The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 212: what you’re looking at

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Vs =—2-~< “It was my purpose to ask you to resommend me to a suitable hotel: but since you have been king enouge to.ingiat that I shall take up my temporary abode beneath your roof, I will go and order my effects to be brought bitber.” .. “]T cannot think of gllowing you to go out agais et this lete hepr,” said Mr. Pollard. “The very first thing jn the worning I wil} procure some one to fetch your boxes fyom the terminus. If you are not old in this room without a fire, we will sit and chat ¢ little longer ; and there will be no harm ewww Oe ewe eee Oe eee + | THE MYATERIES OF THE COURT. “As the railway station,” angwored Lettice. | CHAPTER 42XX14&. THE STRONG ROOM. } Iz was now close upon ten o'clock; and the old miser proceeded to the strong room,—whioh, as the reader will recollect, also served him as a bed- ebamber. He bed to part on the following day with the sum of ¢hree thousand pounds; and though it was not his own money, yet there was someting gratifying in the possession of it. He CM EEE -——- ~a_e in my looking at these papers at once: it will eave | loved to feast his eyes on masses of shining gold— eome trouble for the morrow-—apd then there will | that gold which was the idol of his egntistic wor- be nothing for you to do but sign the eenaies eas | obip receive pour money.’ | tained her majority, he had drawn the sum of Thua gpeaking, the old man proceeded to open | three thousand pounds from his banker, and had the pecket ; and putting on his epectacies, he com- | | deposited it in his iron safe. snenced the examination of the documente,—-musing | ja the yellow specie: the remainder in bank-notes. audibly as he proceeded. The old man now sat down at the table to count “The certifioate of your birth—aye, to be sure! | over those notes and that gold from which he was 1 remember jt well. The gartificate of your mar- | to part on the morrow. He experienced a feeling riage—and gleo this French paper containing the very closely bordering upon afiliction at the pro- proof of your poor hushand’s death. I am glad spect of having to separate himeelf from eo large a you brought it, as it is to a certain extent neces-'! sum: but yet not for a moment did he entertain sary. Ab! these, J see, are several letters of mine the thought of self-appropriating it—nor did he to you, merely on business-matters. And here is regret having honourably perturmed the duties of your French passport: hair, brown—eyes, blue— | guardianship in respect to that money and ite stature, tall--the least thing stout—and so un. | rightful owner, whom he now supposed to be be- Very good! We will now put up these papers neath his roof. But he sat down to count it, not agen; and you can keep them. If I have looked | merely to convince himself, for the tenth time over them, it was as a mere matter of form—and : since he had it in his possession, that it was cor- ing else,” rect—but likewise to have the gratification of fin- . “Of couree, my dear sir,” answered Lettice, in- : gering and ountempleting it for the last time but finitely relieved when this new ordeal.was over, one. We say but one, because the old man natu- “ you ere bound to eonduct the affair in a businese- rally expected that on the morrow he would have like way. And now, with your permission, 1 will to count the money again when handing it over to wetire to reat: for I feel much fatigued.” | its claimant—and thes indeed for the last time! Mr. Pollard rang the bell; and the summons | Meanwhile Mra. Webber had ascended to her was immediately answered by Mre. Webber, who own chamber, making her footsteps sound with had not long re-entered the house after her meet- | unusual heaviness upon the stairs, and slamming ing with Barney the Burker. She was totally | the door of the room with a certain degree af vio- aa that any one had been admitted during _lence—and all for the purpose of making the sup- her temporary absence; and she was therefore ‘posed Mre. Rayner hear that she had thus sought emittes with astonishment on finding her master _ her own apartment. There the treacherous house- seated with a lady. Asa matter of course she at keeper sat down for about a quarter of an hour,— once eoncluded that this must be Mrs. Rayner; | retaining in her band an old-fashioned silver and quickly recovering her self-possession, she , watch which she possessed, and keeping her eyes an air of placid benignity, as if pleased | fixed upon the dial. If we were to follow the train that the long-expected one should have come at’ of her musings we @gpuld find that she was excoed- last. __ ingly well acquaintéd with the habits of her mas- “Dhis is Mro. Rayner,’ ” said the old miser to ter, although she had been so short a time in his his housekeaqper; “and thus by her presence are ' service: but then she had entered this service fur ali apprehensions for her uafety set at rest. Have | a special object, and she had failed not to watch all the gaodness to conduct Mrs. Rayner to the | hia peoceedings and acquire as deep an insight as pbember prepared for her reception. Good night, ; possible into his habits and customs. Louisa.” “He will sit down in his room for a good half- “ Gued night, my dear sir,” answered Lettice: | hour,” she said to herself, “to look over his books, and ehe then followed Mra. Webber from the ! enter the transactions of the day, and sum up his room. profits before he barricades himself in for the night. A .few minutes afterwards the housekeeper | At a quarter pest ten precisely I am to give ad- peturned to the paeriour, to make the usual inquiry | mission to Barney and Bill Scott: there will then pa to whether ber master needed anything more , be a good quarter of an hour to do the work. Yee ere she setired fur the night; and the response |—-and it shall be done too, no matter this Mrs. being in the negative, sho withdrow. Rayner’s presence—it shall be done at any risk ! yop While thus musing, Mrs. Webber continued to regard the minute-hand of her watch; and just as it marked twelve minutes past ten, she took off her | suues, upencd the door very gently, and nuiselesaly s On the very day that Mrs. Rayner at- - A large portion was. (COL (C DOO CS (COL