The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 307: what you’re looking at

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

298 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. at all?’ inquired the Dake, with a strange ex- pression of countenance: “or are these mere imaginings—the result of consternation and terror P” “No, my lord,” replied the old steward, in a tone of confidence: “now that I can colleet my thoughts, I seem to have a perfect recollestion that I did behold a tall dark form suddenly ap- pear behind your Grace, as you stood in the door- way with your back towarde the saloon and your face towards the cabinet :—then the next instant the candle was dashed from your hand, and all was utter darkriess. I think I heard bat of that I am not so sure: foes if Was then that I was seized with such a fearful terrof—-—” “Let us examine the carpet!’ eaddenly eiacu- lated the Duke. With these words, he held the lamp low down, and carefully serutivized fie earpet behind the door and likewise behind the + but there were no masks of foo sj and the Meward said, “Your Grace will per ve that the pile of the carpet, although so thick, fiste up again inte an even surface wherever it has been troddes upon. Our own steps leave no marks.” “True!” cried the Duke: and desiating the examination, he said in # solemn voice, ‘ fiect well, Purvis—examine welt your resolleetiotie! Can you speak confidently sa t@ (es sounds of footeteps P” Again the old stewasd vale his head to his forehead ; and after a minutes deep reflection, he said, “ No, my lord—~I onahot for the life of ste speak with any degree certainty upon thid point. But what does % matter ?—does your Grace think,” asked the old man ingenuondly, with a half appalled air of deneterantion, “ there were no sounds of feeteteps, % must been an apparition ?” “ Lock up that dvawes aad follow — abd the Duke in « low deep voiev: “ee Gd Porvis shrink back in dismay frows the ly pallor of his countenance. ing the spring—and slosing the eabinet door Hkewise, he followed the Duke, who paced slowly and fully towards the farther extremity of the saloon. “ Purvis,” he said, stopping short as he reached the door leading into the passage with which the saloon communicated, “this strange and incom- prehensiblé occurrence———No, not incomprehen- sible !” he abruptly ejaculated: “ for, as you your- self have suggested, it must have been some evil- disposed person who was concealed there, and who adopted that stratagem to make his escape in the darkness—-—-But as I was about to say, we must keep this incident a secret. We should only be laughed at if we were to relate what has occurred. Do you understand me? I will not have all the goesips of the neighbourhood telling their idle tales about Oaklands,—the result of which would be that we should not get a servant to live with us; and as for visitors coming here again, it would be out of the question. 80, mark me well !—it is my will that what has occurred be kept secret. Com- pose your looks before you go amongst the servants again this evening.” “TI will attend to all your Grace’s inatractions,” 2 if} door ¢ the doov with the secret | replied Purvis, who was in most instances accus- tomed to pay implicit obedience to the mandates of his master. The Duke then returned to the drawing-room— while the steward repaired to his own apartment: for he felt that his countenance still wore a suffi- cient degree of trouble to excite the suspicions of his fellow-servanta if he went amongst them at once. By elévesi o’dock the entive household had withdvawn to their respective apartments; and dllence seigned throughout the spacious mansion. a CHRAPERBR LVI. & WienT AT G4h4anvs. Ie wes feet mabdideht wi the old steward was jot dubing in tate of dreaniy repose which pent a deeper slaniber,—for he had been lying awake, thinking of the incidents in the saloon,— wher: of a gaddem he was startled by hie deo? opening; and @ ery of terrer €ae nearly bursting f¥om his lips aé his looks fell upem what te be the eowntenancs of a corpses, But the Duke of Mareb- stoné, the ghastly pallet of whose fago lunked tlier otf as the Tt of the cele wit be carried streamed wpe He had frowa his petra hat over tis shoultere. thee having quitted his éhaatbet ih 0 haste tev pre- cipitate & te Tmable hins te pu€ it o@ properly. Phe wildest hovror was in his looks; and with stégzger- tag flops he advaneed info the room. Choding the him, he pleeed the candlestie& on the chest of dvawers, and threw himself of a seat,— his whole matiew and appearance givisg him the aspeet of ome who had just seen somd hideous spectacle of passed thiongh a phase of appalling terror. * Good heavens, my lord, what is thd ainiter ?’ asked Purvis, smitten with the cevuviéGon ~ something feesh of 9 dreadful characte® had appeared it ah instamt he oscurved: “what is the matter, my lord ——for God’s sake, speak !”” But the Duke could not give utterance to a syllable; and still he continued to stare in wildest ghastliest horror upon the old steward, who him- self was qpivering throughout every nerve and bre. “My lord, for heaven's sake speak !—what is it? what is itP” he shudderingly asked. “Y know not—it must have been a dream!” replied Marchmont, but in voice so deep and hollow that as it smote upon the cars of Purvis it sent forth dismay to the innermost recesses of his soul. “A dream, my lord?” he said: “what dream could have produced this effect? Perhaps it was the result———”’ “Yes—it must have been,” rejoined March- mont, but evidently with the air of one who sought to force upon himself a belief that was in an- tagonism with his own deeply settled oonvic- tion. Purvis continued to regard his ducal master, whose countenance etill denoted the unutterable horror and awful consternation which he had been (GO) iC CY DOO CS (COL