The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 362: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES. 351 and we must aid and succour each other in proving our guiltlessness—aye, and in bringing the real criminal to justice !” ‘‘The real criminal in which case?” asked the young gentleman, naturally placing himself upon his guard with a stranger. “In both cases!” was the significant reply. “Ah! is it possible?” exclaimed Eaton, with a start. “Do you doubt it?” demanded Caroline, ear- nestly. “You mistake the feeling which wrung from me that ejaculation of astonishment,” returned Arthar. “The trath is, | had myself entertained a certain suspicion—but only vaguely and distantly, it is true: and now my wonder is excited at observing that you speak confidently of what I had scarcely dared to suspect faintly.” “I understand,” said Caroline. “There have been moments when you have fancied it to be just possible that the same hand which inflicted the death-blow upen William Dudley, likewise carried the work of assassination into the home of the mid- wife? But you have not been able as yet to bring your mind to the settled conviction that sach was indeed the fact 2” “You have interpreted my thoughts acourately, Miss Walters,” observed the Hononrable Mr. Baton. “But how have you obtained the cer- tainty——” “ That Fernanda is the marderess in both cases ?” said Caroline, in ominous tone and with significant manner. “Ah! sir, the evidence against her speaks with a thousand tongues! I know every- thing connected with yourself and that perfidious creatare—Lady Holderness: for I was an inmate of the midwife’s house when she became a mother there—yes, and when the offspring of her shame was foully murdered on a night of tempest and of storm |” “ Mardered!” ejaculated Arthar Eaton, every laeament of his pale but handsome countenance suddenly expressing the most acute horror. “ Yes—murdered—foully murdered repeated Caroline. “I heard the poor infant’s scream, penetrating through the furious noises of the night——” “Enough! enoagh !” cried Eaton, starting from his chair. “’Twas my child—the offspring of our love—aye, and of our guilt—but I could have cherished it as fondly as if it were not born in shame! Oh! the foul, foul murderess. Just heaven! I will show her no mercy now! There have been moments when compassion aad pity have well nigh prompted me to put a seal upon my lips concerning all that I have to tell, and mount the scaffold, or be consigned as a maniac to Beth- lem, so that she might be saved. For I have re- membered that I seduced her—that I wronged her —and that it was a woman’s most righteous and most vatural vengeance which she sought to wreak upon me. Bnt now—now, that you assure me she is the murderess of her own child—- my child——” “ As there is a God above us, sir, I am telling you the truth!’’ exclaimed Caroline. “Mine was the next room to that which Fernanda occupied at the midwife’s;—and I heard enough to afford me a dread insight into the whole appalling tragedy. For the babe, at the very instant of iis birth, was flung oe lee G“hartiar gis es) iit =ip.e aaa a-am @ forth from the window—into the deep and rapid waters of the Thames——” “Just heaven! did thy thunders sleep that night ?” said Eaton, in a tone of mingled solemnity and despair as he sank back upon the seat whence he had risen a few minutes previously. “That Fernanda was crue]—implacable—mercileas, I was, alas! too well aware: but that she was a veritable fiend in human shape, I had yet to learn.” “ And now, sir, can you not believe that the woman who assented to the murder of her own child,” asked Caroline, “is fully capable of putting to death all those who obstruct her path or menace her safety 7 In a word, is it not probable—is it not certain that the same hand which assassinated William Dudley, inflicted death upon the midwife? Look—listen— and attend carefully! The two crimes were perpe- trated on the same night—both enveloped in a deep myastery—and both flinging their ominous shadows upon innocent persons. Of those innocent persons you are one and I am the other.” “ Proceed— proceed,” said Arthar, in an excited tone: for the marder of the babe was now goading even Ais generous soul to a savage vindictiveness. “j have already informed you, sir,” continued the young woman, “that I was an inmate of Mrs. Lindley’s establishment at the same time as Lady Holderness—then Fernanda Ayimer. But I knew not who she was: nor indeed, did I become en- lightened on that head until yesterday. However, at the midwife’s abode of infamy, I formed the ac- quaintance of Fernanda; and she spoke darkly and mysteriously to me of the terrible progress of her vengeanee—a vengeance that was unsuspected by its object—unknown by its victim! And I also longed for vengeance—for, like her, had I beex be- trayed by the seducer. She promised to impart her secret to me—the secret of that vengeance which she was inflicting, even from the retreat of shame, upon the author of her dishonour. But she left the house suddenly and abruptly—and I saw her no more until yesterday, when I eneoao- tered her, leaning upon the arm of a gentleman, in Cavendish Square. I accosted her — and she spurned me from her,———yes spurned me with her looks-—-those looks that she can render so flerce and menacing when she chooses! The door of the palatial mansion which she entered, was shut in my face—and at the bottom of my soul did a feeling of bitter rancour spring up at the instant against that arrogant patrician female and her haughty-looking companion. I went into the neigh- bourhood and instituted certaininquines. Heavens! what a light suddenly burst upon my mind! Thag lady, as I heard, was the late Honourable Miss Fernanda Ayimer—now the wife of Lord Holder- ness, She had formerly been engaged to you, sir, —the match was broken off—no one knew where- fore—and you had for many months pined with a malady that was deemed incurable. But you had suddenly revived—your health came back—and then occurred the mysterious and unacceuntable murder of your valet, followed by your consign. ment to this gaol. These particulars — some gleaned in the course of my inquiries, and others already familiar to my knowledge—turned all my thoughts into a new ohaanel. I had suddenly found a clue to the unravelment of some mysteries; while strange suspicions and giimmeriogs of light were taking birth in my mind relative to others. I at QB Sa <<. ants ~<~= GOH GOO SS