The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

te weerg sr emeew omy eee ee "2 Me cevenemity, ANVE 04, 90 eommmg ewe mer ee epee THE MYeTRRIES OF THE COURT. SS LADY ERNESTINA DYSART. screwed on to the door. If she had an instrument she might unscrew that lock, and thus free herself. Her eyes wandered slowly round the room in search of what she required: and they settled upon the knife which she had brought up with her, aud which she had laid on the table. Thus the same proceeding which had facilitated the escape of Louisa Stanley from the Minor Canon’s house at Canterbury, was now adopted by Lady Ernes- tina Dysart to emancipate herself from the cham- ber at Beechey Mavor. The lock was speedily removed: she opened the door—took the light in her hand—and descended to the dining-room. There she obtained writing- materials—sate down—and hastily penned the following note :— “To the Chief Magistrate at Bow Street. “Mr. Paul Dysart, who shot the Honourable George Sefton at Lord Herbert's howe, in the month of June last, ee a verdlet of * Wittss Murder’ has been returned by a Coroner’s Jury, {s now living at Beechey Manor near Wandsworth, under the name of Bradshaw. Great procantions must be used in capturing him, as there are several avenues of escape from the house; and he is cunning in the extreme. By no means let him learn how his presence In England has been discovered; and on no account let him see this letter, which, though anonymous, contains the truth." Having folded, sealed, and addressed the letter, Lady Ernestina Dysart consulted her watch. It was now three o'clock in the morning: and she hesitated whether to take the next step imme- diately, or walt a little. But her mind was soon made up: and having decided on proceeding in her plan without delay, she quitted the dining- room—passed into the back premises of the Manor —and entered a small chamber where Underdown and his wife slept. © The old couple were fast asleep in bed: but Er- nestina awoke them, placing her finger upon her lips to enjoin silence. They were naturally comliclbooks.com