The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 309: what you’re looking at

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

nad oP 298 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. with oysters, cold fowls, a French raised pie, and some other luxuries of the kind sold by Fortpum and Mason in Piccadilly. Wine and spisite were also set forth by the Captain’s yalet; and Mr. Oliver exhibited his intention to enjoy himself to the utmost of his power. Half-an-bour afterwards Captain Stanley, affect- ing to be entirely overcome by liquor, reeled off to his bed-roum,—Oliver and Chnstian Ashton thus being purposely left alone together. There was no need fer our yquog herg to mentiun the mame of Mrs. Oxenden in order to revive the topic: Alexis himself speedily returned to a sub- ject which be was particularly prone to harp upon when in his cups; and within the next half-hour he had revealed to Christian the whole particulars of the secret which he himself had elicited fram his mistress. The soyrae of the bold which she bad obtained upon the Dake of Merchmonét was thus gompletely fathomed by. aur hero: but it cost him én infinite amount of dissiuulgtion, as well a3 the necessity to drink an inordinate quantity of liquor in osder to keep Alexis company, so that he might thus worm the details out of him. It was about one o'clock in the morning when Christian and the valet conveyed Mr. Oliver to a eab and sent bim home to his own lodgings. Our hero then sought Captain Stanley, who bed not retired to rest, but was awaiting in his chamber the issue of the téte.a-téte; and infinite was his joy when he learnt how completely Christian had succeeded in his object. Infinite likewise was the gratitude of our hero for the sucoour which hed been so ably lent him by his friend Stanley, and which had in a few bours brought to a conclusion an undertaking that otherwise might have lasted several days. It wae about ten o'clock on the following morn- ing—or rather we might say, on the same morning —that Mra, Oxenden had just finished her break- fust, when a servant entered the elegant parlour in which she was seated, and presented her a note. She read it: the colour went and came in rapid trangitions upon her cheeke: she looked frightened and enraged by turns—she hesitated what instruc- tions to give fhe servant, who was waiting near the door; and et length she said, “ You msy show the gentleman up,” The domestic obeyed the order; and the visitor was ushered into Mrg, Oxenden’s presence. She had risen from ber seat; and without either re- suming it or requesting him tg take a chair, she said, with an effort te assume a dignified and haughty compusure, “ You, sir, are the writer of this letter 2”’ . “My name is Coleman, madam,” replied the visitor; “and that nawe appears as the signature to the note. Yay surely can recollect that you have seen me belaze—you onoe galled at my office on some affair relative to your husband ” “ And yoy tell me, sir, in this note,” interrupted Mrs, Oxendep, “that you require an jmmediate interview with me—tbat you bid me beware how I refuse it —that things have come to your knuw.- ledge which pluce mo more in your power than I may probably suspect ” “ All this is true, madam,” rejoined the svlicitor calmly; “and I repeat the same in your pre- sence.” ; What—what do you mean?” faltered Mrs. Oxenden, becoming more and more frightened, as well as proportionably less able to conceal her terror; for she knew that Mr. Coleman was the solicitor engaged in the defence of Lord Clendon —and she liked as little as could be to find hereelf mixed up in any of the affairs which might more opr less ominously regard the Duke of March- mount. “Tt hag oome to my knowledge, madam,” re- sumed Mr. Coleman, “that you are acquainted with @ very serious offence committed by his Grace of Maerchmont, end that you have not given such information gs wight tend to place him within the grasp of the law. To have the knowledge of ¢ grime committed by another, and to remain silent on the subject, is to render oneself au accessory after the fact —which in itself, madam, is a heinoug offunce, and the penalty of which in the present instance ig transportation !”” . The, coloyr ugw completely fled from Mra, Oxenden’s gheeks; and vain were all her effurts to appear ealmd and collected. She flung an apzeal- ing. look upon the solicitur, and faltered furtb, What would you, thea, with me?” “T require you, madam,” replied Mr. Coleman, “ to accompany me to a place at some hittle dis- tance from London; and there you will have to give your testimony 7 “A Court of Justice?” exclaimed Mrs. Oxen- den, with terror aud dismay depicted upon her countenance. “ But I shall be branding my- self’ . She suddenly stopped ghort; and Mr. Coleman, fixing his gazo siguificantly upon her, said ia » gulemn tone, “ Yes—it is a Court of “Justico af which your presence is required—but it is not « Court constituted according to the prevailing laws of this country—it ie a Court formed under the influence of ciroumstanges as peculiar as they are terrible. It is a secret tribunal, if you will—an Ingaisition—but still a Court whera the claims of justice will be paramount—where wrong shall be exposed and right shall be rendered (riumpbant. Now, madaw, it is to this solemn tribunal tlat I adjure your presence ; and if you refuse to accom- pany toe, you must take the consequences.” Mrs. Oxenden experienced a deep and unknown terror at the language which @owed from the lawyer’s lips; and though in the midst of the nineteenth century—dwelling in a city which is the centre of snoderg civiliggtign—in a roow where she bad but to stretch forth a hand to wake the bell summon domestic-servants to her assistance— or whero sho need but throw up the wioduw and invoko the aid of the firat passing constable to protect her against coercion—yet did she feel as if ehe had been suddenly carried back through the vista of past centuries, into the gloomy profound of those middie ages when the public laws were set af naught aad jngjvidyals were cited by irresistible summons to @ppear in the presence of the dread secret tribunals. Nu wonder, therefore, that sulema awe and vague numbing terror seized upoa this woman whose conscience was so far from pure ; and no wunder that she, with all her natural strength of mind, should tremble and feel dig. m.yed iu the presence of that solicitor who ap- peared cunscious of the power which he wielded over her: “ But for me, sir—for me,” she taltered forth, DOOKKS (G (CO