The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

136 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “that Mr. Redcliffe sent you & warning note, of which you spoke to me “ Yes, yes, my dear friend !” ejaculated Indora: “T have been thinking of it!” * Ah!” exclaimed Christian, springing up from his seat; “and this reminds me of a duty as yot unfulfilled. In the bewilderment occasioned by this horrible occurrence, I had forgotten that we should give an immediate intimation to the police——” “T¢ is already done, Christian,” interrupted Queen Indora. “Did you not hear me speaking to the surgeon on the subject, and intimating my desire that no greater publicity should be given to the occurrence than is absolutely necessary ?”’ ‘But the officers of justice will come,” ex- claimed Christian. ‘ Would it not be well for me to go and fetch Mr. Redcliffe, that he may advise us also ?” At this moment there was a knock at the front door; and Mark entered to say that an inspector of police, with a constable, requested an interview with her ladyship. The Queen ordered them to be admitted ;—and we may here remind the reader that the real rank of Indora was generally unknown, end that she passed as an Indian lady of great wealth. But the twins, as well as the faithfal Mark himself, knew that she was a Queen—al. though, at her own request, they continued to ad- dreas her by much more humble titles. The inspectur and the constable entered the apartment in which Indora was seated with our hero and heroine; and the superior officer eaid, ‘We have heard from Mr. Clarkeon”’—thus al- luding to the surgeon—“ that an attempt at aseas. sination has been made in your ladyship’s grounds but that there are reasons why the affair should obtain as little publicity as possible. Nevertheless, my lady, it is our duty to investigate the matter ; for which object we require whatever information you may have to give.” The Queen recited the simple facts of how her ayeh had been discovered in the garden in a state of insensibility, and with a deep wound between the bosom and the shoulder. Christian added that after the removal of the wounded woman into the house, he had searched carefully about the spot, but had failed to discover the weapon with which the blow was dealt. The officers went forth to examine the place for themselves,—Christian ac- companying them, and Mark attending with a bright lamp—which was however scarcely neces- sary, for the moon was pouring ite full tide of effulgence upon the scene. The officers discerned the traces of large coarse shoes upon the border and on the grass; and they were enabled to esta- blish the fact that the intending assassin must have concealed himself in the midst of the clamp of evergreens. They traced his footsteps to the palings which he had leapt on quitting the grounds: they followed them through the fields, until they ceased in the neighbourhood of a road leading out into the country. Then the officers re- turned to the villa. “I presume,” said the inspector to Queen In- dora, “that your Indyahig has no idea whether any one could have conceived a revengeful feeling to- wards your Hindoo servant or yourself —— “ Hest assured,” interrupted the Queen, “ that if I could point out the assassin, justice should not be cheated of its due! But candidly speaking, there are circumstances within my knowledge which may possibly unravel themselves, and lead toa development of this mystery. Understand me well! Though these circumstances to which I allude, are known to me, yet they do not point out who the assassin himeelf may be. More I cannot say,——unlees it be to add that the greater the pub- licity given to this occarrence, the less will be the chance of those ciroumstances developing them- selves from mysterious obscurity into an intelligible light.” “If the woman should die, my lady,” said the inspector, —~ “or if accident should enable us to arrest any one on suspicion of having perpetrated this deed,—it will be necessary for your ladyship to reveal at a Coroner's Inqueet, in case of the death—or before a magistrate, in case of the arrest of a suspected person—all those crcumstances, to which your ladyship has just alluded.” “Living in this country under the protection of ite laws,” responded Indora, “I shall assuredly éonform to them.” “ At the same time,” continued the inspeotor, “ after all your ladyship has said, we will keep the whole matter as quiet as possible: because, so far from doing anything to defeat justice, we, as its fi are boand to succour and advance Does your ladyship —= ‘© It were well if you questioned me no farther,” interrupted the Queen. “I have told you as much as under circumstances I can possibly impart.” “Yet there is the fact,” said the inspector, “that your servant was clad in apparel belonging to your ladyship :”—for Mr. Clarkson had told the police-authorities thie much, though the affair of the ayah’s self-appropriation of the gold and jewels remained unknown alike to surgeon and ooa- etabjes. “Most solemnly do I assure you,” said the Queen, “ that Iam utterly at a loss to comprehend my ayah's motive in thus appareliing herself in my clothes. But whatever it were—whether a mere freak, or whetber for some less venial pur- has been sufficiently punished.” “And your ladyship does not mean to charge her with anything ?” asked the officer. “Charge her?” ejaculated Indors, almost in- tly: “nol certainly not!” “ Her ladyship would rather thet this interview should end,” whispered Christian hastily to the inspector; and at the same time he slipped a couple of sovereigns into the officer’s hand. “Very good, sir—very good!” observed the in- spector, pocketing the amount. “We would not for the world give her ladyship any unnecessary trouble or annoyance—not for the world, sir! We shall let the matter rest until we receive any fresh instructions from her ledyship.” The inspector and the constable then took their departure; and the moment they were gone, the Queen said to Christian, “ Now, my young you shall proceed to Mr. Redcliffe, and tell him what has ocourred. The carriage will be ready for you in a few minutes.” Our hero accordingly set off. It was now past ten o'clock at night; and he found Mr. Redcliffe at the lodgings in Mortimer Street. That gentile- man was horrified at the i conveyed to him; and he lost not a moment in accompanying its oe COMMEOOO (CO