The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 317: what you’re looking at

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$14 utterance, though in so hollow and subdued « tone. He proceeded down the stairs mechanically :—at the bottom she caught him by the arm again, and eaid hurriedly, “ Adelaide is coming! Not a word! Remember my promise! I swear to fulfil it !” Edmund’s wife, on @ second thought, had con- ceived that there must be something more in all this than she had at first imagined; and ebe aoc- cordingly decided upon following her husband and mother-in-law down the stairs. The sounds of her footsteps had thus reached Lady Saxondale’s ears, and made her breathe this last adjuration, full of vehement entreaty, though low in utterance, in the ear of her son. Almost afterwards they were overtaken by Adelaide, who exclaimed, “Wherefore all this excitement ?” “We do not know-——we are going to see,” | steps responded Lady Sexondele, without turning her head round towards Adelaide, but now speaking in her natural voice once more. “Yes, wo are going to see,” added Edmund, still so much bewildered ag scarcely to know what he did say. The three traversed the great hall, and emerged forth from the front-door which was standing open. A little way on the right of the entrance-steps, stood the group of domestics, male and female, with the ¢ in the midst; and this last- mentioned individual was displaying the long gar- ment, which indeed was nothing more nor leas than a lady’s gown. But that dress——-Ah! it was in- staneously by Lord Saxondale, stained, soiled, and dripping with water though it were. Fae ie eeatearade costume which he knew that his mother had once worn! y upon her a look of quick met her appealing eyes as they were turned upon him. CHAPTER CLIV. THE MASQUBRADRE-DRESS. Tux servants and the peasant were all talking at the moment Edmund, his mother, and his wife, issued from the entrance-hall: but on beholding them, their voices suddenly ceased through a feel- ing of respectful deference. Edmund said no- thing: Adelaide gazed with curiosity: and Lady Saxondale, with her usual air of perfect composure, inquired, “ What is all this excitement about P”’ ‘Please your ladyship,” answered the peasant, “J just now dragged this out of the river. I was going along the bank at a very little distance from ' the castle t’other side’—and he pointed in the | Gainsborough direction—“ when I saw that looked like a woman’s dress; and I was at | Sret afraid it was a female drowned. So I waded in, and drew out this gown. It had some stri round it; and what seemed to be some little bite ef thick paper just sticking to the string. Least- ways I took it to be paper: but it all came off in my hand However, here’s the dress; and a ! very fine one it must have been, though the mud has soiled it and the water has taken out the celour.” THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “One would think it had been a masquerading dress,” observed Lucilla the lady’s-maid: but the remark was thrown forth without any sinister intent, as ehe was perfectly ignorant that her mistress had ever worn such a costume. “ But I tell your ladyship what,” contmued the peasant, “as I have been already telling your ladyahip’s servants. I recollect perfectly well that one of those poor young women——” ‘Edmund, it is very cold out here,” asid Lady Saxondale, turning quickly to her son, but darting upon him a significant look at the same time. “Let us go into the hall, and hear what the man has to say.” With these words she took the young noble- man’s aym; and as they ascended the entrance- together, she breathed in a hurried and scarcely audible whisper, “ For heaven’s sake, Kd- mund, as little emotion as poasible !” “Don’t be afraid,” was Lord Saxondale’s im- mediate , also qui whispered : for now that the first acoces of excitement had gone by, he com that by some means or another his mother was completely in his power; and though he could not at the moment precisely settle his thoughts as to the full meaning of her alarm, he was nevertheless already smitten with some dark and dreadful suspicion. Adelaide was too keen not to observe somethmg peculiar on the part of her husband and her mother-in-law,~-expecially as she had noticed thas rapid exchange of significant glances which had taken place the fistant Edmund’s eyes had en- countered the saturated garment. And then Lu- cilla’s obeervation, that it looked like a masquerade- costume, had brought, hke a lightning-fiesh, a recollection to Adelaide’s mind. or she had heard from Edmund's lips the whole story of the mas- querade at the Duke and Duchess of Hareourt’s,— how Lady Saxondale had met Lord Harold Staunton there—end how she had incited him to provoke William Deveril to a duel. She had likewise learnt how Edmund had ransacked his mother’s boxes to discover that dreas—end how he had suc- ceeded: but she never knew that it hed fallen into the hands of the unfortunate Emily Archer, alias Mademoiselle d’Alembert—for the simple reason thet Lord Saxondale had thought fit to conceal from his wif the fact that he had possessed such a charming mistress. However, Adelaide saw, a8 we have already said, that there was very peculiar in the present affair: but she made ur tar pamnhipsusser Whar sgl se iatemealerlammaheni what was passing in her mind. Ledy Sexondale, leaning upon Edmund's arm, passed into the hall,— Adelaide following elose—the peasant, with the dripping garment, and the de- the butler, as the peasant now stretehed the cos- tume on the marble pavement. “I was about to tell your ladysbip,” said this labouring “what my opinion is. It was at the cottage where I live with my mother and sister, that those two unfortunate women stopped for a little while that night when they were mur- dered———” Here Adelaide could scarcely repress a sudden start: for all that had hitherto struck her as ex- traordinary in Lady Saxondale’s behaviour, in a __ . = (COL (C DOO CS (COL