The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 55: what you’re looking at

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42 THK MYSTERIES OF PHE COURT. Fi ee oy SP Mightily pleased with the scheme he had thus ; ing with grey. Her features were strongly mascu- resolved upon, and the dramatic results to which ! line in their outline, harsh and coarse; her dark he had made up his mind it was to lead, Edmund lost no time in putting his most sapient project into execution. It was rather late in the afternoon when he had finally digested all his plan of pro- ceedings; and being Sunday, he did not exactly know where to obtain such a dress as he required. But it struck him that there would be no harm in proceeding at once in his wonted apparel to the neighbourhood of the villa, in order to reconnotire it from a distance. He need not approach near enough tothe windows to be noticed in such a way as to endanger future recognition ; and at the same time something might be gained and the first step taken by ascertaining the exact whereabouts of the beautiful creature’sabode. He accordingly eallied forth; and not choosing to afford any of the domestics the slightest clue as to his proceed- ings, he did not order either horse or carriage to be prepared for his use on the occasion. Taking a cab from the nearest stand—in spite of his de- nunciation of strect-vehicles in the presence of Mr. Gunthorpe—Lord Saxondale directed him- self to be driven to the Seven Sisters’ Road; and in about three-quarters of an hour he was set down at the place of destination. Dismissing the cabman, he walked up the road till he came within sight of the villa which Lord Harold Staunton’s valet had described. It wasa pretty little cottage-residence, very recently built, and standing about thirty yards back from the road, the intermediate space being occupied by a flower-garden. It had also a garden in the rear of larger extent; and had coach-house and stables - attached to the building itself. Several branching evergreens, tastefully arranged, formed a just suf- ficient screen to prevent passers-by from being able to peer into the ground-floor rooms; and altogether it was a picturesque little dwelling, isolated enough to be quite in the country, and yet not too far from the houses in the Hornsey Road to be altogether lonely. Having made these observations from a short distance, Lord Saxondale struck into the adjacent Helds, so as to ascend a gentle eminence—the same on which Hornsey Wood Tavern is situated—and . whence he might contemplate at his easo the abode of his charmer. But as he was proceeding thither, he obe-rved a cottage at a little distance, and {t occurred to him that he would proceed thither to make some few inquiries relative to the Signora,—such as how long she bad lived at the villa, how many servants she kept, and such other matters as he was interested in knowing. The cottage stood completely away from al! the other habitations thinly scattered about iu that neighbourhood. It was old, dilapidated, and poverty-stricken,—standing in the midst of a little garden showing but small signs of culture, and surrounded by a low fence broken in many places. On reaching the door, Edmund knocked ; and ere the summons was answered he observed that the dingy blind was partly drawn back from the little window, and some one looked through the dirty panes for an instant. But almost immediately afterwards the door was opened by a woman of not very prepossessing appearance. She was of middle stature, and eeemed about forty-five years of age. Her hair had evidently once been of {etty blackness ; but it was now tura- ?—iini eee ee SE ES EE eyes shone with an exceeding brightness; and ber brows, which were very thick, met above the nose. Iver look was alike bold and repulsive; and the lines upon her countenance seemed rather to have been traced by stronug passions thaa to be the wrinkling effects of tine. Her apparel was of a humble and sordid description ; she had a dirty white cap on ber head; and ber appear- ance altogether was negligent and slovenly. On opening the door the woman said nothing but seemed to wait until the visitor should explain the object of his presence there; but she gazed upon him with mingled astonishment and curio- sity, evidently wondering that so well-dressed « young gentleman should have called at her abode. Saxondale himself knew not exactly what to say; for previous to knocking at the door ne had pre- pared in his mind no excuse for stopping at that wretched-looking place. However, being of an effrontery and a self-posseassion which with such individuals and in euch cases often serve the purpose of ready wit, he said in as civil a tone as he could assume, but still with a patronizing kind of air, “ My good woman, I have been rambling about here till I am tired; and with your per- mission will walk in and sit down a little.” “ There is Hornsey Wood Tavern over yonder,” she replied in a harsh voice; “not much more than half a mile distant, and there you can be ac- commodated better than you can here.” “ But Iam too tired to walk even that half mile,” said the young nobleman. “ Besides which, I sve a lot of working-class folks all in their Sunday gear, wending their way in that direc- tion, and Ioan't bear to mingle with such vul- gerity.” “And yet you seek cut a miserable-looking place like this?” the woman at once answered, fixing her dark eyes keenly upon Lord Saxondale; then as a thought seemed to strike her, inspired perhaps by something which she read upon bis countenance, while thus scrutinizing him, she + ided, “ But I suppose you have some object in ' stew? and therefore you can walk in.” ‘hus speaking, she threw the door wide open, ‘ and stood aside for the young nobleman to enter the habitation. It consisted of two rooms on the ground-floor, divided by a little passage, and the same number of rooms above, which were reached by what might by courtesy be termed a flight or stairs but was in reality only a dilapidated Indde. The room into which the woman conducted Ler visitor, was furnished in the most wretched man- ner—a crazy table, three or four chairs the rush bottoms of which were broken in, and some few articles of crockery upon a shelf, constituting the principal features of that part of the dwelling. A glance into the other reom ag he entered, had shown Edmund a scanty bed upon the floor, and cne or two chairs almost as useless as those in the room to which he was introduced. The woman appeared to be alone in the house—at least Lord Saxondale saw no other person in either of the two rooms on the ground-flvor, nor did he hear any one moving overhead. “ ‘You see the place into which you have invited yourself,” said the woman: “ but such ae it is you are welcome to makeitaconvenience for resting in. For what other parpose you have sought the CONNEC MOO SS COMM