The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

70 om, CHAPTER XOVIL. A STRANGH GUEST AT OAKLANDS. T to his own chamber and locked himself in. Bat he did not seek his couch: he felé that it were useless to lay himself down thereon, for that he could not’ sleep. His soul had received a shock far more profound than even Wilson Stanhope himself had suspected at the time. The Duke first of all examined the room oare- fully, —even condescending to look beneath the bed and bebind all the draperies; and with an equal degroe of scrutiny did be search the dressing- room adjoining. We have used the word conde- ecend because it is ever a humiliating thing for a man to admit even unto himself that he is a coward; and with some haughty minds it is a difficult thing for them to bend to any proceeding that in itself proclaims their cowardice. But the Duke of Marchmont was indeed a coward now; and it was conscience that made him ao. Having completed the investigation of his bed- chamber and the dressing-room adjoining, tho Duke opened his pistol-case and proceeded to load the weapons. But in the midst of the operation he desisted: he pressed his hand to his brow—and murmured to himself, “If he be really alive, can I —can I do this?” and he glanced shudderingly at the pistols in the open case. He threw himeelf upon a seat, and reflected pro- foundly. Slow but deep—gradual buf strongly marked, were the workings of his countenance, as varied thoughts passed through his brain. “ What can all this mean P” he asked himself: “what omens are portended? Why was it that she—that eastern woman—came hither? and why does she seem to be taking up a cause with which ehe can have no earthly concern? And why does he haunt me now? Oh, would that I could per- suade myself it were alla dream! But if sho— that eastern lady—were removed from my path— and if he—he likewise ceased to exist-—what cause of future apprehension would remain ?”’ The Duke rose from his seat, and slowly paced to and fro in the chamber. At length he halted at the table on which the pistol-case lay; and as if suddenly making up his mind, he muttered be- tween his teeth, while his countenance assumed an air of fierce resolve, “ Yes—by heaven! anything —no matter what—so long as I clear my path of those who dare plant themselves in it !” The Duke then finished loading the pistols; and he deposited the case on a small table by the side of his bed. “Now,” he said, with a demoniac savageness settling for the instant upon his features, “4s may eome again if he will; and if it be in the oor- poreal substance that he comes—if 1t be as a living denizen of this world—by heaven, his next ap- pearance shall be the last! Withoat compunction —without remorse, will I stretch him lifeless on the floor! No more pusillanimity on my part !— no more vain and idle terrors!—for it is only by my coward yielding to them that he has been en- couraged to renew his pranks and endeavour to work upon my fears. Fool, fool that I was to be- tray myself in the presence of Stanhope! But it [THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT... is for the last time. And now, Cespite his de- claration that he washes his hands of the business I propose to him, he shall undertake it; and by rendering him criminal—by making him an accom- plioe, I shall cease to be at his meroy, as I now Duke of Marchmont, as we have said, retired | more or less am: for unfortunately the incident of this evening has given him an advantage over me.” | The Duke of Marchmont endeavoured to per- suade himself—or we might even say, strove hard ' to make himself feel that his mind was now com- posed and settled once again since he had resolved upon a particular course of action: but he could not shut out from his convictions that his soul had reorived a shock from which it was by no means so easy to recover. The sense that it was so, was brought all the more powerfully home to him when he began to disapparel himself for the purpose of seeking his couch; and then he suddenly stamped his foot with rage as he felt that he was affaid to go to bed! Hoe walked to and fro—he sate down and took a book—he rose up again—his restless- ness was increasing. . “ But how could he have got there?” the Duke suddenly asked himself. “The door of the con- servatory was locked—and no one could have entered the library or the billiard-room unper- ceived by at least some of the domestics. Ah!” ejaculated the Duke within himself; “if he were really there, then he must be there now! Egress was impossible !” As this idea struck the Duke of Marchmont, a devilish notion at the same time flashed to his brain. He nerved himself with all his energy to carry it out: he forced upon: himeelf the thought of how much depended upon it: his features grew rigid with desperate resoluteness—and he deter- mined to do that which had just entered his head. Resuming the apparel which he had cast off, the Duke secured the pistols about his person; and taking a light, issued from his chamber. He descended the staircase, and first of all en- tered the billiard-room. With the taper in one hand, and the other ready prepared to seize upon & pistol, the Duke searched the place—but found no one. He passed into the library: an equally rigid search was instituted there —and still no one. Thence he passed out into the conservatory—say- ing to himself, “ Perhaps if I had only searched this place well at the time, I might have found him crouched behind one of the trees or in some dark nook.” It was no longer with the slightest scintillation of cowardice, but with a stern, dogged, savage resoluteness of purpose, that the Duke of March- mont pursued his investigation here—but all to no effect. He examined the outer door—and it was fast locked, as when Wilson Stanhope had himself examined it. “Can he be still in the house?” asked the Dake of himself: “ or was it after all naught but an illu- sion ?——-or worse still, was it—was it a spirit from the other world ?”’ Now all in an instant his resoluteness melted away—a cold shudder ran through him —his looks were swept in recoiling terror around ; and he felt as if the least indication of anything supernatural would crush and overpower him ina moment, A multitude of horrific fancies swept through his brain: his countenance was ghastly white; and he DOO <S y