The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 74: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. - 68 distance: and thither Mr. Redcliffe hastily bore the woman in his arms. The occupants of the little habitation at once received her: for they ‘were entirely obedient to the will of Mr. Redcliffe, whose liberality as a paymaster they had experi- enced on more occasions than one. The uncon- scious female was placed upon a couch; and by the means adopted to restore her she was so far brought back to life as to leave little or no appre- henaion as to the result. Still she continued in a stete of unconsciousness as to what was passing around her; and having slowly opened her eyes, she closed them again,—their temporary expression being full of a listless vacancy. “She cannot be an ordinary tramp,” said Mr. Redcliffe to the waman of the cottage. “ Perhaps she ia subject to fite—”’ “Or else she fell down, sir, through sheer ex- | haustion? For look! her shoes are completely worn h—aye, and the stockings likewise !— her poor feet are all cut and bleeding. I will foment them with hot water; and this may like- wise tend to bring her back to consciouaness.” “Do so,” said Mr. Redcliffe. “But perhaps it would be as well to ascertain if we can who she 13? Probably,” he added, as the circumstances of Crazy Jane flashed to his memory, and suggested the remark he was now making,—“she may be some unfortunate idiot who has escaped from her friends: for her apparel is decent, and she has not the air of one who by ordinary circumstances could be redused to houscleas wanderings, penury, and destitution. I will leave this room—and you can join me presently in the perlour, when you | have searched her person thoroughly ; 20 that if there should happen to be any letters or papers about her, you can bring them to me.” This scene took place in a bed-chamber to whieh the woman had been borne; and Mr. Redcliffe de- scended to the parlour which he occupied at the cottage. In about ten minutes the elderly female who was left in attendance upon her, and who was the mistress of the little habitation, rejoined Mr. Redetiffe, who instantaneously perosived that she bore soveral articles in ber hands. “The poor creature is very far from being a common tramp,” said the woman: “ for, look here, sit '!—‘there is a purse well filled with gold and stiver-—cseveral jewellery-trinkets—and this sealed ket.” Mr. Redcliffe tool the articles; and opening the purse, ha found that % contained about twenty guineas: the jewcle were old fashioned, and might be worth a sintilar sum: the scaled packet had no address upon it. “Is the woman recovering?’ he inquired. ** She every now and then opens her eyes, sir,” was the response,-—-“looks vacantly up—end then edloece them again. I am pretty sure she will re- cover: bat what are wo to do with her? If} | resumed his cloak: for the evening was chill, and a mist was rising. Going forth from the cottage, she has any friends, they may be anxious about her 39 “That is preeisely what I am thinking,” said My. Redeliffe; “and therefore, although under any cizeumatances | dislike opening private papers, ~~ yet on the present occasion such a course seeme absolnteby - Ge back to the poor woman -—doe your best for her—and in the meanwhile I will see whether this pack® will afford us any clue to the knowledgo of who she is.” old man come back from the village!” ejacula gation with her in respect to its contents.” Poad—and thence he struck into the fields, across The elderly female retired from the parlour, and Mr. Redcliffe broke the seal of the packet. I¢ contained a letter the address of which made him start suddenly; and he unhesitatingly commenced the perusal of the document. It was a long one; and profound was the interest with which Mr, Redcliffe scanned its contents. When he had concluded, he remained for some unnutes absorbed . in a profound solemn reverie; and then he mur- mured to himself, “ Truly the finger of heaven has of late been manifesting itself in signal and marvel- lous ways for the development of the deepest mys- teries! Here is another link in the chain of evi- dence But who can this woman be ?” In a few minutes the mistress of the cottage re- appeared,—saying, “ Have you discovered, sir, who she is ?” “ No,” replied Mr. Redcliffe; “and more than ever am I anxious to make that discovery. Bya singular coincidence this letter regards a certain business in which I am deeply interested: bat if affords no clue as to who the woman herself may be. Does sho get better P” “She still lingers in a sort of swoon,” was the answer: “but two or three times she has again opened her eyes; and once her lips moved as if she were trying to say something. What do you think, air, had better be done? Ah, here ia m the woman, as the cottage-door opened at tho in- atant and heavy footsteps were heard in the little e which divided the two ground-floor rooms of the humble dwelling. “Hoe must hasten off to the village again and fetch a surgeon,” answered Mr. Redcliffe. “Go aud tell him to do so.” The woman issued from the room; and her hus- band almost immediately took his departure again, for the purpose of executing the commission with which be was now charged. His wife returned to the parlour, to see if Mr. Redcliffe had any fur- ther instructions to issue. “Tam compelled to go out again presently,” said Mr. Redoliffe: “you must therefore continue to do your best for thia poor woman; and when the surgeon arrives, you can tell him under what circumstances she was discovered in the road. You may mention, if you choose, that she possesses this money and these trinkets: but you will say no- thing about the sealed packet,—of which I shalj retain possession, at least for the present. If the poor creature herself returns fully to consciousness before I come back—and if she should ask concern- ing her property—you can show her that her money and her jewels are safe; and you can tell her that the packet is in the hands of the gentleman who found ber in the road—that he will take great care of it—and that he wishes to have some conver- Having issued these instructions, Mr. Redcliffe he pursued his way for a short distance along the which he proceeded in the direction of Oaklands. It was now about nine o'clock in the evening ; and the mist was growing into the density of a fog. A stranger in those parts would not have found his way towards the mansion through the ob- scourity: but Mr. Redeliffe appeared to be well <S . CONIC OOO