The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 329: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. house. The looks of all present instantancously settled upon the young nobleman,—his mother being as much astonished as the rest: for she knew not that Chiffin was the author of his re- lease-—neither was she aware that her son and that ruffian could have ever met before. “Now then,” growled the Cannibal, as an idea suddenly struck him, “ you will perhaps let me go, when his lordship tells you that I have done him @ service in my time; and it was natural enow that I should come here to ask for a recom- pense. “Ah, that voice!” cried Imueilla, who at the moment entered the chapel,—ehe having kept completely in the rear of the living stream. “That voice! Yes—it is the same!” The domestics at once understood what Lucille meant; and the head-constable towards her ladyship for instructions, or at least for some suggestion what course was now to be adopted, inasmuch as her son did not deny Chiffin’s asser- tion that he lay under an obligation to him. “You hold your tongue, young o’oman,” said the Cannibal, addressing himself to Lucilla. “ You never saw or heerd me before, I know! And his lordship will very soon tell all that I am a highly respectable genelman, although somewhat under a cloud at present.” “ Yes—it is perfectly true,” exclaimed Edm “that this mam did me a great service :” thinking that it would seem very odd if he did not specifically mention what it was, he added, “ When I was shut up in a certain place the other day, he helped me out of it.” “All this appears so very »” Ob- served the head-constable of h, “ that it must be calmly and Seliberately looked into. In the first place, I should like to know under what circumstances the man was discovered within these walls ?” “T will explain,” said the steward. “In con- sequence of something which took place a few weeks back, I have considered it to be my duty to visit the shut-up apartments on this side of the building every evening ; and as there are a great many rooms to i moreover, as one does not exactly like to come here alone—I have usually while another hastened to the did not know but what of them ask for a reward. Perhaps he did not like to pre- sent himself in the usual manner at the castle- gate, and therefore obtained stealthy entrance in the hope of finding an opportunity to speak to his lords ip.” “"Yea—that’s exactly what it is,” growled Chiffin. “I was afraid that if I rang at the bell, some of these powdered flunkies would order me off, just because I don’t happen to have my Sunday clothes on: and so I thought-———” “You had better hold your tongue,” said the constable sternly. “I can assure you that although her ladyship, in the goodness of her heart may be inchned to put the most favourable construction on your proceeding, I am not to be equally misled. Young woman,” he added, turning to Lucilla, “how is it that this man’s voice was at once. familiar to you ?” “Lucilla, do you hear the constable speak to you?” cried Lady Saxondale: but she only thus addressed the maid, in order to have an oppor- tunity and an excuse for accosting her; and has- tening up to the spot where ahe was standing, she added in a hurried whisper, “ Not a word of the real truth! Say it was a mistake |” “ Now, young woman,” exclaimed the constable, “don’t you bear that your mistress orders you to speak out? You need not be afraid: this man und, | can do you no harm now.” “I think I oan tell the story for her,” observed Lucilla weeks back: the mseid there was alarmed by the entrance of persons into the room where she deps and now, as you perosive, she has recognised the voice of one of them.” The steward did not at the time remember the injunction which he himself, as well as all the other servants had received, from Mr. Denison and Mr. Hawkshaw not to give publicity to the incident which he had been explaining. In the excitement of the present circumstance he utterly lost sight of that injunction. “This grows very serious,” observed the head- constable: and now he surveyed Chiffin more attentively than he had previously done. “Kither I have seen you before,” he went on to say, in a sort of tone ; “or else I have read a very accurate description of “ No, not of me, air,” the Cannibel : “it’s quite a mistake. I am an honsst hard- working man.” “ What is your name? where do you live? and can you get anybody to speak to your character ?”’ demanded the constable. “My name is Brown, sir. I live in London when I’m at home —— Ask his lordship there whether I ain’t a very respectable man ?”’ “Faith! I know nothing at all about you,” seemed | ejaculated Saxondale, witha supercilious hauteur. “One word, sir,” exclaimed Lady w thinking it high time to interfere. “It ap- pears that his lordship, my son, has received a service at this person’s hands; and as he himself bas oberrved, it was natural he should come to “All I know is that you delivered me out of a certain place; andif I had met you, and you had asked for # reward, I abould certainly have given it.” Meenwhile the head-consteble had been scruti- nizing Chiffin with stiJl more minuteness, until his original suspicion was confirmed—that in some way SEE ee (COL (C DOO CS (COL