The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 362: what you’re looking at

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Cd THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. neceasity of exerting all her strength of mind to meet whatsoever danger might now be menacing her, and to encounter with fortitude whatsoever hew emergency might have arisen. ‘Feeling con- | ployer-—— vinced that the visitor must be either Lord Harold, or else some messenger from him, she threw on a morning wrapper ; and scarcely had she done this, when the maid returned to the room with the ex- pected intimation. For it was as she had foreseen: —Lord Harold Staunton craved an immediate audience of her ladyship on most particular busi- nese, “You need not wait up for me,” said Lady Saxondale to the maid: and having given this in- junction, she descended to the parlour into which the footman who answered the front door, had conducted Lord Harold. The moment her ladyship entered, she perceived by the young nobleman’s countenance that the plot had failed: for he was vary much excited and had a bewildered look. “You have not succeeded, Harold?” said her ladyship, in a quick trembling voice. . “No: everything has miscarried —and yet I know not how,” he replied, as he threw himself upon a sofa, much exhausted; for he had run all the way from the Regent's Park to Saxondale House. “ You know not how P” ejaculated her ladyship. “But what are the circumstances? Tell me all you do know! leave me not in suspense!” ‘“ Everything was carried out in the manner previously settled, up to a certain point. The vehicle was in readiness—the fellows entered the house — they remained there for two or three minutes—I thought it was all right—when all of a sudden the bed-room window was flung and out sprang one of them—a gentleman, whom I eould not recognise, making a clutch at him as he thus precipitated himself from the casement.” “But the man——was he captured? was he killed ? or did he escape, and tell you what had happened P’—and as Lady Saxondale put these questions in a hurried tone, her countenance ex- hibited all the tortures of suspense. “He told me nothing: he sped wildly away,” answered Harold; “and I, seeing that all was lost, took my own departure from ” “ And the other men—what became of them P” “TI cannot tell. One thing is certain, it was not Chiffin who thus made his escape. I fear therefore that he and the other agent whom wo employed, were made prisoners.” “Good heavens! what is to be done?” ejacu- lated Lady Saxondale. “If those men have been taken captive— perbaps by the poetics lying in wait—they will reveal everything! they will way that they were engaged by you———” all m a moment Lady Saxondale expe- rienced a relief, arising from the selfish reflection which suddenly struck her, that her name could not possibly have been mentioned in the business. At least Harold had all along promised that this secrecy should be obeerved, and had assured her that he had faithfully kept his pledge. “ You, at all events, have wothing to fear,” he hastened to say, “20 far as the night’s work is coucerned. Of course you know best how far and in what way the woman Madge Somers can com- promise you, should she recover the faculty of 859 speech——-But I—what am Itodo? I dare not return to my lodging—those fellows know where I lived—and if they confess who was their em- y + “True!” observed Lady Saxondale; “it will be serious for you. You had better leave London at once——” “To-night I can do nothing,” answered Harold, with a sort of dogged determination. “I am tired to death, and unfit for any energetic proceeding. Besides, Harriet, I am not going to separate again from you. Our destinies are linked——” “But I cannot harbour you here, Harold!” interrupted her ladyship. “It is imposnble! The servants will know it———-Edmund will know | “They already more than suspect that you and I are not very great s to each other,” in- terrupted Harold. ‘“ You would not have me go wandering forth to-night. Look at this costume— this glazed hat—this great rough coat. Do I not seem like a ruffan? how can I present myself at any hotel to ask fora bed? I may be arrested in the streets: who knows what hue and cry may be already raised after me ?” There was a mingling of entreaty and dogged determination in Staunton’s looks and accents, as he thus spoke in a hurried manner. ITady Saxon- dale saw that it would be dangerous to provoke a quarrel with him; and she herself was getting so desperately reckless as to her own reputation, that she came to the conclusion it would be better to let him have his own way. “ Well,” she acoordingty said, “I must secrete you in the house as cautiously as I can. For- tanately I have dismissed my maid for the night. open, | To-morrow we shall doubtless learn from some source or another the extent of the exposure which has taken place, and of the peril which menaces you. Then our measures can be taken. Perhaps the vortex of rum But no matter! it is too late to retrograde a single step. Come |” deceive any of the domestics who might possibly be listening to what was going on. Staunton did not however leave the house : but with the utmost caution he followed Lady Saxon- dale up to her own chamber; and in the embraces of illicit passion they both forgot for a while the perils which, jaintly or separately, they might have to apprehend. In the morning her .ladyship told her maid, when the latter knocked at the door, that she could dispense with her services for the occasion; and thus Lord Harold’s presence theré remained unsuspected. His pea-coat and glazed hat were carefully locked up in a cupboard; and Lady Sexondale, watching an opportunity when no one was upon the stairs, conducted him down to the breakfast-pariour—eo that when a servant entered, it might appear as if he had just arrived to pay this early visit. She was compelied to leave to chance any ions which might be enter. tained as to the real truth of the —and any inquiries which the footman might put to the hall-porter as to whether the young nobleman had indead come that morning, or whether he had been several hours concealed beneath that roof. (COL (C DOO CS (COL