The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 391: what you’re looking at

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quires after me,” added the Magsman, with a coarse h. “Oh! we ain’t talking about your splendid wife now, Mr. Warren,” said Carrotty Poll, with vixenish petulence. “I was going to observe, when you interrupted me, that there’s no harm in increasing | singular our funds as much as possible: and indeed this was the very self-same remark which you made _ yesterday when you and father told me for the first time all the curious details about your adventures down in the country three months ago. Perhaps the clue which I have already succeeded in obtaining, in pursuance of all you thus told me, will enable me to push the investigation to the end.” “And if you should find out the parties who were engaged in those adventures in the country,” said the Maygsman, “it may be worth many thou- sand pounds tous. I told your father so at the tune—didn’t I, Stephen ?” “ You did, Joe,” was the answer. “And let me see—the three distinct clues which we had, were the lady’s queer Christian name—the signet-ring taken off the finger of the dead body in the vault —end the fact that the old woman at the last cottage we stopped at, called our masked employer ‘my lord.’ Those are the three clues— and the only three that we possess ——” “Well, but I think that they will prove sufficient, . at leastto put us upon the right track towards dis- covering the whole mystery,” interrupted Carrotty Poll. “ But as I was telling you just now, I took Alfred with me to a boolkseller’s at the West End —and under pretence of buying the fashionable guides, he looked over them well. He found the name of Fernanda ;—and it seems that the lady who bears it is a young one—hersurname is Aylmer —and she is related to the Earl of Desborough, the Earl of Montgomery, the Marchioness of Bel- lenden, and other noble personages. Other in- quiries which I afterwards made, led to the infor- mation that this Feroanda Aylmer is now Lady Molderness: and from what I have gleamed of her personal appearance, her hair ig of a dark gloesy brown—her eyes a deep blue—her com- plexion is brilliantly fair-——” “ Just the description of the masked lady of our adventure so far as we could catch a glimpse of her features at all,” exclaimedthe Magsman. “There can be no doubt that you have hit upon the right Fernanda, Poll: besides, the name is so very un- common———” “ And more than that,” interrupted the red-haired young woman, “ the crest on the signet-ring which you gave me is that of the Bellenden family, to which Lady Holderress is related.” “Ab! now we are indeed getting into the right track,” said the “What do you think, Stephen, if Poll was to gastraight to Lady Holder- ness’s house—demand an interview with her—accuse her point blank of being the lady who enticed the young gentleman from the farm-house, and whose mame he called out in his anguish just before we threw bim into the hollow buttress of the “ No—ano,” interrupted the Big Beggarman; “we musn't adopt any plan without mature consideration. I don’t approve of Poll’s going on a mere hap-hazard adventure to Lady Holderness-——_” “Well, let us thiok over it until to-morrow, Stephen,” said the Mageman. “ At all events I feel pretty sure we're upon the right track to unravel the mystery of the murder at the bridge, the shifting ef the coffin-plates in the vault, and the altering of the : register in the vestry. I réally can’t help recapitu- | lating all chose incidents—they were so very | : ial “T was told this morning,” said Poll, “that Lady ' Holderness is engaged with her in Lord Mont- gomery in carrying on a law-suit against that same Lady Bellenden whose crest is on the signet-ring. The suit is all about the family estates of the Bel- lendens in Warwickshire——” “ And who can tell but that the forgery committed by the masked lord in the vestry was somehow or another connected with this law-suit?’” exclaimed the Big Beggarman. “And also the substituting of a new coffin-plate for an old one?” added the Magsman. “Perhaps the young fellow that was murdered too, might have been interested in the case——” “ And eo after all it’s as likely as not that the lord who employed us and who played us such a scurvy trick about our embarkation for America, was the Moatgomery of whom Poll has been talking,” said the Beggarman. “ Well, I think it’s likely. But Poll must go and make farther inquiries this afternoon,” observed Joe Warren. “And now my dear,’ he continued, addressing himself direct to the red-haired young woman, “tell us what you have brought for car dinner—for I should think it must have got cold while we have been chattering here.” “It’s acold veal pie, Mr. Warren—and so there's no harm done,” said Poll “A cold veal pie, with lots of hard-boiled eggs in it and nice seasoning, and a capital salad with mixture, won’t prove amiss perhaps.” “ Provided there’s enough of the bingo to wash it down, gal,” said the Beggarman. “Well, there’s a bottle of brandy,” she replied: “and now, if you will hold out your hands, I'll pass the things through the wicket.” Caroline Walters perceived that the conversation between the two ruffians and the red-haired young woman had taken leave of the topics which had so unexpectedly and so strangely proved interesting to herself; and retiring from behind the pillar, she walked slowly towards the end of the hall, meditat- ing upon what she had just heard. Our readers will be pleased to recollect that when , Caroline Walters, disguised as Rao the East Indian , page, was in the service of Lord Florimel, she one | evening called at the mansion of Lord Montgomery in Grafton Street. On-that occasion her interview with the Earl was interrupted by the arrival of Mr. | Rigden; and she was desired to siep inte an adjecest | room while the nobleman received his professional adviser. The conversation turned partially upon the law suit which the Montgomerys were waging against | the Bellendens; and the names of Fernanda and , Lord Raymond were incidentally mentioned daring | the discourse. Nota single word of all which passed on that occasion between Eugene Montgomery and Mr. Rigden was lost upon Caroline: she listened with the deepest attention, although she did affect te start up from a pap and rub her eyes drowsily when the Earl opened the door to tell her that the attorney had taken his departure. Thus was it that Caroline had already obtained an insight into the particulars of the law-suit : aad new, ° GOH GOO (COLUM