatal weapon a tt CcoMmicbooolxs CO