The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 360: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. « Admirable man!” exclaimed the Mar-; _ quis of Eagledean, his better feelings bursting forth with a gush of enthusiasm that absorbed his tran- sitory resentment and impatience, and sent forth | emphatically. tears from his eyes. “Oh! I am rejoiced,” exclaimed William De- veril—for such we must continue to call him, inas much as it was his own will to be eo denominated, —"T rejoicp to perceive that you at last yield to the strength of my reasoning, longer oppose the course which I am resolved to : adopt.” “ But will you not make your mother aware,’ inquired the Marquis, “that you are acquainted with the secret of your birth ?” “‘ Yes—assuredly,” answered Deveril: “ because it is evident that she fears the revelation which the | invalid woman has made to u———"_—_—i«s “ And perhaps, in her desperation,” added the Marquis, “ when she finds that to-night’s plot has so sgnally failed—a plot to the carrying out of which there can be no doubt she instigated my wretched nephew—ashe will adopt some extreme measure to take the very life of Madge Somers. Have I not now expressed the motives which in- fluence you, when you say that you will see your mother and inform her that you are scquainted with the mystery of your birth ?’’ “'Yes—thosee are the paramount motives,” re- sponded our hero. “ But I am likewise deairous to relieve her mind from the terrible anxiety into which it must be plunged on account of this tre- mendous secret which she knows full well the woman Somers would sooner or later reveal. Moreover, you can full well comprehend, my dear Marquis, that it will be to me a source of satisfac- tion to tell my mother that I forgive her for all the past—to endeavour to move her to at least some little display of parental affection——” But here Deveril suddenly stopped short and be- came pale as death; for the remembrance flashed to his mind, accompanied by a sickening sensation, that his own mother had at one time made to him overtures of love—a love which, had he yielded to the temptation, would have been horrible to think of ! “Let not that circumstance trouble you, my young friend,” said the Marquis, in a kind and soothing manner—for he full easly penetrated what was passing in William’s mind. “ No—let it not trouble you more than it has heretofore done: for your mother of course knew not at the time that you were her own son-——Indeed, there is no reason to believe that she knows it now; in- asmuch as her measures have been taken to pre- vent Madge Somers from revealing to any one the secret .which she—your mother—deems and hopes to be still a secret locked up in that woman’s heart. But we must hasten back to the other room, where our prolonged absence has doubtless already created much astonishment—porhape un- easiness.” ‘And your lordship,” said Deveril, “ will suffer those two men to depart? You will not, by in- voking the aid of the law, create an inevitable exposure of all that has oceurred———” “JT will suffer them to depart,” answered Lord Eagledean. “Thimk you, Willzmm, that I would do aught inimical to your wishes? No—not for worlds {” | Renner eee eeee ee a a eS ST SSS ro gp a ti ; 857 “ And you will likewise, my generous friend,” said our hero, “ keep the secret-———”’ “From everybody!” responded the Marquis “'Yes—I will do so, because there is in my mind the deeply-seated conviction that heaven itself, in spite of your own noble for- bearance, will sooner or later bring all these mys- terious transactions to light; and I shall yet have to welcome you as Lord Saxondale in the presence and that you no of the world.” William shook his head slowly and solemnly, in ' deprecation of this prophecy; and he followed the Marquis from the room. On re-entering the opposite apartment, all eyes were at once turned upon them both: but Lord Eagledean hastened to observe that it was only in connexion with the cri- tical position of the invalid woman they had been _{ summoned forth by Angela,—adding that the poor . creature was much better and past all danger. “I have now to decide,” he went on to observe, “upon the measures which are to be adopted in respect to you two,”—fixing his eyes upon the prisoners. “ First, in regard to you,” he said, now addressing himself specially to Spider Bill: “you are at liberty to depart hence. Should you en- counter your accomplice who ere now saved him- self by a precipitous flight—or that traitorous gardener who has been playing the part of a vile spy—you may tell them both, that for certain reasons a merciful course has been resolved upon, and that they have nothing to fear—but that it will be well for them to forbear from lightly men- tioning the name of Lord Harold Staunton, their employer in the misdeed. Go—begone !” The reader need scarcely be informed that Spider Bill lost not a moment in availing himeelf of the permission thus accorded; and muttering a fow words of thanks, he precipitately left the house. “With regard to you, infamous villain that you are—most unscrupulous, daring, and iniquitous of evil-doers,” continued the Marquis, now addressing himeelf to the Cannibal, “if you had your merits, the transition would be from this apartment to a cellin Newgate. But mercy shall again be ex- tended towards you—yet under certain conditions which I will explain in as few words as possible. I happen to have the means of ensuring your safe exit out of the country. Within the hour that is passing, a post-chaise will be ordered, and two of my companions here will take you with them to Dover—whence you will at once be embarked for France. There at least you will be in safety; and if you choose to seek Havre-de-Grace, you may embark thence for America, where you will find the remittance which some time back I made to New York on your account. Christoval, one word with you !” The Marquis drew Don Diego into a corner of the room, and said to him in a whispering voice— “You must accompany this man to Dover. Lord Everton aball likewise go with you. Through the assistance of the Marshalls and of Edward Ruseell, his safe passage to the Continent can doubtless be enaured. Let measures be taken to the effect that not one farthing of money shall the wretch receive until he sets foot on the French coast. Deveril will Jend him a cloak, and whatsoever other arti- cles of apparel may help to render him a more decent object than he now is; and Frank shall issue forth at once and order a post-chaise.” (COL (C DOO CS (COL