The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 279: what you’re looking at

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

270 ' [33 MYSTWRIES OF THE COURT. — — = TTR, oe over their looks at this most unexpected and planted against the doer, he instamtancously fancied ominous p trembled. ¥ortanately however her countenance was not at the instant towards her unele; and he al: but Ysabella turned psfe and | there was something wrong. 5STion’t be alarmed, Mg. Ashton,” said the valet: “I am here to befriend you. You must perceived not her emotion. But the Countess did | uot enter the garden this evening: Lord Os- notice it; and hastening to assist Teabella with her shaw!, she whispered rapidly, * Fear nothing ! Adolphus will make everything right.” The Earl gave his arm to the Countess, while Lord Osmond escorted his cousin Isabella. descended the stairs and reached the hall,—Adol- phus the while racking his brain fer some pretext to speak aside to Makepeace. As fortane would have it, Makepeace himself was at the instant crossing the hall, with a chamber-candle in his hand. “With your perneission, Bells,” said Word Osmond, “I wifl smoke a cigar in the garden. Here, Makepeace! give me a light.” | The valet stopped short accordingly: Adolphus approached him; and while stooping towards the candle, he said in a low rapid whisper, * Hasten round and prevent young Ashton from entering by the gate this evening.’ The cigar was lighted—Adolphus gave Isabella his arm again—and the party issued forth. The Earl was determined that Adolphus and Isabella should not wander away from himself and the Countess ; and therefore, on entering the garden, he kept his son in continued conversation. But Lord Osmond had really no intention of straying : he had provided against the entrance of Christian . Ashton—and that was the only thing he cared for. He fancied that there must be some suspicion in his father’s mind: but what ite precise nature was, he could not conjecture. As for the Earl, he was naturally led to ine that this repetition of the evening walk might be in connexion with an expected visit from Christian; and that, after all, Adolphus eoas really favouring the discarded secretary's suit towards Miss Vincent. The Earl however chatted gatly, as if there were nothing to disturb bis humour,—and all the more gaily, too, mond bade me come hither to wara you egunst 1#,”” * Hor heaven's stake tell me,” exclaimed Chris- tien, “whether eanything——”" and then he They | abruptly stopped short, fearing leet the valet was acting as the Eari’s epy. “Do not be afraid of me, Mr. Ashton,” con- | your favour. The best is that it was I who procered the duplicate for you, and jef i with ord Osmond’s nete et yonr lodgmygs yester- day. Loan full well enderstand the reason you aré not to enter the grounds this evening: x i simply besause the Hari has taken # into bis head to join the party fm their walk.” “Thank you for this assurance!” replied Chris. tian, his mind now infinitely relieved: for his first and very natural misgiving was that Isabelle might have beeome involved in fresh teenble om bis ac. count. He then bade Makepeace “goed nigh,” and returned to his lodging, i % could see nothing: but a closer scrutiny showed him a man-trap, with its teethed jaws wide spart, to himeelf: but his knowledge of tho Earl’s charac- ter speedily made him aware that it was a devies because he inwardly chuckled at the hope of' of that nobleman’s fertile brain. “It is pretty wreaking & speedy vengeance on the preenmptuous youth who dared aspize to the hand of his niece and stealthily intrude upon his grounds. Meantime Makepeace, in pursuance of Lord Osmond’s hint, had issued from the principal entrance of the grounds; and rapidly ekirting the wall he reached the private door, against which ho planted himself to await the coming of Christian Ashton. ‘While standing there, he caught the sounds of heavy footsteps moving about just inside the garden door: then he heard a strange grating noise, as of some iron mechanism being acted upon; and this was followed by a sharp ciick— while a voice just audible to the valet’s éars, mut- tered, “ Botheration take this cursed thing! Ab, that’s right at last !” This latter ejaculation was accompanied by another grating metallic noise ; and then the foot- steps moved away from the neighbourhood of the door. The words were epcken in so low a tone— being merely in ® musing strain to the man’s own self—that Makepeace could not recognise who he was; and he was totally at a loss to comprehend what the proceeding meant. He had not however much time for reflection ere our young hero made his appearance; and on beholding Makepeace clear that the old man suspects or knows some- thing: but how the dense could it have come to his knowledgo? At all events I am mot sus- peeted: for his lordship was as kind to me to-day as ever—and I know the old bird too well to be deceived by such kindness if i¢ were net perfectly nataral. The cunning dog !—he thought he woeld keep this entirely to himself. He expects to cateh young Ashton; and be will come here gently to see whether his victim is fast in the trap.” Makepeace was strolling away from the gate, when a mischievous idea struck him. *'Wouldn’t he be astonished,” thought the valet to himself, “if he came and found no ¢rap at all ? He would fanoy that Christian had been caught, and had climbed over the wall, the trap with him. Oapital! I'll hide i¢!” Bo Makepeace, carefully lifting the mechine in euch a way as to avoid getting his arms bet its gaping jaws, carried the trap ¢o some Gistance, and deposited {¢ amongst a group ehrubs,—having done whidh he re-entered the mansion. In the meanwhile the Haerl of Laseelles and his wife, Adolphus and Ieabelle, had been rambling (GO) iC 5 DOO CS (COL