The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

wn Fn net —~ rg | se ad Fil MYSTERIES, dnstance. For as Mrs. Brace held hor breath to listen, her auricular sense required a remarkable vividness ; and she distinctly heard the sounds of £wo rough voices whispering together in a very subdued tone. A few words that she caught — such as “ saw,” “crow-bar,” and “skeleton-keys,” —convinced her beyond all possibility of doubt that thieves had obtained an entry into the house ; and it was the dining-room door which they were thus deliberating how toa force open, it being in- variably locked every night by Mrs. Brace herself ere she retired to rest. All her plate was kept in the side-board in that apartment: and she was suddenly seized with a mortal apprehension lest the robbersshould themselves of so valuable a prize ere she could summon the necessary assistance. For, on second thoughts, she dared not call Mr. Harley to hor aid; there were reasons why he must not stand the chance of being recognised in that house, even by thieves;—and she would have to descend the stair- case and pass into the dwelling looking on St. James's Square in order to arouse her footmen. What, then, was to be done? Moments—nay, minutes were flying; and every one was precious ! Bending her head over the bannisters she lis- tened The men had succeeded in forcing open the door of the dining-room: and ther« was aot an instant to lose. It would be useless toawaken the young ladies and the female servants; such a proceeding might alarm the robbers, it was true—but would not per- haps prevent them from making off at once with the booty already in their reach. The only wise expedient wae to summcn the footmen ;—and on this alternative she resolved, at any risk. Descending the stairs as noiselessly as possible in the dark, Mrs Brace had gained the ground floor, and was on the point of entering the passage leading into the other house, when a light suddenly appeared upcn the threshold of the dining-room— and as villanous a countenance as the i ion could ever associate with the name of “burglar ” wae simultaneously revealed to her eyes. A scream rose to her lips: but it was stifled at the moment it was bursting forth,—astifled, too, not by any abrupt violence on the part of the rob- ber—but by a sudden consternation which seized upon the lady. <A spell appeared to have been thrown around her all in an instant: a tremendous stupefaction—a mental paralysis, had struck her dumb—motionless— powerless. At the same moment a faint exclamation of in- effable surprise escaped the lips of the burglar— and he also appeared to be riveted to the spot with a bewilderment that defies all attempt at de- scription. For nearly a minute did Mrs. Brace and the burglar stand gazing fixedly upon each other,—he still holding a candle in ‘his hand—she leaning egainst the wall to which she had staggered when the man’s countenance first met her view,—he half doubting whether his eyes were not deceiv- ing him—she every instant acquiring a deeper conviction that the features on which her leoks were riveted, were indeed fa:iliar to her! But the ejaculation which dropt from the tongue of the burglar, had caught the ear of his companion, who was inside the dining-room ; and Mrs. Brace, therefore, speedily beheld another _ ountenance appear in thedoorway. This second 77 face waa red, bloated, and sinister—indeed, almost as vile and repulsive as the first; but it was totally unknown to the nilliner. Thestupefaction which had seized upon her, now rapidly yielded toasense of the very painful position in which she was placed. She no longer even thought of summoning assistance ;—and, as to uttering a cry—her lips were sealed! Instead of hoping to have the burglars handed over to the grasp of justice, she felt that she herself was com- pletely in the power of one—consequently of both { Suddenly mustering up all her presence of mind and calling all her courage to her aid, Mrs. Brace advanced a few paces, motioning to the mentoenter the room. Perceiving that she was about to follow them, they fell back; and then, the instant they had disa ppeared from the door-way, a pang shot through the brain of the milliner—and, pressing her hand to her brow, she felt for a momentas if her reason were deserting her. But this terrible sensation almost immediately passed away ;—and, with a ghastly pallor of countenance, trembling limbs, and a heart palpitating violently, she crossed the threshold, closing the door behind her. For nearly half-an-hour did Mrs. Brace remain in the company of the two burglars: but of the nature of the interview we can at present form no conjecture. That painful reminiscences had been revived and feelings of intense anguish excited on her part, we can however affirm: for when the door again opened and she came forth, it was with features even more ghastly and corpee-like than when she had entered that room. Whether the robbers went away empty-handed, or not,we cannot state: but for one fact we can vouch—namely, that the plate remained untouched on the sideboard, and that no valuables of any kind were plundered from the dining-room. Mra. Brace herself conducted them to the shop door, which they had forced open in the first instance by means of skeleton keys and a crowber; and when they had quitted the house, she sank down upon a chair—oovered her face with her hands— and burst into a flood of convulsive weeping. These tears relieved her ;—and hurrying away from the shop, she stole cautiously back to her own bed-chamber, which she gained without disturbing a soul. Bleep visited not her eyes forthe remainder of that night. Painful thoughts racked her imagination and banished slumber: but as the hours passed slowly—elowly away, herexcitement subsided, and she grew muchcalmer. It is often easy toconjure back hope where its presence {is indispensable, and thus was it that Mrs. Brace succeeded in persuading herself that she should notagain be molested by the dreaded individual who had paid her dwelling so ominous a visit during the night. She rose shortly after five o'clock, and entered her bath-room, where she plunged into the ice- cold water. Alike in winter and in summer, did Mrs. Brace bathe her entire person in this manner; hence the well-preserved condition of her charms and the plumpness of her form's voluptuous con- tours. But never had the luxury of the cold bath ap- peared so truly refreshing aa on this occasion. It cooled her heated brain—invigorated her entire frame, rendered languid by want of rest—and raised her depressed spirits to theirusual tone. But if her cheeks still retained somewhat of the pallor that the a ee > | COMICOOOKS. COR