The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 361: what you’re looking at

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

en @re GE iisfe:- 2 ae THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. The arrangements quis, were duly carried out; and Chiffin the Can- nibe] took his in the custody—for such it really was—of Don Diego Christoval and Adol- phus. We may as well observe here, that the entire plan, as laid down in respect to Chiffin, was executed; and through the agency of Ned Russell, he was safely landed at Calais. But whether he eventually got so far as the United States will be seen ere this narrative, which now draws towards a conclusion, is brought to a complete close. Don Diego Christoval and Lord Everton having taken their departure with Chiffin the Cannibal, the Marquis of Kagledean and Francis Paton stayed at the villa to pass the night—or rather the re- mainder of it: for it was close upon one o'clock in the morning ere the inmates of that dwelling could think of retiring to rest. But even then, Angela Deveril would not seck her own couch. The ser- vante had been too much alarmed and excited by the incidents of the night to render it prudent to allow either of them to sit up and attend upon Madge Somers. It should be observed that the nurse who was af first to watch the in- valid had within the last few days been herself very ill, and had returned to her own residence, which was at a little distance: but Angela having entertained the hope that the woman would return shortly and resume her duties, had not considered it to put another in her place. Thus the absence of the nurse—which was duly reported for the execution of their plot at that particular time. Now, however, Angela missed the nurse much ; for she herself was exhausted by the mental and physical excitement she had undergone: yet neither the fortitude nor the generous spirit of the lady fniled; and believing hereelf better capable than the servants of keeping the requisite vigil by the couch of Madge Somers, she resolved to adopt this course. It had been with considerable reluctance that William Deveril con- sented to her thus wearying herself by sitting up with the invalid; and he only desisted from re- monstrance on receiving the assurance that another nurse should be procured early in the morning, in case the one who was engaged, continued too much indi to resume her duties. But our hero, the Marquis of Eagledean, and Francis Paton had not been many minutes in their respective chambers, when Angela called forth to | i them, in an affrighted voice, from the imvalid’s room; and hurried thither. A ter- rible change had suddenly taken place in Madge Somers: it was evident that she was dying. Francis sped off to fetch the medical attendant: one of the female domestics was summoned to assist Angela in doing all that possibly could be done for the unfortunate woman in the extremity to which she was brought: but human succour was unavaih glaze of death came over her ominous rattle in the throat commenced—and a few minutes man, she breathed her last. Thus did she perish. Not another syllable be- yond the few explanations already recordod, fell from her lips; and the circumstances so nearly and intimately relating to William Deveril's earliest had abandoned her—the | i thus suggested by the Mar- | years of. existence, were left still involved im 9 mystery which seemed to be impenetrable. CHAPTER CLXIIL MOTHER AND SON. bear away the woman to some distant spot, where she might be di silence hes for ever. fore expect during that night—nor perhaps for a day or two, until all shonld be over in respect to Madge Somers. His silence and his non-appearance would be te mund reel off to his own room in « state of com- But Lady Saxondale had not been half-an-hour in her own chamber, and her night toilet was 7 had streaked with a aingie thread of silver, a loud knock and ring resounded through the dwelling. Her ladyship started up with dismay —for it instantaneously struck her that the plot not do otherwise than look particularly foolish. When left alone in her dressing-room, while her anguish, she bitterly, bitterly repented having ever entered upon a career of crime :—in that dread moment she would have given worlds to reeall the past! But she was not a woman to romain long thus overpowered by her terrors: she felt the COLL (C DOO CS (GO)