The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 78: what you’re looking at

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THS MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 67 “You refuse, therefore,” said Marchmont. “I refuse,” replied Stanhope,—“ unless every shilling No!” he interrupted himself, “TI will effect a compromise with you. You have specified the recompense at fifteen thousand pounds: give me the half—eeven thousand five hundred—and I tion, at the Duke of Marchmont’s proceeding that he did not look round to ascertain what was the cause of his Grace’s terror. Then, at the same in- stant that the vile nobleman sank upon the carpet, Stanhope sprang forward to raise him up; and thus when he did fling a glance towards the case- swear to do the deed, trusting to your honour to | ment, the drapery had ceased to be agitated. pay me the remainder.” The Duke of Marchmont deliberated for some moments, with vexation and bitter annoyance ‘visibly depicted upon hid countenance: but sud- denly breaking silence, he exclaimed, “I will do | it.” “Give me your cheque, and full particulars in respect to the lady—her whereabouts—and 60 forth id ; “ Wo will settle this matter at once,” said the Duke. “TI should have a cheque-book here: for I brought that writing-case down with me from London this afternoon.” . Thus speaking, the villanous nobleman rose from his seat; and proceeding to a side table, took thence the writing-case to which he had alluded. Reauming his seat, he opened it, and drew forth his cheque-book. At that same instant Mr. Red- cliffe opened the casement to a width sufficient to enable him to take his stand upon the threshold: for the window, be it understood, reached to the floor, and thus served the purpose of a glass door. The reader will recollect that he was enveloped in his cloak. He raised his right arm as if in a warn- ing manner: the fulds of the cloak flowing over it, partially obscured his countenance by intercepting the beams of the lamp which stood upon the table: yet his face could be seen, though with a shadow upon it, if the Duke of Marchmont were lo rais@ his eyes from the desk. With his left hand Mr. Redcliffe held the crimson drapery aside :—and there he stood motionless. “ Now observe,” said the Duke, as he began to fill in the date of the cheque,—“ when you pre- sent this at the bank to-morrow, you must appear to be in high glee; and you must, as if boastfully, declare that you had a run of luck to-night and that this was the produce of the card-table. You understand me P” As the Duke of Marchmont put this question, before he filled in the body of the cheque,—he raised his eyes: an ejaculation of horror burst from his lips—the pen fell from his hand—he reeled on hie seat and sank senseless on the floor. At that same instant Redcliffe stepped Dack and closed the easement. The next moment he was outside the eonservatory, the door of which he locked, and he hurried away. Regaining the statue where he had encountered Purvis about an hour back, he found the steward again waiting for him there, he having arrived at the place of appointment about ten mi- nutes previously. Redcliffe spoke a few hasty words of explanation—returned the key to the old man—and hurried off. ) CHAPTER XCVL THE HAND-BILL. Tas Hon. Wilson Stanhope was taken so much by surprise, and was seised with so much consterna- Though utterly unable to comprehend the meaning of the circumstance, Mr. Stanhope thought it would not be well to sufamon the domestics to the Duke’s succour: he accordingly bore him to a sofa —loosened his neck-tie—and by sprinkling water on his countenance, endeavoured to recover: him. In a few minutes the Duke slowly opened his eyes -—gazed vacantly up at Stanhope for a moment— and then, as if smitten by a sudden and terrific recollection, flang his horrified looks towards the casoment. No one was there: the Duke raised his hand to his brow—gave a low subdued groan—and then suddenly starting up, rushed to the window. Flinging aside the draperies, he opened the case- ment, and looked into the conservatory. He could see no one; and stopping short, he again raised his hand to his brow, muttering, “Could it possibly have been the imagination ?” “What in the devil’s name ails your Grace ?” inquired Wilson Stanhope, who had followed him to the threshold of the window. “What does all this mean? You have absolutely terrified me!” ‘“‘ What does it mean P” asked the Duke, gazing vacantly at his questioner. “It means——But no! you cannot understand it !” . * Did you suppose, my lord,” inquired Stanhepe, “that anybody was listening or looking on? For if so, we may have placed ourselves in no very comfortable predicament———”’ “It was nothing!—rest assured it was no- thing |!” hastily interrupted the Duke of March- mont, making incredible efforts to regain his self- ossession. | “ Nothing P” ejaculated Stanhope impatiently — “it is preposterous to tell me that it was nothing, when you were so awfully alarmed. If I believed in ghosts, I should veritably fancy you had seen one.” “A ghost ?”’—and it was with a countenance as white as a sheet that the Duke of Marchmont now gased upon the Hon. Wilson Stanhope. ‘“‘ By heaven,” cried the latter, who was himeelf almost as much alarmed as astonished, “ there must be something in‘all this! Did you fancy that you saw some oneP He may have escaped !”—and Stanhope rushed to the outer door of the conser- vatory. “ Locked! fast looked! But these win- dows—thoy belong to other rooms !—and see! the casements open! they are not fastened insido! My lord, if it were one of your domestics who is playing the spy upon you, I would counsel you to take heed. As for myself, I wash my hands alto- gether of the business you propose to me—TI will have nothing to do with it—I wish to heaven that you had not even spoken to me on the subject! Thero is such a thing as running one’s head into a noose at the very instant one thinks that safety and security are the most complete.” Stanhope spoke with oonsiderable vehemence and excitement; and his speech had been inter- rupted by the hurried visits he paid to the door of the conservatory and to the casaments of the ad. joining billiard-room and library. The Duke COMicooOolkxs.conrn