The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 233: what you’re looking at

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

™ > @ — a ae = eam ow a Ee a a a I SE —D ae = oe a ee ee eee eee oe eee eee eee eee ~ - = Ems aoe v Oe 4 een 226 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Ce pein eee ia man,—who was then conducted by the domestio | to the bed-room arranged for his accommodation, and adjoining which there was another chamber really intended for a keeper, but where the foot- man himself was to sleep, at least for this night. For the announcement made by Dr. Burdett to the effect that he was about to send Ferney a patient, had reached the latter so late, and had come so unexpectedly upon him, that he had not as yet found time to procure the services of a regu- lar keeper; and whether he would have to do so at all in respect to Lord Saxondale, he had resolved should depend upon t... nature of the’ discourse to be held with the young nobleman on the following day. It was long past one o'clock in the morning when Edmund was conducted to his chamber. Dr. Ferney did not immediately seek his own—but remained in the parlour, abeorbed in profoundest thought. An hour thus passed; and then Dr. Ferney, taking light in his hand, ascended to the suito of apartments to which Lord Saxondale had been consigned. By means of a pase-key he entered, without the necessity of disturbing the footman to obtain admittance. The domestic im- mediately started up as Dr. Ferney entered: but the latter, placing his finger to his lip to enjoin silence, continued his way into Edmund’s room. The young nobleman slept profoundly. The physician closed the door behind himself, and remained in that chamber for upwards of five minutes. When he issued forth again—and as the light which he carried in his hand, threw its rays upon his countenance—the footman, who occupied the ante-chamber, noticed that his master was very pale, and that despite the wonted serenity of his look, there was a certain trouble and agita- tion visible beneath the surface. Dr. Ferney passed on without uttering a word—and isated forth, closing the door and locking it with his private key. And when the physician reached his own chamber, did he immediately seek his couch ? did he at once put off his apyerel and woo the elumber, of which, at that late hour in the night, or rather early hour of the morning, he might naturally be supposed to stard so much in need P No: he paced to and fro for a long time; and if any one had been listening at the door of his apartment, the sounds of evbs and other tokens of anguish would have been heard issuing from within. At length he retired to bed; but whether, when his head /pressed the pillow, and aleep, wooed by exhaustion, sank upon sis eyes, the subjects of his waking thoughts pursued him in the shape of dreams, we cannot say. He rose—little refreshed, more pale than usual, and with a certain haggard- ness of look—at seven o’clock: an hour, to his invariable custom, was passed in his labora- tory or his museum; then he sought the breakfast- table—and afterwards the promised interview with Lord Saxondale took place. It was about noon; and Dr. Ferncy’s carriage was in readiness to convey him to some place where he intended to call,—when a handsome equipage drew up near the house;‘a short stout elderly individual alighted—and on being shown up to the physician’s drawing-room, gave the name of the Marquis of Eaglicdean. Dr. Fermey had just terminated a long conversation which he held alwe with Lord Saxondale: he was anxivus to go _— ng out—and he could have gladly dispensed with the necessity of receiving a visit professionally. Nevertheless, he was a man of too much courtesy to refuse to seo the nobleman who thus called; and he therefore hastened to the drawing-room. He had no previous acquaintance with the Mar- quis of Eagledean—indeed, had scarcely ever heard of him: for few persons in Dr. Ferney's sphere of life had less knowledge than he of high names and sounding titles,—those only being familiar to his ear with the owners of which he professionally ~ came in contact. “JT hope I am not intruding, Dr. Ferney, upon your more important duties,” began the Marquis ; “but I wish to speak to you on a subject in which I am more or less interested; and I am induced to address myself to you, having recently read in a ecientific publication of certain wondrous discoveries you'have made in the branch of Dr. Ferney bowed in acknow t af the compliment thus implied; and the Marquis of Eagledean went on. “I must briefiy observe, Dr. Ferney, that by certain means, a small phial—containing, I be- lieve, an active poison — recently fell into my hands———” “ Ah, indeed!” murmured the physician, horri- ble associations and even fears springing up in his mind : for he instantaneously thought of that phial which Lady Saxondale had stolen from him, and with which she had done such murderous work. “ Yee—that is my belief.” continued the Mar- quis, imagiping that Dr. Ferney had merely be- come interested in a philosophic sense in what he was saying ; and not fer a moment suspecting that he was smitten with any deeper feeling. “I was at first inclined to try the effect upon some animal —such as a cat or a rabbit: but I had not the heart to do so: and as I have something more than a sentiment of mere curiosity urgm g me on, I reselved to bring the phial to you, that you may either at once confirm my belief, or else submit the fluid to an experimental While the Marquis of Eagicdean was thus speake ing, the physician nerved himself with all his for- titude to meet whatsoever revelation might farthr be made: for the conviction was settling in his mind that it was the stolen phial, with the poison of his own elimination, which was about to be produced. Perhaps it was because the image of Lady Saxondale was 90 completely uppermost im his mind, and because certain new impreasions re- lative to her character had just been made upon him during his conversation with her son,—per- haps, we say, it was for these reasons that s phial of active poison, eccidentally falling into another person’s hands, should so immediately identify iteelf in his imagination with the one pil- fered from him by her ladyship. “Here it is,” said the Marquis of Eagiosees’ and the physician's it was his own phial—and he fall well know vmnew the deadly properties of the liquid it contained ! ‘“‘ My lord,” he answered, “I feel honoured and flattered by the compliment you pay me by thus appealing to whatacever little scientific knowledge I may possess in this matter. I am sure your lordship will not take it to be offensive, when I state that I am perticularly pressed for time to-day: my i ees et « a a a) re re Gc a iC (GO) 5 DOO CS (COL