The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 309: what you’re looking at

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

300 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “You would not have me render myself ridiculous; “ in the presence of all the servants? It is enough that I have thus found my way to your chamber. But you will not breathe a syllable of all this ? you will keep it inviolably secret P Tell me, Purvis-—— tell me——” “Yes, my lord—rest assured that I will do what you command. But about the dream?” added Purvis, hesitatingly: and his curiosity was ignantly excited. ‘Ah! about the dream ?” repeated the Duke: “you wish to know the rest?” and in a sort of half-bewildered manner he sank down upon the chair again. “I tell you, Purvis, that the form bent over me I mean, you understand, that it appeared to do so-——and it said some words—and it breathed a name—and that name was its obwn— for thus did it announce iteelf——And tho name——-” “And the name, my lord?” repeated the steward, in the low half-hushed tone of an awe-felt suspense, as if he expected to hear that it was the mame of one from the grave which had thus been spoken. “The name P” said the Duke, gazing in a species of vacant horror and dismay upon the old man: “that name was——Bertram Vivian |” The steward started in such a way that the whole bed shook under him; and Marchmont likewise started as if that sound itself had gal- vanised him with a new terror. “'Yes—it was my brother’s name,” he continued, in a low hollow voice; “and therefore it sust have been a dream! For if it were not, then was it a shape from the other world——” “ Yes, my lord,” rejoined the steward, in solemn tones: “ for if your brother were alive, he would not revisit the seat of his crime !” Marchmont looked in an appalled vacant horror around; and for upwards of a minute there was a profound silence in that room. “ And what followed, my lord ?” at length asked the steward, who was evidently under the influence of an awe-inspiring superstitious terror. “T hardly know,” Marchmont wildly, “whether I fainted—whether I lay petrified and bathed in 8 cold perspiration—whether the object vanished suddenly—or whether I saw that dark shape issue from the chamber, opening and closing the door just as the living man would do——1I cannot teli! All my thoughts are in confusion when I endeavour to concentrate them on that point! Ina word, I cannot rightly remember any- thing more until ‘the instant that I found myself here, in your room.” “ All this is most extraordinary,” said Purvis, who was wrapped in a kind of solemnly supersti- tious bewilderment. “If your Grace’s brother be no more, wherefore should his spirit come to haunt vour Grace’s slumbers? But if he be alive-——” “No, no, Parvis—it was all a dream! Tell me you were sure it was naught but a dream P” and it was in @ paroxysm of indescribable anguish and horror—with a countenance pale—that the Duke, hastily approaching the bed, clutched the old steward forcibly by the wrist. 'Yee—it must have been a dream, my lord,” responded Purvis. “T shall go up to London at once !” said March. mont, with strange abruptness. What, my lord? leave tn the middle of the night P” “ Yes, to be sure! And why not ?” cried the Duke, almost fiercely. “Do I not pay hosts of servants to do my bidding? Let some of the lasy dogs rise and get the carriage in readinees |” “ But, my lord!” Purvis ventured to ’ possibly strange things may be said, if your Grace does this———I should be questioned———and what could I say P” “True!” ejaculated Marchmont, who was evi- dently bewildered how to act. “I know, my lord,” continued the well- old man, “ that it must be a very painful thing for your Grace to have the recollection of long. occurrences so cruelly revived: for I have not for- gotten how dear your brother was to your lordship —and how you loved your poor uncle also-——” “ Enough, Purvis!” interrupted the Duke quickly. “TI will not leave to-night. But I charge you, my faithful friend—I charge you, Purvis, not to breathe a single syllable——” “Oh, no, my lord | not for worlds. Does your Grace feel better now P” “Yes, yes—the effect is passing off—I am almost sorry~——But tell me, Purvis, do you not think I am very foolish—very weak-minded te have yielded —— “No, my lord—not at all,” answered the steward: “it was natural e The Duke of Marchmont drank another tumbler good night. But as his fingers rested upon the handle of the door, he again turned towards the old man, and enjoined him to the the fifth or sixth time promised to obey. the Duke went forth: and if any one had were thrown nervously about: the sounds of his own footsteps—his own shadow upon the wall— appeared to smite his very soul with s mortal terror. Aft he regained his chamber; and then locking the door, he looked under the bed— behind the curtaine—behind the windo also: he into his one in his suite of s ents | And thus, let the reader rest assured, i often and often is with the patrician dwellers in splendid mansions and in marble pataces. Ther lordly titles constitute no patent to guarantes them against the same feclings—the same sensations, to which all the rest of the world are liable. Rank and riches may elevate them to the loftiest They belong to the same earth: they breathe the same atmosphere. Strip them of their robes, and who shall be enabled to single them out as ; members of a privileged order? All theese cir cumstances prove one set of persons high above their fellows. In the aristocratic heaven they may blase like meteors: but if they fall down upon the carth the hideous mockery of raising (COL _ _) [| @ DOO CS (COL