The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 253: what you’re looking at

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

Ser er A SSS SS ES ea a rc eG TE: RANE rere TD I a a a I ON CTCL ENDED IEE 43 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ee LD | “You were indeed. And now tell me, who is that had been at home at her cottage, whither the intel- Mrs. Martin ?” ) ligence had not penetrated either by report or “Once a mistress of Lord Everton—Mr. Rverton, | through the medium of the newspaper, of wich as he then was, and Mr. Everton as I expect he is; she was no great reader. Afterwards, when shc kely to become again. Mrs. Martin has been a | went into town, her attention had been so much enc terribly profligate woman: she was once a brilliant grossed, as the reader has scen, by other circum- beauty about town ; and I do believe now that her stances—the meeting with her brother, the visit to passions are as strong as ever and have entirely out- | Lord Petersfield, and the call upon Mr. Robson— lived her good looks. Ah! ma’am, she is an awful , that she had had no opportunityof even catching the woman, and I do not think would hesitate at any . slightest floating whisper of the terrible occurrence. crime. She has a very comfortable berth at Beech-: Whsn therefore she now heard these people at the Tree Lodge—plenty of money—good clothes and Jjily Goat speaking of the murder of Tugs the barge- good food; and therefore ahe has not hesitated to man and his wife, and the death by suffocation of make herself useful in any way to the old man. / their child, she was instantaneously inspired with a As for Bellamy, he is another creature of the same deep and fearful interest ; and she flung a quick selfish sort ; and I suppose he has likewise feathered | glance of inquiry at old Solomon, who was serving nis nest pretty comfortably.” | gin behind the bar. “Do you know what has become of Lady Ever-| “Please your ladyship to walk up-stairs for « ton, the mother of the unfortunate young man who / minute,” said the landlord; and he accordingly led has so long been kept out of his rights ?” the way up into that private room which has been “Her ladyship is living in some seclusion, very | before mentioned. strict, and a long way off—in Wales, I think—but | “Is all this true that I have heard?” asked Lady I really do not know. Concerning her we scarcely | Bees, with ill-disguised horror. ever heard anything at Beech-Tree Lodge. ButIj “Don’t be alarmed, my lady,” replied Paten, do happen to know that she is alive.” whose attempt thus to reassure and encourage the “You know that? So much the better. I am | amagonian heroine was 80 obsequious that it would rejoiced!” exclaimed Lady Bess. “Now you must | | have been ludicrous were it not in reference to so do all you can to discover where she is. Take this : dread a subject. “It is indeed too true that Chiffin sum of a hundred pounds:” —and she gave him , must have done this, ‘cause why he was with ‘em at the notes she had that day received from Mr. Rob- | the time.” son. “It is merely a trivial earnest of what shall| “Good heavens!” was the subdued ejaculation hereafter be done for you. Depend upon it your | which came from the lips of Lady Bess; and she reward will be dealt out with no niggard hand; and ! litarall-: ete gery) ogainst the wall, as if stricken whataver explaior may take place measures ahail | w.th avful remorse at ever having had anything te 2° adopted to ensure your safety. But I am in | do with such a miscreant as the Cannibal. hopes that the entire affair can be settled quietly,| “Deary me, deary me, what is the matter with and without any explosion at all. Of course you | your ladyship?”’ asked old Solomon, thinking she will return to Beech-Tree Lodge, and watch well | was going to faint. “Shall I run and get a drop of sverything that passes, so that you may be enabled | brandy, or gin, or ram, or sherry ?” ‘0 report occasionally to me. But lose no time in| “No, no—be quiet—hold your peace,” answered Lady Everton's abode, if possible.” | Lady Bess impatiently. “This is truly frightful! “T will do my best,” answered Theodore, highly ‘ Those poor people who sheltered and concealed him! satisfied with the liberality already shown and the Old man,” she continued, in a foice tremulous with promises held forth ; and after a little more conver- emotions, “there are certain degrees of wrong—I sation he took his departure. | may even say of crime, if you will—to which one It was now dusk; and Lady Bees, finding that becomes habituated. Such is my case: but from édolphus was sleeping soundly, and conjecturing any blacker turpitude my eoul can recoil with as that after the excitement of his long discourse with deep a horror as that of the most delicate creature 2et, hs would most probably sleep on for a consi- | utterly unacquainted with-fault or misdeed.” erable time, resolved to pay a visit to Bob Shakerly: “But your ladyship has always knowed that «¢ once. She accordingly hastened to array herself Chiffin wasn’t over particular,” answered Solomos a: her male costume, substituting the tight-fitting , Patch; “and that story of his’n about cating humas frock, the waistcoat, and the pantaloons, as well as | flesh when he was a younker at sea-——” she neat-shaped boots and all the other requisites of | ‘‘Henever dared tell it in my presence,” inter- the masculine toilet, for the silk dross ani st osteras rupted Lady Bess. “It is true that it had reached af the female gear. She then mounted her gallant my sare—but I set it down as an idle vaunt made by shesnut; and it being now quite dark, rode away him when in his cups. Of course I knew that in the direction of London. On reaching the dis- Chiffin was a desperado; but I did sof know that wict of St. Pancras, she passed into Agar Town; hid hands were embrued with blood. Now I believe ond alighting at Solomon Patah’s door, she entered tha tee which bitherto I had regarded as an inflated tne house. There she heard several persons talking boast; and I consider him capable of the moat about the double murder in the barge; but none of satanic deeds. Solomon, were he to enter the room them attributed the deed to Chiffin. In fact, those this moment I shou'd recoil from him in horror and. who were thus conversing, had not the slightest aversion. But do not tell him this,” she imme- idea that the Cannibal had been concealed in the diately added, shuddering visibly, “if you should see barge at all, and consequently their suspicions fell him. I now dread that man—I would not provoke not upon him. és rancour for worlds——uniees indeed he did sud. This was the first that Lady Bose had heard af uznly appear before me; and then I feel convinced the dreadful deed. During the whole morning sh ‘that I could not restrain my feelings.” x @ * A a_i ons, Aa I RI Io Rt eee vais. =e ee) »— - Comiiclooolkks ee ere nn