The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 321: what you’re looking at

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

318 OHAPTEB CLV. THE RAMBLE. Ma. Hawksuaw was seated with a friend lunch, in one of the handsome apartments of residence, ani at about two o'clock on the day which we are writing. This friend was Mr. De- nison; and they were conversing together upon & variety of topies;-~amonget which the presence of Edmund and his wife in Lincolnshire was in- cluded. “I suppose you have heard,” said Denison, “thet Lord Saxondale and hie bride came back to the castle a day or two ago P” “Yes,” answered Hawkshaw ; “and by the bye, have you caught the rumour which is afloat, that Sexomiale hed been confined in a madhouse P’ “I know that it is true,” responded Denison. “A friend of mine, writing to me from London two or three weeks back, mentioned the circum- stance: but it appears that he was not many days in confinement—and how he got liberated I have not learnt.” “ Ah, it is a strange family—ea strange family altogether !” said Mr. Hawkshaw, shaking his head gioomily, as his thoughts at the moment specially reverted to the treacherous attempt of Juliana to inveiglie him into a marriage, polluted and un- chaste as ahe was. “Yeo—it is singular,” observed Mr. Denison, “that unpleasant in connexion with that family, should have come out all at the same time. Here, within a few months, we have had evidences of their profligacy or their . The mother exposed in respect to Mr. Deveril, and it bemg likewise tolerably certain that Lord Harold Staunton was her parsmour— the deplorable affair in respect to Juliana, in which you, my dear friend, had eo lucky an escape— Lord ‘s mysterious, and I might almost say bur- giarious entry, with some common ruffian, into the castlo-~ Lord Safondale’s monstrous marriage-——” _ “Monstrous indeed !’ ejaculated Hawkshaw : “ the epithet is the very best you could have ap- plied to it. But does his wife ly entertain the hope that she will be roosivod jinto society by the good families in Lincoinshire P” “It is very certain,” rejoined the Squire's friend, “that neither Mrs. Denison nor any other members of my family, purpose to call at the cas- tle. It may seem hard that a woman who has been acquitted by a jary, should be thus punished by society: it may even savour of unjustifiable Vindictivences on the part of the world; but it is impossible to read the trial without coming to the conclusion that she was really guilty.” “ Ah! you have read it, then P’ said Hawkshaw. “So have J. It has been published in a work of eclebrated criminal triale———” “The very book in which I myself found the account,” observed Denison. “ But come, Squire, let us turn the conversation on a more le topic. Tell me candidly,” continued the old gen- tleman, with a smile, “have you not so far re- covered your passion for Juliana as to think of committing matrimony in some other quarter f” “ Recovered P” exclaimed Hawkshaw, almost in- dignantly. “You eught to know, my dear friend, at his | Squire of THR MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. that I was startled up from that dream in hour thet I obtained the conviction of v4 the her “Well, my good fellow,” said Squire Hawkshaw, as he and Mr. Denison took their seats at the table, “what do you want with me P” The peasant’s explanations were speedily givén ; and as they were the same which have been already recorded, we need not reiterate them. Suffice it to say, he concluded by observing that he did not know whether the incident would in any way assist the course of justice, or enable its officials to resume the clue of the investigations they had made at the time,—but that he considered it to be his duty to bring the case under the of a magistrate. The parcel was opened—the dress produced—and minutely inspected by Mr. Hawk- shaw and Mr. Denison. “ And you say,” observed the former, “that you have shown it at Saxondale Castle—and that Lady Saxondale herself is there P” The peasant replied in the affirmative. “Then I suppose,” continued the Squire, ad- dressing the remark to Denison, “that her lady- ship is reconciled to her son and her daughter-in- law? However, im respect to the present business, I do not see that the discovery of this dress will in any way enable the constables at Gainsborough to resume their inquiry. It may, or it may not be, that the dress was contained in the which was proved to have been in the hands of the maid on the fatal evening: but granting it is the same, there are two infcrences to be drawn—ither that it accidentally rolled into the river when the deed was committed, or that it was flung there by the murderer or murderers as something not worth carrying off.” “This latter inference, Hawkshaw, is scarcely to be deduced,” observed Mr. Denison: “for why should the assassin thus seek to dispose of the dreesP Would he not have merely tossed it down on the bank, if he did not choose to take it away with him 7” “ But in any case I cannot seo,” remarked Hawk- shaw, “that the of this masquerading- each it evidently is—can be turned to any account in furtherance of the cause of jus- toe Oe you recollect,” asked Mr. Denison, who was a shrewd a: and thoughtful man, “whether the bed of the river iteclf was searehed for the woapon ur —@ (COL (C DOO CS (COL