The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 337: what you’re looking at

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

328 should get them into a nice train—and I know deuced well it would be worth a couple of thou- sand—perhaps more. Then away to Dover to- morrow—and off to Boulogne! That was the plan: but how the deuce I'm to act now, I can’t for the life of me decide.” “You must risk it,” answered James. “ Every- thing seems right enough amongst the hotel-people —though by the bye I did hear that the Jandlord is gone up to London: but he can’t very well get back again till to-morrow—and by the time he comes.we may be far away.” “Ah! but there is such a thing as sending down a telegraphic message!” ejaculated Mr. Sycamore, with a eudden consternation upon his features,. “ By jingo, aye!” cried James, looking equally diecuafited. “I never thought of them galvanic wires which talks eighty or.a bundred mile at a streteh.” “Well, what is to be done?” asked Syeamore, pecing the room in agitation and bewilderment. “To have to bolt with a beggarly hundred paimeas in dne’e pocket, would be a wretched affair indeed !”” “Why dida’t you follow my advice,” asked James, sullenly, “and bolt from the hutelin Picca- dilly when you got the five hundred pounds? What the devil was the use of paying all them debte ‘ * You know what my calculations were,” an- swered Syeamore impatiently. “{ thuught that we should come down bere with euch a good name that by this time I might have hooked thousands out of the young fellows at play: and now, just as the opportunity is serving, the storm begins to gather as dark as possible.” _ ‘Weill, but does young Ashton mean to peach ?”’ inquired the dapper groom: “that’s the pint.” ““No—I don’t think he does: and yet there is something strange and mysterious in his conduct which I cannot altogether understand.” “Never mind the strangeness!” responded tho groom: “you must run the risk. Let the dinner go on—let the young chaps come—do you feather your we'll make a bolt of it precious early in the morning. You've got loads of jewel- lery and different things that you can carry away easy enough; and as for the clothes, they must of course. be left behind.” ' Mr. 8 reflected for a fow minutes; and then said, “ Well, James, it must be as you have suggested: the dinner shall go on—and we will risk it.” In the meanwhile Christian Ashton, having Given his instructions to the bar-maid in respect to his bill, issaed from the hotel to ramble aboud and commune with himself. He bitterly regretted that ‘he had ever entered the employment of such & person as Mr. Sycamore: he blamed himself for want of prudence and caution in having adhered to his engagement after his suspicions wore first awakened at the ‘hotel in Picoadiy. But it was unfortunately too late thus to remonstrate with himeelf; and his repinings were usclest. He had. made up his mind, as the reader. has seen, to discharge his own. account. at the hotel, and thus must obeseve thethe had an amplesupply of ready money, inssmuch-as. a comparatively small invoad THE MYSTERIES OF THE OOU BT. had been made upon the fifty guineas presented to him by Mr. Redcliffe after the affair at Oaklands several months back. He resolved to remain ab- sent from the hotel until after Mr. Sycamore’s arrest; as he did not wish to be present to have the appearance of triumphing in the downfall of that individual. He roamed beyond the precinets of Ramsgate, out into the country: but so absorbed was he in his reflections, that his walk was prolonged to even a greater distance than he had first intended. The fielde through which he had been proceeding, brought him towards the high road # and he sate upon a stile to rest himeelf ere he began to retrace his way. About a hundred yards off stood a house of handsome appearance, having a flower-garden enclosed with iron railings in front—and with « kitchen garden, shrubbery, paddock, and other grounds in the rear. The habitation stood all alone; and Christian was just wondering to him- self in a sortof abstracted inanner who dwelt there, when his ear suddenly caught the sounds of an equipage advancing along the road at a rapid rate. It was a. travelling carriage with four horees; and as it whirled by the epot wiere Christian was resting himeelf, he caught a transient glimpee of two ladies seated inside. One of them appeared to be of exceeding beauty, so far as he could jadge by that passing look: but he had no opportanity of particularly noticing the features of the other. Scarcely however had the equipage thus dashed by, when there was.a sudden crash —the postilions shouted out—and the horses began to plunge. The hinder axzle.of the carriage had broken; and the vehicle iteelf bad only been saved from completely upsetting by falling against the high bank which bordered the road on the opposite side to that where Christian was placed. Screams thrilled from within the carriege; and in a moment our young hero wae flying towards the spot to render The postilione were so busily ocoupied in restrain- ing their frightened horses, that they could not st once help in extricating the ladies from the inte- rior of the carriage; and, therefore. Christian's prompt appearance on the scene of the accident was most opportune. He hastened to open the door which wae uppermost ; and to his hastily put inquiry, he received the assurance that the two ladies had experienced no more serious incon- venience than the sudden shock and the accom- panying alarm had occasioned. He aided them to descend : his idea of the beauty of one was imme- diately confirmed; and he now perceived that the other was as handeome and as commanding in appearance as the former was more delicately and youthfully charming. But he had not many mo- ments to contemplate the ladies, nor to reiterate the expression of his hope that they had sustained no injury, ere another individual appeared upon the scene. This was an elderly gentleman, who with half-shuffling half-hobbling gait.had issued forth from the house which Christian was a few minutes back so much admiring. He was ope va the ident looking beings that our hero apr ever » With the single exception the unfortunate Earl of Lascelles. He was ea: veloped in a flowered silk dressing-gown of the gayest pattern: a cap of the same material con trasted strangely with his gray hair and his coares, (GO) mG DOO CS (COL