The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 25: what you’re looking at

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¢ 19 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. the chamber of death; and at the same time she upon him with a half-frightened, half-re- proachful look, on account of thet malignant ex- pression which had swopt over his features. But Ralph, taking little heed of the old womans, sdvanced to the window; and raising the blind he looked out. The travelling-carriaege was how- ever drawn so ologe up to the entrance that he could not from that point obtain a view of those who alighted: so he turaed away again, and ence more approaching the bed, waited ti Lady Saxondale should make her appearance: for he naturally conjectured that she would at once re- pair to the chamber of death. Nor was he mistaken. Ina few minutes the door opened slowly, and her ladyship entered. She had thrown off her bonnet and shaw), and appeared in a simple morning wrapper, in which she had travelled: for she also had left London that morning in the utmost haste, the instant she read in the Lincolnshire paper, whieh had happened to reach her, the announcement re- specting her husband's danger. And now Lady Saxondale and Ralph met face to face. That same expression of malignity which e few minutes before had appeared upon his features, rose up again: bet instead of cow- ering or quailing beneath it, the dark eyes of Lady Eaxondale flashed upoa him a look of mingied defiance and contempt. The next moment she wae upon her knees by the side of the couch of death ; and her head was bowed down upon the eold hand of her departed husband. In this po- sition she remained for several minutes; and se soleran silence prevailed in the room—a silence whioh not even Ralph dared interrupt. It was not any violent paroxysm of grief In which the lady testified her sorrow for her loss : her’s was a mind that retained its woe inwardly. Bat that she did feel—and deeply feel—the death of the old man who had been so kind, and good, and affectionate towards her, there can beno doubt, Besides, when she slowly rose again from her kneeling posture, there were tears upon the cold marble hand of the deceased—tears which ehe had shed silently ‘ She stood forseveral minutes more gazing down spon the lifeless features of the old lord; and her own countenance was fixedand rigid, but with that deep and even awful calm which indicated that there was a powerful agitation of feelings within. Then she stooped down end imprinted a kiss upon the forehead of the dead; and as she slowly turned away, her looks once move encountered those of whose for the last few minutes she seemed al r to have forgotten. “ Madam,” he said, in a low deep voice, “it raust be upwards of five years since last we met. Little then did plain Mies Clifton imagine that when next we met, she would be Lady. Saron- dale: al it was probable enough that I should be what I now am—Lord Saxondale !” “No, sir,” she answered, with grave solemnity ¢ “you are still plain Mr. Ralph Fareffeld.” “How, madam ?” he cried, with mingled me- nace and alarm. “ Because, sir,” she “T have reco-~ vered my child ; and the infant Lord Saxondale is at the t moment beneath this roof then, with se peculiar a look that it struck dismay to Ralph's heart, she turned round and slowly quitted the ton TOOmm. He immediately followed her, —horrible fool ings raging in his soul. His thoughts had in a moment besn plunged fato a frumsica whirl: there seomed to be madness in his brain. Had he bean deceived by Chiffin? or was Lady Saxond.:le de- ceiving him? Had not the child been made away: with ? or if it had, was her hadyship trying to palm off a supposititious one upon the world as her own? But he would soon know! Ah, perhaps ehe did not think that he was aware of that mark upon the shoulder, the presence of which could alone prove the identity, and the absenee of which would at ones stamp the fraud ! He overtook her as she was proceeding to the nearest drawing-room. “ Your ladyship says that the child is found 2” he muttered between his ast teeth: and thongh he endeavoured to master his emotions and ap- cellected and cool, yet he conkd not. “4 F sald so-—and it is the truth,” replied Lady Baxondale, calmly and gravely, as she had pre- viously addreased him in the death-chamber. “We shall see!” hosaid: and the words came hissing from his lips asif from those of a serpent; for his feelings were terrible-—-all the more terri~ ble because so concentrated and it was impossi ble to allow them free vent. “ Sir, do you dare doubt me?” demanded Lady Sexondale, stopping abruptly short and turning upon him the full power of her looks. He staggered back for a moment; for it struck him that there was something so confident and so fail of assurance on her part that it was impossi-~ ble she could be practising a deception ; and his countenance became ghastly, while a sickenin sense of utter desolation and seized upon his soul. Lady Sexondale'’s eyes lingered upon him but for a momesaé: and then she pursued her way towards the drawing-room. Again mas-~ tering his emotions, and clutching at the hope that her’s was the attempt of a desperate woman te carry a tremendous deceit with a high hand, he followed her into the apartment. And there, sure enough, was a child in the arms of Mabel; and worthy Mr. Olifton was bending down and saying ali kinds of affectionate and tender things to it, just as if the little inno. eent were perfectly capable of compreheriding these ebullitions of heartfelt feeling on the part of its grandfather. The surgeon was standing by, contemplating the scene with ineffable satis- faction. Lady Saxondale advaneed aad took the child in her arms,—pressing it to her bosom ia e manner that was as much as to imply no earthly power sbould now snatch it from her. It was only with a seperbuman effort that Ralph conid still master the feelings which were constituting a perfect hell within his breast ; but it was still with a lingering ghastiiness on the countenance and with pale quivering lips that he approached the group. “This, then,” he said, “is my little cousin, the lost child?” “God in hia mercy be thanked for the dear babe’s restoration !” exclaimed the Rev. Mr. Clif- ton in a fervid tone. “Poor little innosent! He is somewhat thinneriand paler than when lest I saw him; but I should have known him, fop all that, amongst a thousand—aye, and a thonsand miles off too!” added the worthy gentleman. “ There are the same pretty cyes; and the very CONnnIE ooo SS COLUM