The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 344: what you’re looking at

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pie the water, was leoking in upon him through the curtains. Or else it would appear to him that those wild cries of distress which had thrilled agonisingly over the Trent, were still ringing in his ear; and as he started up, he found himeelf bathed in his own agony—covered with the cold perspiration that burst forth in large drops all over | But at length he did aleep awhile without such startling interruption: yet it was to dream as hor- this wild ery was real enough—for therewith he aw He went to sleep again—and also to dream ready to do his dreadful work. He fancied himself pinioned, walking by the side of the chaplain—escending the steps leading to the platform of death. He the |to view the body. h the vista of coming years, and to know that they must have as many nights as days? CHAPTERB OLIX. THE INQUEST. haggard ghastliness which a night full of horrors had left upon Lord Saxondale’s counte- nance, Was even more than sufficient to impress the domestics generally with the notion that he f quite unnecessary for him to simulate any show of grief. Squire Hawkshaw,—with the most ee 2 aie ital man was profoundly afflicted, and that he felt his loss with a greater keenness than might have beca conceived on the part of one by no means can- spicuous for amiable or generous sensibilities. . This was a day of considerable bustle, even in a house of death. Tailors and milliners arrived from Gainsborough to receive orders for the mourning- apperel of the household generally: the under- pr peaeenpping preperdiomeiby eerore patient a Nb ton the afternoon an inquest was to be holden. passed; and Mr. Hawkshaw remained with Ed. Ed. mund, not merely from friendly motives, but like- wise because he was to be a principal witness at the inquest. During these hours Edmund paced to and fro in the drawing-room—or else threw himself for a few minutes at a time upon a sofa,— all his conduct and proceedings, however, being dread of the inquest; for though he saw not how the real truth could be suspected, yet conscience speedily followed by the persons who summoned to serve as the jury, and who consisted chiefly of gentlemen or tenant-farmers dwelling in the neighbourhood. It was in the dining-room that the conclave assembled ; and after the: usual preliminaries, the coroner and the jury proceeded This was merely a formal matter,— those persons contenting themselves with looking into the room where the corpses lay, and then retiring. All this while Edmund remained with Mr. Hawkshaw in the drawing- room. He had not as yet seen the body since it was taken forth from the water; and when once, well-meaning Squire had held him back. The of the inquest eccupied ne great length of time. The physician who attended Meee ea, rove eat eae an Tewpect: to Adelaide had arisen from drowning; and when asked, as a mere matter of form, whether there were indications of violence having been used, he emphatically, and indeed most truthfully, re- Edmund was compelled gene- | to attend, and give an explanation of how the tragedy had occurred. The mortal terror which scieed upon him when be found hisasclf in the presence of the coroner and the jury, took the semblance of an overpowering grief; and thus was all suspicion of foul play still effectually the same as that which he had given to Mr. Hawk- shaw,—though a little more detailed: but he was soon suffered to quit the room, the coroner feeling COLL (C DOO CS (GO)