The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 323: what you’re looking at

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

—-_ $20 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. os fact might at the first glance appear to be of but the most trivial importance,— inasmuch as no matter whither the women were bound at the time, nor what their errand might be, the consta- ble considered it to be perfectly clear that they had been in by a miscreant or miscreants, who, for purposes of plunder, had assassinated them. But still he deemed it important to aecer- tain every possible in respect to the victims: he knew full well that the most insignifi- cant facte, and those which at first may appear to be most irrelevant, are oftentimes found to enter as important links into a chain of evidence. Not, be it understood, that the head-constable fancied for a single moment there was any one at Saxon- dale Castle, either at the time of the tragedy or | throug on the present occasion, who could throw the faintest light upon the authorship of the foul deed : he was merely now reflecting that it was import- ant to arrive at the knowledge of any fresh parti- cular concerning which such information could be ured. We should add that the head-constable of Gains- had been much blamed at the time—as indeed is always the case with police-authorities ‘2 such cases—for not having discovered the mur- derers. It had been said that he was inefficient: and an attempt was even made to remove him from his situation. He had thus an important incentive to make him display fresh activity in re- yet spect to any new particulars which The head-constable, having learnt from the peasant on the preceding evening that Lady Saxondale was at the castle, made up his mind to call upon her for the p of soliciting any information which she might be able to give on the two specific pointe—whether the murdered | i women were expected to call upon her on the night of the tragedy, and whether the dress was for herself or any guest staying with her at the time? But then it occurred to the official, that if the dress had really been for her ladyship, she could not have failed to recognise it as being such a one as she had ordered to be made, when the peasant took it to the castle and displayed it as already described. On the other hand, the constable argued that if her eon Lord Saxondale had really been unduly intimate with Emily Archer, her ladyship would have naturally avoided any un- necessary allusion on the point, and might have chosen to keep to herself whatsoever che knew in to that dress. Then again he reflected how improbable it was that the son’s mistres—if such she were—should have been employed as the vearer of a parcel for the mother. Thus, altoge- ther, the constable grew more and more bewildered the tonger he meditated on the matter: the day was passing away—and he could decide upon mothing. Finally, however, in the evening, he consulted a friend ; and by his advice, adopted his eriginal resolution of proceeding to the castle. We must however go back to an earlier part of this same day, in order to describe an incident which occurred, and which must be necessarily interwoven in our narrative. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon—as the dusk at the wintry season of December was ap- proaching—that Lady Saxondale was returning from e long and lonely walk which she had been taking. 4s the reader may suppose, her mind was in « wretchedly unsettled state: she could not bear te be in-doors—she could not endure the presence of her son and daughter-in-law, to whom she had completely succumbed: neither could she keep her own chamber altogether, as thie would appear strange in the eyes of the domestics. She es therefore rambled abroad soon after mid-day : had roamed about, pondering upon an ytnite vadiety of circumstances, not one of which wore an agreeable aspect: she had likewise revolved a thousand new plots and plans, not one of which could she determine on as practicable or safe ;— and she was now at about three o'clock, arrogance? Was she likewise to fulfil her pledge, and in a day or two depart from the castle, neyer to return !—was she to fly to the Continent, bury herself in some scolusion, and pass the remainder of her daysin a wretched obscurity? For wretched euch obscurity would indeed prove to the proud, the active, and the domineering disposition of the ambitious Lady Saxondale. Ah! but how to avoid all this?—that was the question. That she could still cosrce Edmund if he were alone, she had no doubt. She would practise with him a new game: instead of tyrannizing over him, she would flatter, cajole, and coax him—ehe would immerse him in would sur- round him with the luxuries which he loved—she would adopt every means to enervate and emasculate him—and thus would she acquire the fullest ascen- dancy over his mind, eo as virtually to keep him imprisoned within the scope of her influence. + Ail this she do if he were alone: but he was not! He had continually by his side a woman as astute, as artful, as designing, and as penetrating as herself—a woman who could doubtless prove equally unscrupulous—a woman who, Lady Saxce- dale doubted not, was but too surely guilty of the crime of husband-murder of which she had been accused! This woman, then, it was who now stood as an in barrier in Lady Sazondale’s pathway. But could not this barrier be removed ? could not that woman be stricken down in the midst of that path where her was 6o for- midable? Yes, doubtless—by a crime—end only by a crime! EE EE OO i e aera CO IMULUG 5 DOO CS (COL