The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. en ow Len al 279 Co Zs mel Qa ss es Ee ne not during the night: for, as already stated, no dismay, and the consternation which prevailed door nor window was found open in the morning ; throughout the house: yet no one offered to leave and sich assassin could not have slipped forth from the premises after the servants had risen without being perceived by those who were moving about within the walls, or by the gardeners in the grounds. No—it appeared incontestable that the murderer was an inmate of the mansion: but on whom could suspicion alight? There seemed to be no reason to imagine that any one had a motive for such 4 crite: or at least such waé the dpinion formed by the police after carefully and minutely inquiring into the case. But if the author of the deed were thus involved in an obscurity which seemed impenetrable, not less mysterious was the motive itself. Could it have been plunder? There was no evidedte in the Earl’s suite of apartments that a single thing of any value had been removed. His purse, con- taining some thirty or forty pounds {in notes and gold, was on the toilet-table,—as were his saperb watch and massivb chain, his diamond rings, and several other articles of jewellery. A box con- taining other jewels stood on a chest of drawers ; and though unlocked, it had not been rifled. Plunder therfore was assuredly not the assassin’s object. Then, what could have been his motive P Private vengeance? No: this idea seemed alto- gether incompatible with the harmless, frivolous, inoffensive character of the murdered nobleman. Tho mystery was great: it seemed as if it would remain impenetrable. In ninety-nine cases out of every hundred where a fc 1 crime has been com- mitted, suspicion at onee attaches itself to some individual; the circumstances of the deed present a clue—or there is a known motive which might have influenced the suspected person. But in the resent case there was nothing of all this—no clue left behind by any want of caution on the assas- sin’s pert—no visible object which any one had to gain by such a deed—no known motive that might have served as tm impulse to any particular indi- vidual. After the diseovery of the terrifie crime, the Countess of Lascelles was borne in & swoon back to her own chamber, whence she had hurried to the tragic scene, as above described. Isabella, on learning that it was all too true, likewise fell Imto unconsciousness, and was conveyed to her apartment,—a serious indisposition supervening. Adolphus appeared most profoundly horrified and shocked ; and for some hours he was quite incapa- ble of issuing any instraoctions. Makepeace be- wailed the loss of the master who had always been so kind and indulgent to him; and all the other servants of that extensive establishment seemed to be stricken with consternation and grief. Indeed these feelings appeared to be universal within those walls ;—and yet many doubtless said to themselves, “here must be one accomplished dissembler mmongst us—one being whose hypocrisy is as per- fect as his crime is tremendous !” It was therefore a fearful thing for those who were innocent, to be compelled thus to reason within themscives. Asone looked upon another, he seid to himself, “At this moment I may be gazing on the assassin :”—and that other was with equal probability saying the same thing within his own: heart as he looked in the face of the former. Sach a state of things aggravated the horror, the _ es «2 oe @ 20 igs On wee eae -O = eweaem@g~ ms AP it; for such a proceeding, by iteelf alone, might have at once drawn down suspicion on the head of such person. There was a Coroner’s inquest: but nothing transpired to throw the faintest light on this ap- palling mystery. The proceedings terminated without affixing the remotest suspicion upon any individual. Not a garment had been found bear- ing = blood-stain in any room, save that where the tragedy iteelf occurred: no knife, nor weapon of any other description, bad been specially pointed at as the one which had been used by the mur- derer’s hand. The y created an immense seneatioti out of doors: the myasteryin which it was enveloped, strack with awe the myriad readers of newspapers. Everything appeared to be out of the ordinary courte in reference to this foul crime; for not even did the whisper of scandal suggest a single name as that of the probable author of the deed. Conjecture itself was stupified—surmise was prostrate. It appeared to be one of those deeds which, terrible in their miystery and in. scrutable in their motive, now and then occur upon the theatre of the world as if to prove that things may take place on earth defying the power of man to fathom, and which are to remain entombed in darkness until the finger of heaven for its own wise purposes shall draw aside the veil atid bring all to ht. Throughout the day when the murder was dis- covered and the two following ones, the Countess of Lascelles kept. her chamber,—a physician being in almost constant attendance upon her, as she was in a state of fever, and frequently hysterical. The Karl of Lascelies,—as woe must now denominate Adolphus, for he refused not to adopt the rank to which the world believed him entitled, and which there seemed nobody to dispute,—kept his own room for the greater portion of the first day: but on the second he attended at the inquest; and afterwards he assumed the position of head of the establishment. But he appeared deeply to feel the terrific tragedy which had taken place: his countenance bore every indication of profound eorrow—his step was languid and slow—his voice was mournful and subdued: he appeared as if he were merely exerting a little energy for duty’s sake, but that it cost him the most painful efforts to do so. As for poor Isabella,—she continued seriously indisposed ; and we may as well here re- mark at once that it was not until after the funeral of her deceased uncle that she crossed the threshold of her own apartment. But it was before that funeral took placo—and on the fourth day following the night of the mys- terious murder—that Adolphus and Ethel met for the first time since the moment when, on the morning of the foul deed’s discovery, they had rushed from their respective chambers to the scene of the crime to ascertain whether the frightful in- telligence which had reached them was indeed true. 1t was in the drawing-room that they now met on this fourth day, as above stated; and they were alone there together. Ethel had eo far reco- vered that she was enabled to ascend without assistance to that apartment: but she was much changed—the colour had totally forsaken her cheeks, which were haggard and sunken ;—and the (COL (C DOO CS (COL