The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 273: what you’re looking at

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

262 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT, rooms which were in those quarters had for years and years past been attended to with the greatest eare and shown 06 curiosities to all guests visiting the castle. These rooms wore all forniahed in the style of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries: the walls were hung with tapestry, which however was for the most part torn and tattered ; and altogether the aspect of those apartments was that of the in- terior of the ancient mansions which romancists love to describe, and which superstition deems most congenial to the presence of spirits from the other world. Nor must it be forgotten that the was on the western side, overlooking the River Trent,—that same chapel where Lady Saxondale’s |. appointment was kept by Ralph Farefield, but from which he never went forth alive ! At that announcement relative to the ghost which Lucilla had just made, Lady Saxondale gavo a con- temptuous smilo—as did also Juliana. The former was turning away to proceed to her chamber, whea the latter said, “Perhaps you will tell us, Lucilla, something more about thie apparition P” was moving away: but her ledyship suddenly stopped, and again turning round, said, ““ Yes—ive us the particulars : for it is possible that there may be ghoste with a predatory intent secreted in the castle; and if so, it will be as well to have a thorough examination of the place ere we retire to rest.’ “ From what I have been told, my lady,” an- swered Lucilla, “it appears that some of the ser- vants went into the tapestry-rooms yesterday to dust them and open the windows. Robert,”—allud- ing to one of the footzmen,—* went into the chapel to open the windows there; and he entered the cloister of tombs. At that moment he thought he heard a door shut; and going back into the chapel, he saw that the door of the vestiary, which he had noticed to be open a few minutes before, was now closed. For the moment he was rather startled : but he opened it, and looked in. No one was there; and he accordingly conciuded that it must have been the draught from the entrance of the chapel that had made the door shut. He therefore thought no more of the matter. In the evening he and two or three others of the servants went beck to shut the windows again. They had lights with them: for it was then dusk. Having closed the windows in the rooms and the corridor, they paseed into the chapel: but just at the instant they entered the place they saw a shape glide into the vestiary. They ran out in a terrible fright; but ashamed of ‘themselves, stopped short in the passage. Then Robert mentioned the cireumstance about the door shutting in the morning. They all resolved to go and explore the vestiary together. They did so, but saw nothing. even opened the door which leads down into the vaulte: but I do not think they descended the steps. However, tho ser- vants are all full of the idea that a ghost was really seen 5 ad ope IO eT ie hike ee with me for having felt a little frightened after what I heard—nor yet you, Miss——” “Angry with you !” Juliana: “who ean be angry with you, for having told what you heard and what you were desired to tell P”’ “ It is very ridiculous,” eaid Lady Saxondale, but with a certain air of constraint, and also in a low domestics to give way to such foolish alarms. No doubt the wind caused the door to shut in the morn- ing, and a shadow frightened the silly creatures in the evening. It would be giving too much import- ance to the matter to institute any additional search. I shall now retire. Guod night, Juliana.” “Good night, mother,” responded the young lady: and rising from her seat, she rang the bell for another maid to attend upon herself. It must not be thought that this interchange of the usual valedictions between the mother and daughter proved that a reconciiation had taken They were still as much at enmity as ever: they had not exchanged ten words since they alighted at the castle—and it was only for the eake of appearances that they had thus wished each other good night in the presence of Lucilla. On proceeding to her apartment, attended by the maid, Lady Saxondale was struck by ite gloomy ap- pearance. Not but that it was splendidly and belonging to what was termed the inhabited portion of the castle, was completely modernized m all ite appointments: yet still it was very different from the elegant and cheerful bed-chamber which she was wont to occupy at Saxondale Housein Lon- don. The deep doorway—the arched windows—the -pisce—the huge cornices, elabe- rately carved and inwrought with armorial bear- irigs—etruck her in strong contrast with the light, airy, and pleasing architectural arrangements of the mansion in the metropolis. Besides, this apartment was so spacious that although wax-candles burnt upon the toilet-table and a lamp on another table on the opposite side, the remote corners appeared to be enveloped in gloom. But Lady Saxondale strug- gied hard to throw off the oppressive feeling which sat so heavily upon her; and her pride would not lot her make any comment upon her sensations in the presence of Lueille. When her night-twilet was completed and the maid was dismissed, Lady Saxondale did not imme- diately ecek her eouch. She could not conceal from herself that the ghost-etory had made a certain im- pression upon her. If she had been asked whother she believed in the possibility of apparitions from the other world, she would have scornfully replied in the negative; and even if she had sat down de- liberately to ask herself whether she entertained such a belief, the secret response to her own self-pat query would have been precisely the same. Mure- over, the reader is alroady aware that she was «a very strong-minded woman. But her spirit a been much bent by the incidents of the the terrific excitement through which she had passed had left in its influence tho darkest despondency hovering around her soul ; and her reflections in the drawing-room had conjured up memories and associations but too well calculated specious lishments of modern splendour which under other circumstances would have entirely eclipsed or absorbed that air of sombre heaviness: and in like manner was her imagination, borne down and attenuated as it was, accessible to a superstitious terror. GON GoOO CO