The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 353: what you’re looking at

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

342 immodiately repaired to the mansion at Kensing- ton, and was duly received as its owner. She was thus scarcely seventeen when she inherited that great wealth. The family solicitor—a man of the highest respectability—undertook the conduct of her affairs; and his professional duties were per- formed with the strictest regard to the best in- tereats of his client. She remained altogether at Kensington, until Christian went to Oaklands for the development of the grand but fearful events that were to put him in possession of a dukedom. Then Isabella determined to avail herself of the opportunity to visit her Bloomfield estate, which was situated at a distance of about thirty miles from London. Thither she repaired ; and the do- mestics, together with all the tenantry, were assom- bled in front of the mansion to receive her. It was already known amongst them that the heiress was young and beautiful : but little had they expected to behold one so beautiful. She was clad in a ‘mourning garb for those relatives whose death had 2S eee ie eee EE ae _- | = — — a i i ee Es CD A — EE EE CS A) A ee age ae TEELE | | enriched her; and the sable garments seemed ad- mirably to set off the sylphid symmetry of that tali elonder figure which was so gracile and ele- gant. But the sweetness and affability of her manner, as she acknowledged the felicitations of her tenants and of her menials, interested them even more than the exquisite beauty of her person ; and she was at once endeared to their hearte. Being already well acquainted with the affairs of the Bloomfield estate, she experienced . infinite pleasure in confirming the domestics in their re- Gpective situations,and in dealing forth promises amongst the tenants. Improvements were to be effected at her own cost upon their lands—leases about to expire were to be renewed on terms most advantageous to the recipients of these favours; and, in a word, those who had gathered to wel- come Miss Vincent’s presence, had every reason to be satisfied with her demeanour, her conduct, and her language towards them. On tho day after her arrival at Bloomfield, the youthful heiress went forth, attended by her steward, to visié those points of interest which belonged to the grounds immediately attached to the mansion. She wished to see the spot where her cousin and her aunt had perished—and like- wise the village-church where their remains alum- bered in the family vault. Although the wintry season was close at hand, yet still the sconery was sufficiently picturesque to interest Isabella; and her imagination could easily supply the charms with which it was invested in the summer. As she proceeded with the steward in the direction of the scene of the tragedy, she conversed with him in respect to its details. “To tell you the truth, Miss,” said the steward, “I purposely suppressed some few facts when examined at the Coroner’s Inquest. I did not however wilfully tell any falsehoods : but I thought that the family honour would be saved by keeping back some of the truth. And so, as you doubtless read, Miss, a verdict of Accidental Death was re- turned—though there is every reason to believe that the real truth was otherwise.” “And what were those facts which you sup- pressed ?” inquired Isabella, who could not possi- bly be angry with the steward for his conduct on the occasion, inasmuch as his motives were purely good. THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “T happened, Miss, to be the first te discoser the tragic event,”’ he replied. “I had some busi- ness to transact with Farmer Johnson at his house yonder———you see it near that windmlll, Miss——. and I was returning on horseback by the side of the dell. From a height overlooking that abyss, I perceived an object that at once struck me as sinister. I sprang from my horse—fastened the bridle to a tree—and descended into the dell. As I with some difficulty crept down the almost. pre- cipitous height, I discovered with horror and con- sternation what the object was—or rather I shoud say what the objects were which had attracted my notice. There, in a shallow part of the stream— their farther progress estopped by stones, or frag- ments of the height which had fallen down—lay’ the young Earl and the Countess. The arms of her ladyship were clasped tightly around his neok : the bands were joined by the intertwining fingers as firmly as if they were an iron vice!” ‘Good heavens!’ exclaimed Isabella, with a feeling of horror and affright; “what could it have meantP Was it really a double suicide after all?—for a rumour, you know, to that effect pre- vailed at the time, until the Coraner’s Inquest eet it at rest.” “Tt must have been a double suicide, Miss,” answered the steward: “for how else can we ac- count for the fact which I am relating ?” “But suppose,” suggested Isabella, “that the Countess might have first accidentally fallen into the stream—the Earl may have precipitated him- self into the water to save her — she in her desperation may have clung to him in the manner in which you found them—and thus they both met with their death.” “Tt may have bean so, Miss,” the steward; “and I sincerely hope it was, for the sake of their souls’ repose. It would be better to be enabled to imagine that it was all an accident, rather than wilful self-destruction. At all events, it is certain that it took place from the bridge, which you will presently see.’’ * And how was that certainty acquired ?” asked Isabella. | “Because the Countess’s kerchief was after- wards found in the middle of the bridge; and s piece of her dress was fluttering to a nail that projected from the side of a plank. The kerchicf itself had caught a splinter of an upright post which supported the rail in the middle; and it was just there that the piece of the dress was found fluttering. That therefore was the spot whence the Countess had plunged into the foeam- ing tide beneath—but whether accidentally or wilfully is a point which perhaps can: never be with certitude cleared up. At all events, Miss, I was determined to suppress that fact to which I have already alluded, and which could not have failed to strengthen the suspicion which prevailed at the time that it was a suicide. The two forms were partly out of the water and partly in if, when I found them. The coantenance of her ladyship was singularly placid and serene: that of the young Karl was expressive of an indescribable horror. I¢ seemed as if having died with that ex- pression upon his features, it remained indelibly stamped there. I separated the arms of the Coun- tess from his neck; and I can assure you, Miss, it was no easy task; for the fingers were rigid, and GOMGOOO (G (CO