The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 260: what you’re looking at

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

238 THE COURT OF LONDON not.’ And drawing out his great clasp-knife, he thrust it through the bed-curtain. Immediately afterward he took his departure, stealing out of the room as noiselessly as he had entered it, and I swooned away.” ‘“ Heavens! what is all this I hear? ”’ exclaimed the mar- quis, who had listened with an awful interest to the narrative. “ Dares the villain persecute you thus? But no, it can have been nought save a dream.” ‘No, my dear uncle,’ answered Lady Ernestina, “ it is no dream. Behold!” and she pointed to one of the curtains at the foot of the four-post bedstead. The marquis, springing from his seat, hastened to inspect the drapery, and there, sure enough, was the hole, or, rather, slit, about half an inch long, and evidently made by a sharp knife passed through the curtain. His countenance became very pale, his lips quivered with rage, and returning to his seat by the bedside, he said, ‘“‘ Yes, my dear niece, it 1s indeed but too evident that the miscreant has been here. Oh, what can I do to guard against further intrusions on his part? It is clear that the ruffian defies bolts and bars, and penetrates into any house which it suits his purpose to enter. Never- theless I will see if I cannot stop him in future. Devising some excuse for the precaution, I will presently give orders that two of the men servants shall watch down-stairs all night, with loaded pistols, and I will charge them that they unhesitatingly and mercilessly shoot down any in- truder.”’ | ‘Yes, if you will do this, my dear uncle,” said Ernestina, ‘‘ you will relieve me of the cruelest apprehensions.”’ ‘“ But why, my dear child,” asked Lord Leveson, “ did you not tell me of all this before? I would have adopted the precautions I am now about to take.” “Oh, if you only knew with what bitter repugnance I allude to that monster,’’ said Ernestina, ‘‘ you would under- stand why I have not before confided to you the circum- stance of his visit. On the present occasion, however, some feeling for which I cannot account has urged me to give you all these explanations, and likewise inspired me with the courage and power to do so. But ere now, my dear uncle, at the beginning of this conversation, you observed that if there were anything you could do to ease my mind it should be done. Alas, I know that I am dying, I feel that comiclooolks CO