The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 367: what you’re looking at

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356 THE MYSTERIES, ee ng SS ee out the places where Montgomery ana his hired ruffians halted on two occasions—and you must start off presently and take the necessary steps to make these discoveries available and useful in case of need, One place is a cottage two miles from hence, on the road to Malden Farm: it is kept by an old couple named Austin. The other place is aleo a cottage, but about fifty miles distant—in fact, close by Congleton: the woman who keeps it, is called Widow Bushman —and she is related to the Austins.” “ And what about the man who opened the vault for Montgomery's agents?” said the footman in- quiringly. “Ah! what about him?” echoed the female de- pendant, “Now, do not be impatient Riehard—nor you either, Margaret,” said Lady Bellenden, in a tone of good-humoured chiding: “and you shall both know everything in time. The stone-mason’s name is Chapman—and he lives in the village. I shall get you, Margaret, to see him while I visit the church; and you must not be aparing of gold in order to win him over to my interests. The evidence he can give would ne doubt be important.” “Depend upan it, my love,’ said Margaret, in a tone of earnest assurance, “ nothing shall be want- ing on my part to forward your interests,”’ * And I know you will believe me, Laura, when I say the same thiog,” observed Richard. “But when do you wish me to visit these Austins who dwell in the neighbourhood, and that Widow Bash- man who resides near Congleton?” “{ wish you to start off at once, Richard,” replied the Marchioness. “ You can doubtless procure a vehicle of some sort-——” “Give yourself no concern on that head, my dear Laura,” said the footman: “I shall find some means of conveyance. Tell me where and when I am to rejoin you—and I shall be off.” ‘* You will either find me or hear of me at Mal- den Farm,” returned the lady. “If I quit that place before you reach ié, I will leave a letter for you. Have you plenty of mouey in your purse ?” “Plenty,” answered Richard. “ And now good bye for the present.” Thus speaking, the footman rose from the sofa and embraced the Marchioness of Bellenden. In a moment her eyes, usually of so soft and melting an expression, became illumined with a burning lustre: as if through those windows of the soul shone forth the sudden kindling of all the fires ot her impassioned nature. Throwing her arins round the neck of that mano who thus freely bestowed his caresses upon her, the titled lady glued her lips to his swarthy but handsome coun- tenance ;—and by the lighting up of her fine blue eyes, the dcop flushing of her plump cheeks, and the quick heaving and falling of her luxuriant bosom, i was evident that the slightest contact with her good-looking dependant served as a spark to the train of her desires and made them flame up as it were into a frenzy. “Hush! a footstep approaches!” exclaimed Margaret: and rising from her chair, she suddenly resuined her artificial demeanour of matronly eedateness as casily as if it were a cloak that she Was putting on without an effort. At the same instant, too, the handsome footman, starting from tle embrace of his noble mistress, drew himself up to his full height and stood in her au-® © presence with a look and an attitude that denoted the profoundest respect. The Marchioness rapidly smoothed her hair, arranged her cap, and com- posed her lodks in such a manner that the keenest observer could not have noticed the slightest indication to lead him to suspect that her features had so recently been ruffled by sensuous desires. Every trace of that voluptuous expres- sion had passed away from her countenance, which all in a moment became as placid and as calmly beautiful as if the burning kiss of lust had never been imprinted on its damask surface! — Thus, when the Rev. Mr. Roberts re-entered the room, on hig return from the churcb, he found the two dependants standing before their mistress with the proper air of respectful attention—while the lady herself was issuing her orders in a tone where mildness and conscious authority were 20 nicely blended as to denote alike the kind mistress and the well-bred woman. : “You will therefore start off at once, Richard,” sail the Marchioness; “and you must be par- ticularly careful in executing the commissions which I have entrusted to you.” “ Your ladyship may rest assured on that head,” returned the footman: then, with a low bow— while not a muscle of his countenance relaxed from the serious expression which it had assumed —he took his departure. * And you, Margaret,” resumed Lady Bellenden, “will have the goodness to step out into the village and make these inquiries which I have been dictating to you.” “Your ladyship’s commands shall be faithfully attended to,” was the response: aod Margaret likewise guitted the room. “ Everything is now ready atthe charch for your ladyship’s reception,” said the Rev. Mr. Roberts. “JT thank you,” observed the Marchioness: thea hastily putting on her bonnet and throwing her soarf over her shoulders, she accepted the arm of the clergyman who proposed to escort her to the sacred edifice. As she passed through the village, all the in- habitants appeared at their doors to greet her with bows and curtseys; and these salutations were acknowledged with the sweetest affability on her part. In a fow minutes the churchyard was reached; and beneath the porch of the an- cient building the sexton and his assistant were walting her ladysbip’s arrival. In accordance with the instructions they received through Mr. Roberts, they were provided with implements to : raise the stones and lanterns to light-the vaults | The sun was shining through the windows, the countless diamond panes of which gave a prismatic effect to the warm lustre: and it seemed as if slant. ' ing lines, or rather oblique columns, of impalpable dust stretched from those windows half across the nave of the church. Leaning upon the clergyman's arm, and followed by Northwitch and his assistant, the Marchioness of Bellenden threaded the aisle, until the party came to a cloistral recess which was screened off by a partition of stone-work elaborately sculptured. Within the enclosure the walls were covered with monumental tablets, ail sacred to the memories of the departed scious of the noble house of Bellenden: and the huge flag- stones of the pavement were likewise covered with juscriptions. ae ——- ~~ ee oe | | | ® C) (COU ( (CO