The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 214: what you’re looking at

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

CHF MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 208 “Crwelly as I have been used, I sock not for re. ger and Spider Bill; whereupon they all three pro seeded to rifle the persons of Lord Everton aad “My dear girl,” reapondei the amasonian jady | Mr. Bellamy, despoiling them of their watch:s, gurtly, “ you must leave us to manage after our own , their rings, and their purses: but they took no fashion. It is sufficient for you that these people ‘ notice of the footman, ner of Mrs. Martin and are no longer capable of injurmg you, and that you | Susan. Henrietta surveyed theee proceedings with shall be presently free to go whore you will, Are | the most painful sensations: but she dared not give there any other females in this house under cireum- | utterance to a word of remonstrance. etances similar to your own P” “ Now, about thie other individual whom you “I cannot say,” responded Henrietta: “tut I | wish to havo reseued ” said Lady Bess, once more am inclined to think not. There is however orc | turning to Henrietta. individual in whom I am interested—e prisoner; “ You will have to search for him. I know under raysterious circumstances-——~" not in which part of the house he is confined.” “Enough! be shall be delivered also,” cried Lady | “We will s20n discover that,” responded the Bess. herome. “But you would do well to put on such “No—you dare not perpetrate such a foul clothing as you may intend to go forth With, as wrong,” exclaimed Lord Everton, in mingled rage | we shall soon take our and terror, as he literally writhed in the chair to| Henrietta hurried to the door of the drawing- which he had been bound,—Bellamy and the foot- | room, which she had to pass through to reach the man having undergone e similar process. bed-chamber : but that door was locked—for Susan, “Who is this old reprobate?” asked Lady Bees, | be it remembered, had taken away the key. This turning towards Henrietta. circumstance Henrietta at once named; and Susan named Bellamy f° produced the key from her povket. The young “Answor mo questions, my good girl,” cried damecl thém took up one of the lights and pro- Lord Everton, in a voice of the most abject en- | ceeded to the bed-chamber. treaty: “I implore that you will not!” The instant she had quitted the room, Lord “Yes—but she will,” was the cool response given | Everton sald to Lady Bess, “ Whoever you are, I by Lady Bees: “for she will obey the directions of | beg that you will give me your attention for a few her deliverers.” moments—in private, I mean—or else asido——” Henrietta had certainly no reason for showing| “Speak out,” cried the heroine: “there need be any favour towards the old nobleman, nor indeed ' no secrots from my companions.” any one of the individuals who had been concerned! “In the first place be so good as to tell me,” in persecuting her; and she accordingly named | said Lord Everton, “under what circumstances them all one after the other. you came hither.” “Oh! then the excited by your note; “They were ingenious enough,” wae the reply, and the result of the little inquiries which I myself | delivered with a smile. “A whalebone arrow, shot have caused to bo privately made during the day, from one of the back windows of the house, com are fully confirmed. This then,” continued Lady : veyed to me a note as I wae riding on the river's Bess, “ is nothirg more than one of those mansions bank; and the note gave me the intimation that of convenience which under some plausible disguise there was a forlorn damsel to be rescued within the serve the infamous purpose of an aristocratic volup- walls of this terrible fortress, whercof you, Lord tuary. Ah! what pretty things have we here?”— Everton, appear to be the ogre: for assuredly you and she advanced towards the sofa where the jewel- are not a giant citber in courage or sise. And now, eashet which Lord Everton had intended as a what more have you to say? for it is ridiculous temptation to Henrietta, was lying open. “And enough that you should play the part of a ques- here is a pocket-book too, with bank-notes in it. tioner and I that of the questioned.” ! Come, you shall take charge of theee little matters,” | “Are you not satisfied with what you have ) she added, turning towards Chiffin, whose eyes glie- done?” asked the nobleman, who was evidently a tened at the sight of the diamonds. prey to the direst apprehensions. “You cannot Henrietta now looked aghast, and a faint shriek think of giving his release to a wretched lonatic: eseaped her lipe: for all in an instant was she made for such indeed is the individual to whom this girl aware that her deliverers, instead of being im- Henrietta refers——’”’ pelled by the most disinterested purpose in A lunatic?’ echoed Lady Hess. “From all I to herself alone, entertained predatory views as have heard and secu, I scarcely think that Lord | weil. Everton wouki in reality keep a private madhouse. “A thousand pounds-—that’s what this here book | No, my lord: I have fathomed the nature of this contains,” said Chiffin, who had hastily glanced secluded mansion——” over the roll of bank-notes. | *Y can assure you,” he promptly rejoined, “it is “ My dear girl,” said Lady Bess, turning towards | duly lieerned as a lunatic asylam—it is not mine— Henrietta, “you really must not attempt to inter- | I have nothing to de with t--my friend Myr. Bel- fere with our proceedings. We mean to reward | lamy keeps it.” ourselves for the trouble taken on your aeeount.”” “Then wherefore are you, my lord, so deeply in- “And considermg all things,” added Chiffin, ' terested in the safe custody of this alleged nmatic glancing towards the prisoners, “they won't dare _in whose behalf my aid has been evoked?” sshed to make a piece of work about it. So there’s no Lady Bess, with an incredulous amile. need to cut any throats er blow any brains out.; At this instant Henrietta re-appeared, jst her But we may as well get as much as we can out of bonnet and shawl, ready for departure ; and having “em.” caught the last words which had fallen from Ledy Thus speaking, he made a sign to Mat the Cad- Bess’s lips, she at ones compicbended that dusiug ECOMICHOOOlKS.conn