The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

CONCLUSION OF HISTORY OF SELLIS' 75 ‘moment when the evidence of the domestics and others was being taken down in writing, to be ultimately submitted to the coroner’s jury, and soon afterward he quitted the service of his Royal Highness. He then entered my household as butler, my husband being at that time alive and our residence in Mount Street. In the course of a short time I observed that Joux had evidently something on his mind, and know- ing, of course, that he had been in the service of the Duke of Cumberland, I fancied that he might have picked up some piece of court scandal, or have become a party in some not overnice transaction connected with high life. To these suppositions I was led by a word or two which at times he inadvertently dropped, and at length I pressed him on the subject. He then told me all these particulars relative to Sellis and the letter which I have been describing to you, and which have never been made public. He gave me the letter. He even appeared delighted to get rid of it, and yet he assured me that some superstitious feeling had always prevented him from destroying it whenever he entertained the idea. He left me at length to ‘better himself,’ as the phrase goes, and I know not what has become of him.” _ “ But what was his opinion relative to the whole affair? ”’ asked Mrs. Arbuthnot, fixing upon her friend a keen and searching look. ‘ What could he think, otherwise than that Sellis had dis- covered an amorous intrigue existing between the Princess Augusta and the valet Neale, and that, fearful of being betrayed and ruined, Neale murdered Sellis, and then, in order to shield himself, penetrated into the Duke of Cumber- land’s room, wounded his Royal Highness, and fled, of course leaving it to be supposed that Sellis was the assailant.”’ “ And you believe all this relative to Neale? ”’ asked Mrs. Arbuthnot. “To be sure I do,” replied Mrs. Bredalbane. ‘Surely you do not fancy that Joux forged this letter, and that, his whole story a fiction, Sellis was really an intended robber and murderer and an actual suicide? ”’ ‘No, I believe every syllable of the story told by Joux,” answered Mrs. Arbuthnot. “I also feel convinced that this letter is genuine, though without signature, imperfect, and unfinished. I therefore believe that Sellis was murdered, but I do not believe that Neale was the murderer.” (C(O) nn) (C 0)(0)©) <Si nin