The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

AG THR MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “Then if it be so,” returned the Duke of flown at the murderer of his master—in doing Marchmont, in a audible voice, “[ do which he had received the fatel bullet. It was know that the dagger was the property of—of my farther shown that Bertram had on a black sur- unfor——my brother.” | tout coat when he left Oaklands after the scona “Whoaee Christian name is Bertram?’ said the _ with the Duke and Eliza. | Coroner interrogatively. The evidence being now complete, the Coroner The Duke of Merchmont bowed-—groaned audi- . proceeded to sum up. In alluding to the circum- bly—and covered his eountenance with his hands. | stance of the dagger, he said that i¢ had been in- “ When, my lord,” inquired the Coroner, after , contestibly proved that the wa belonged to @ pause, “did you last see your brother P” Bertram ; and that the Jury, with this fact belure “In the evening of the day before yesterr them, would have to weigh well whether, under all day,” responded the Duke,—“in the village of the circumstances, it was Bertram’s hand which Oaklands.” ! committed the deed—or whether some other per- “And in what state of mind was he at the aon had obtained possession of that dsgger with time, my Jord P’” asked the Coroner. the foulest of purposes. The Coroner remarked “ He was much excited,” responded the Duke: | that it was certainly extraordinary that Bertram ‘‘for circumstances had occurred———Rut¢ doubt- | should have had the dagger about him at the time less the rumour has reached your gars? My poor | when he was walking with the Duchess and when brother protested his innocence——” the incident occurred that com him to fly “ And did your Grace leave him in the village P” | from Oaklands. None of the witnesses had been asked the Coroner. able t¢ throw any light upon this point,—such for “No,” seturned “TI sought te comfort | instance 9g proving that the d was still in and console him: but when he learnt that the | Bertram’s room at the time of flight—or on Duchess had left the mansion, he byrat away from | the other hand, that they missed it from the room. me in a sort of frensy. Qh! I fear that his brain | Cortgin jt was the dagger had dealt the murderous was turned—that madness had seized wpan it—— | blow; and it was for the Jury to say whether the But still—still I cannot bring myself to think for | hand of Bertram or that of an unknown agsassin @ moment that he would have heen guilty of this | had wielded the weapon. Having commented upon crime !” all other parts of the evidence, the Coroner left the “ We shall nat trouble your Grace any farther,” | matter in the hands of the Jury. gid the Coroner. The deliberation was not long; and ita uneui- The Duke of Marchmont rose from his seat— | mous result was a verdict of “ Wilfal Murder bowed to the sssemblage—and passed slowly from | against Bertram Vivian, now Lord Clandon.” all present. curred at Oaklands, became spread abrofd over The landlord of the village inn was next ¢x-| the United Kingdom by means of the public amined as a witness. He deposed to the fact uf | journals, the usual excitement lasted for a time— Bertram having passed about three at the|and then began to die away. Warrants were tavern in the afternoon and evening of the day , issued for Bertram’s apprehension—a reward was preceding the night of the murder—that he was offered by the Secretary of State —advertisoments violently excited the whole time—and that he had | were inserted in the newspapere—but all to no rushed away in the frenzied state of which his bro- | effect: the aroused was not to be found. And ther had just spoken. Two of the housemsida be- | Elisa? Wothing was heard of her. The natural longing to the mansion, were pext examined in| inference therefure was that Bertram and the succession; and their statement was to the effect! Duchess of Marchmont had fled togethcr to some that while arranging the chamber occupied by | far distant clime—there to enjoy their illicit love Bertram during his stay at Oaklends, they had and to escape, the one from the odium, and the acen the dagger lying amongst a few other curiosi- | other from the consequences of the fearful deed of ties, which, as they understood, Bertram had | turpitude which had been committed. brought with him from the United States. The man-servant who had specially attended upon Bertrash during his visit, was the next witness; and he de to the fact that Bertyam had | shown him the dagger, explaining at the time that CHAPTER X. it bad been long in the possession of some cele- brated Indian Ohief who died a few months pro- vious to Bortram’s departure from Washington. ' The dagger, we should observe, was of very pecu- EiguTEzzy years (within a few months) had liar workmanship, and once seen, could not possibly | elapsed since the tragic occurrences at Ogklands,— have been mistaken. | eighteen years, during which not the slightest in- Witnesses were now examined to relate the par- | telligence had ever been received of the accused ticulars in reepect to the dog. It had been found Bertram and the missing Eliza. that Pluto wae mortally wounded by a pistol-' Hugh Duke of Marchmont was now in his forty- DUCAL RECEPTIONS. | bullet: but the weapon iteclf had not been found, third year: and that interval had necessarily made | e 4 either in the pond or in the neighbourhood—so some change in his personal appearance. His that it was tolerably evident the assassin had teken hair, of such jetty darkness when we first intro- it away with him. The oloth which the dog had duced him to our readers, was now undergoing its brought in bis mouth, was a fragment cvidently first change towards gray: harsh lines, telling of torn from the skirt of a surtout coat; and it was: strong passions and of somewhat irregular pur- fore supposed that the faithful anima) had suite, were trscl upon his forehead and in the ge-2 @Qw@ass een Gg BeEPeenr ew ase: om - -_ = . << ia ~~ OD or wwe ae tH — = eee. 6 EE Ae ah es | OS = wwe - @ 3. aes eee op «ee sin: (gummi imi i timemsienie, avciemmmncaies Ny senminaniaii the room, followed by the sincerest sympathies of | When the tragic circumstances which thas oc- - ‘ COMMUC DOO CS (COL