The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 228: what you’re looking at

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

198 THE COURT OF LONDON ‘““T therefore,’ continued the magistrate, “‘ have unfeigned pleasure in directing Miss Foster to leave the dock; and I assure her that in thus pronouncing her discharge, not a shadow of suspicion remains in my mind concerning her.” ‘““ No one is more delighted than myself at this acquittal of the young lady,’’ exclaimed Arthur Eaton, with a generous frankness of manner which of course passed as the rankest and vilest hypocrisy with all present; then, haughtily indifferent to the sneers which curled the lips of those countenances that met his eyes, he added, ‘‘ And I heartily beg Miss Foster’s forgiveness for having in any way been instrumental in causing her the inconvenience, anxiety, and annoyance which she must have suffered.” But Rose heard him not; for, so overcome was she by her own feelings on finding her innocence so fully proven and hearing it so unequivocally proclaimed, that Mrs. Brace was compelled to lead her out of the court into that private room where their former interview of this memorable day had taken place. ‘ Silence! ’’ exclaimed the usher, the moment the door had closed behind the orphan girl and the milliner. Arthur Eaton, who had been about to address the magis- trate when this summons was made, folded his arms and remained silent; but the air of conscious innocence which he wore was interpreted by the spectators as the hardihood of a desperate criminality aided by a consummate hypocrisy. ‘7 must now recapitulate,” said the magistrate, ‘‘ certain points in the evidence which has been adduced in this case. In the first instance, Mr. Eaton declared that at the moment when Dudley fell he rushed forward and caught a glimpse of a lady in black darting into a passage opposite. Now this was a passage running due north; and it was completely on the southern side of the building that Miss Foster was immediately afterward captured. The next fact which I must notice is that the deceased was evidently murdered by means of a knife belonging to himself, and of which no stranger was likely to obtain possession. But then comes a still more grave, important, and serious circumstance: for the very blade which belonged to this knife and which was broken off is found in Mr. Eaton’s apartment. With such evidence before me, I have only one course to adopt, which is to declare that you, Arthur Eaton, do stand com- (C(O) MG 6)(0)() KS (C(O)