The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 300: what you’re looking at

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= THE MYOTERIEG OF THE COURT. towards the cabinet whither Purvis had conducted her. And now she looked around ag if to assure harself that ne one was by te observe her movements or watch ber proceedings; and satigfiod op this point, she entepead the cabinet. gaze once more on the dagger that drunk eo deep of human blood ? But now a strenge acone ensued. (losing the little doox with its sauret spring, end still retaining possession of the dagger, Indora came forth from the cabinet. Intently were her luminous dark eyes fixed upon the blade which the whimsical or else more deeply myuteriong care of Purvis hed Sept brightly polished; and all ef a sudden the jnqegs yaised those eyes upwards, exclaiming, “it t is for thee, O pe pnt a own goed time, to shaw whose hand did really wield this weapon to perpetrate the tragedy of that foul night }” Sot eee tihs ite eximuniy atesaiel, tan ie. the eastern lady thua solemply appesled, that be- beld her aa sha atood there, in the midst of that sumptuously furnished esloon, with tb of a Pythenegs,—qne arm stzetabed forth, hand Frranoe wearing an of the er cqun oe wearing gn expression of awe-falt solemnity posture yeplate with tragic msjesty—and her red lips apart, displaying twa rows of pearls wisbin. Wherefore did Indore send wv, -aad adjuring ng Preyer to Heaven? why did she seem to think that was any doubt in respect to the author of « crime which all the world had ea unhegitatingly affized to the hand of Bertram Vivian? CHAPTER UL¥. THE DAGHER. Ow the following day, soon after breakfast, Rrincess Indore isgued forth te ramble over the domain end ita neighbourhood. She hed desired Purvis to eonompeny her; and the old man pointed eut ell the various features of interest: but aome- how or another he found himself led on to speak egsin of the tragedy sq intimstely connected with Qaklands. The Princess Indore made him deseribe to har the exact appeerance of the Duchess personal Bliza~—that of the ald Duke her husband—and that of Bertram Vivian. Purvis, naturally garru- laws, was never wearied of conversing on @ topic which constitated the main incident in bis own experiences of life; and thus, if the eastern lady pad any secret purpose of hey own—or if she were geek information on these pointe— she could not possibly heve addressed herself to a person mare competent or more willing to affard it - Her wanderings with Purvis brought her to- 291 y | wards the pond by the side of which the corpse of the murdered Duke was discovered; and there for a few minutes she lingered, gasing upon the very spot where, as Purvis informed ber, ke and Leachley, the late Duke's valet, had found ther lifeless, murdered master. Whale retracing their way towards the map- gion, the discourse etill cantinued on she same topic; end. Indore seemed as willing to hear es the old steward was to icapart all details, even the very minutest, in connexion with the tepic which appeared to have so profound an interest for them both Yet the Princess a0 shaped hor questions and so phrased her remarks, thot Purvis entertained not the remotest suspicion that she might possibly be impelled by some feeling than mere curiosity. I¢ was about two o'clock when they reached the mansion; and In- dora, having partaken of refreshment, walked forth again inte the grounds—but this time un- attended by the ald steward, who was wearied with his ramble of the forencon. The Prinocoss walked as far as the village, and passed the little inn where Hertram Vivian had his last interview with his brother—then Lord Olendon. The very room hed been notified by Purvis, in the minute- ness of the defails which he hsd given the Princess; and her eyes were riveted for a minute upon the window of tha$ room. When she pur- sued her way, tears were érickling from those eyas:—perchanes in the matural generosity and kindness of her dispositiqn, she was meited by the thought that within that very room a fellow- creature had endured the most excruciating an- guish which the human mind oould know ! Ip the evening the Princess Indora again had an opportunity of copversing with the old steward ; and she inquired relative to the other servants there | who were at Oaklands at the time the tragedy took place. He gave her the same information which he had given to Christian Ashton af the time the youth was at the ion: namely, that Leachley, the late Duke's was thriving as a farmer about a dosen miles off—that Jane, the Duchess Slisa’s favourite maid, had gone mad efter the tragic opcurrence--and that he alone, of all the domestics who were at Oaklands on the occasion of the Duke’s murder, now remained there. After he had given some other particulars the | respecting a few of those servante who had risen in the world, he esid, “And there is the present Duke’s valet too—ho likewise has risen; and in . order te conceal his humble origin he has teken another name.” “Under what circumstances ?” asked Indora. “ He has grown rieh, my lady,” responded Pur- yis. “His proper name is Travers—bis assumed one is Armytage; and his daughter has married a nobleman—Lord Octavian Meredith.” “ Indeed! exolaimed Indora: “the names of Jord and Lady Octavian Meredith are not un- familiar to me. And that Mr. Armytage, yor tell me, was oviginally the present Duke's valet 7” “ Oertainly he was, my lady. When the present Dake succeeded to the title after his uncle’s death, he appointed Travers to the post of bailiff; and a little time after that, Travers, it was said, in- herited a considerable sum of money. So, in due course he left Oaklands; and it wes many a long year before I heard anything of him again. 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