The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 299: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. she conversed with the old steward in the moet affable manner. “JT have been made acquainted,” she said, still lingering in the gallery, “ with that terrible tragedy which is so fearfully connected with the name of Oaklands. Were you here when it occurred P”’ Purvis responded in the affirmative; and Indora to question the old man on various points connected with that deplorable history. Purvis—who was delighted with the frank . lity of the Princess, and also astotiished of thé fluency with which she spoke in his native tuliiue, as well as dt the superior intelligence which of her observations indicated—cheorfally sati curiosity; and the tale of the Duchess Bertram Vivian was told all over again. ¥ listened with a deep and awe-felt interest | a. ee remarks which P ; os the usion, he said, “The very dagisy, lady, with which the dreadful dood was plished, exists still bencath this roof !” “Ie it not strange,” said Indora, with 4 visibly shudder, “that the present Dake of Marchmoné should have preserved a weapon which every tl he beholds it, must so frightfally remind hits the foul deed of assassination whereby he los Bis uncle P” “To tell your ladyship the trath,” abswtred Parvis, “his Grace knows not that the Weapon # atill retained within these walls. It is I who ea kept it: and if you were to ask ma Wherefdie, could not say. Heaven knows that it is throttgh no morbid f of curiosity: for seldom indeed do EF ventyre to cast a look updn that terrible weapon. But after the coroner's inquest, I foatd it lying im roort where that ingairy took place: fio pederd were fasued as to its ai End t ‘There i re thrust it awh) bi a lumber-cloet. There it mained fobgotten fob 4 yotr or two—until t closet itanif wat to bé. dow ti the course certaitt Qlleratichs wie Were made within these walls. the in fell into my hand: it #83 eovered d a eold feeling of hortor shot through ip at fhe thotipht that it was my deceased mastet’s blooll Which was encrusted there. Your ladyship may thith {t & strange fancy on my part—but I took that weapon, and with my own hand scoured the blade so that the blood-rust should disappear; and this being done, I thought of burying it in the ground, in order to put it for ever out of human sight. But another strange whim seized upon me; and I thought I would preserve it as 4 relic of the past,—just as in furmer times the armour of those who perished in battle was preserved by the families to which they belonged. To be brief, the fatal weapon has been thus preserved; and there are times when I think that in retaining possession of it I have been actuated by some higher impulse which I cannot rightly understand.” “It ts singular—most singular!” said Indora, if a musing tohe: “for it was not, as you have declared, through mere morbid curiosity :”—then after & few tihutes’ pause, during which she reflected profoundly, she added, “'The horrible has its own mysterious fascinations as well as the pleasing and the beautiful: for the human heart is so constituted as to be susceptible of them. Yes -—I will see that dagger. You have already told me when reciting the narrative of the tragedy, that it came from North America, and is of pecu- liar workmanship.” “It was brought from North America, together with other curiosities,” responded Parvis, “by Bertram Vivian. If your ladyship will come this way, I will show if to you.” The old steward conducted the Princess Indora to a superbly-furnished saloon, where marble pil- lars and splendid draperies gave a grandeur to the ecene,—and where, too, there were some beautiful imens of sculpture. At the extremity of this thers was a siiall cabinet, containing a Vikioty of curicsities—amongst which were those thét Bertram Vivian had brought over with him fim the United States. The old steward touched & secret spring in B rosewood cupboard of curious Wothnianship : a door flew open, revealing a single drawWar; and thened he took forth the fatal of Witch #0 much had just been said. With a visi- fhetieen- | ble timer shooting through her entire form, the Princess FInCes took it in her hand, and exaarined i attentively For upwards of & minate,—at thé Utpiration of Which she returned it to Purvid, who Gonsigned it BaeR again to the place whence he had pH St. Shisttilig the drawer, he closed the little af the oloset} Rind Indora said, “ In the country h I belong, vo Mire articles of farnitare ring’: with soaret Wp &é fot understand the . Th Ol at once ghve her the explana- whe isn desire; bud Yey then iseued } he chBinet. YE wis kot annonnced to 3 was con- hat wid served te wid the -rout acted 05 hs di am, Where a elegant re- penrag eden ening are ig ti iin ge? were in Uttandance just és WY it were the evs herself why was thus being waited upon; | orer—and there being still tivo eh ie hourt | light—Indora resumed her yi thidtgh the mansion, but on this occa- Bion dispensing with the attendance of Purvis. She revisited the picture-gallery; and thence pro- epeded to the chamber where, as she had been told, the Duchess Eliza took leave of her weeping ser- vants when about to go forth alone from that man- sion where so much misery had overtaken her. In this chamber the Princess sate down and gave way to a train of mournfullest refiections,—tears even trickling down her cheeks. Then she re- paired to the room which was occupied by Bertram. Vivian when he was staying at Odkfands; and there again did the Princess linger in profound and painful meditation. Wherefore was she thus deeply interested in every circumstance and etery ecene at all associated with that tragedy of nearly nineteen years back P From that apartment the Princess Indora roamed to the magnificent saloon where the marble colu;nns and the rick draperies imparted an air of truly ducal grandeur, and where there were such ot- quisite specimens of the sculptor’s art to be con- templated. But all these Indora appeared not how to notice: she seemed bent upon some pur which absorbed every other thought and feeling. A strange light was burning in the luminous depths of her magnificent dark eyes: her lips were compressed with the decisiveness of that ptofound purpose of her soul; and her feet bore her straight COMMUC DOO CS (COL