The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 255: what you’re looking at

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244 “ All these facts now speak for themselves,” said Lord Octavian, “after the knowledge we have pro: cured of the miscreant’s true character. But let us pursue the journey: the town where you ori- ginally proposed to halt is but a few miles beyond the village where I first gave information to the municipal authority. It is no doubt at the town iteelf that the examination of the prisoners will take place.” The journey was resumed accordingly: the forest was traversed without interruption; and while the cavalcade was passing through it, the intelligence was communicated to the travellers that the whole of the band had been arrested by the gendarmerie and that Dame Roquette herself had been taken into castody: so that all Lord Octavian’s measures were thus shown to have been well taken and his policy was carried out with effect. CHAPTER CxXXXTI. FINRITE. MeRnupirn’s idea was correct in to the place where the examination of the prisoners was to be conducted. The band consisted of about a dozen persons, moet of whom were woodmen in- habiting the forest, and who during the daytime eppeared to be engaged in the most peaceful pur- suits. They had been organized by De Margaux himself: and under his leadership they had con- dacted all their proceedings with so much caution and prudence that the eye of suspicion had never once settled on any of these individuals. Often- times had they carried their depredations to a con- siderable distance,—their absence from their homes even for several days being unnoticed in a vast forest-district where every hut was iolated, and where the rural police seldom passed through the game quarter of the shady wilderness more than once or twice in the course of a week. It may be asked by the reader what advantage the woodmen reaped by performing the parts of banditti when the necessities of their position com- pelled an outward show of poverty and forced them to a continual existence in those wretched hovels? And again it may be inquired what good Dame Roguette did herself by her connexion with the bend?’ We may commence our explanations by stating that at the cottage of every criminal arrested on this occasion, considerable sums of money were found hidden in various places: sup- plies of wines and spirituous liquors were also dragged forth to light; and on the shelves of cup- boards, luxurics appeared where only the most frugal fare might have been expected to meet the eye. Thus the members of the banditti had an interior luxury of their own, veiled by the dila- pidated walls and wretched thatched roofs of their dwellings: they had the means of rioting in sen- snous enjoyment—while the isolated position of each amidst the mases of that forest, with no jealous neighbour’s curious regards ever upon the watch, averted all suspicion. Then again, they accumulated treasure; and their wily obief had represented to them that when they had all en- Fiched themselves they could one by one depart to other climes to enjoy their ill-gotten wealth for the THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. remainder of their days. It would seem that the attack upon the bridal party was intended to be the last exploit of the kind: it was expected to reap a considerable harvest thereby; and several of the band had arranged for a precipitate de- parture from the forest on the following day. Their hopes were however frustrated and their iniquitous career was cut short, through the wisdom and presence of mind of Lord Octavian Meredith. ° The bridal party reached in eafety the town where preparations were made for ite reception at the principal hotel; and on the following day Lord Octavian, Viscount Delorme, and the notary at- tended before the authorities to make their re- apective depositions in the criminal cases then pending. The false Baron De Margaux had re- covered all his wonted hardihood when brought up into the presence of the examining magistrate,— though he stadiously kept his eyes averted from that part of the crowded which was allotted to the witnesses. There were two distinet cases to be entered into. One was the murder of the two postilions and Octavian’s valet: the other was the meditated attack upon the bridal party. In respect to the former crime, Meredith was the only witness; and his evidenee tended merely to criminate the falee Baron and Dame Eoguette, in- asmach as he could not possibly signalize amongst the band those individuals who had assisted in that stupendous enormity. The false Baron and the infamous old woman were accordingly ordered to be committed for trial on that capital charge. In respect to the other offence, the fact of the as- semblage of the entire gang was sufficient to in- culpate them all; while Meredith, Delorme, and the notary were enabled to give their several testi- monies. It was Lord Octavian, however, whose evidence was most important,—that of Delorme and the notary merely tending to show under what circumstances the false Baron had joined thar party at the old Chateau and subsequently tra- velied with it. The result was that the entire gang were committed for trial on the second charge; and that the whole posse of prisoners were sent off under a strong escort of gendarmerie to the prison of the principal assise town in the dis- trict. It is our purpose to follow the false Baron De Margaux for the present. Arrived at the prison, he was separated from his companions; and being heavily ironed, was lodged in a cell by himself. The prison was situated on the outskirt of the town: a portion of it was the remnant of an old castle; and there was a deep moat on that side of the building. De Margaux’s dungeon was in a round tower overlooking the moat, the stagnant water of which washed ite foundations. <A single window, with massive iron bars, efforded air and light; and the prisoner through his window coald behold the open country stretching far away. There was a court-yard belonging to that portion of the prison to which the tower iteelf pertained ; and there, at stated hours, the captives were per- mitted to take exercise. Two sentinels were far- nished by the garrison of the town to keop watch upon the gaol day and night. One sentinel paced in front of the principal entrance ; the other was sta- tioned on the opposite side of the moat te which we have already alluded. CONC OOOlKS (CO