The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

) THE MYSTERIES All this being done, she deliberated with herself what course to pursue. Should she sit up, keep awake, and watch to see if the mysterious shape (whether apparition or living being) would revisit she felt exhausted and in need of repose. She OF THE COURT. and her eyes swept round the room to see if any open door showed the means by which he had ob- tained admittance: but the survey was vain—and it seemed to her as if he had sprung up from the ver “ Charming Henrietta,” said the nobleman, “ this her? Yes: this was her decision, notwithstanding floor beneath her feet. . would not entrust herself to the luxurious softness of the easy chair, lest sleep shouid overtake her unawares: but she sat down in a common chair, on the alert to cast her eyes to any part of the room whence the slightest sound might emanate. Pre- sently however she felt a drowsiness stealing over her; and then in order to shake it off she rose up from her seat and paced to and fro. She snuffed the candle, so that there should be no dimness wherein she might be taken by surprise; and as time wore on she grew more nervous, more anxious. The village-church proclaimed twelve; and: Hen- rietta stood still to count the strokes, so that she might be assured of the right hour. The metallic sound of the iron tongue of Time rolled oscillating through the still air of the night;—but mingling with the last vibrations of that sound, there seemed | to be the mournful lament of a human voice. Hen- rietta listened with a sudden feeling of awe; and she could distinctly hear a prolonged lamentation—not loud, ‘but still plain and unmistakable. All in an instant this was broken by a wild thrilling cry —— good heavens, what a cry! that seemed to rend the whole edifice in twain. It ceased—all was still— but the poor girl sank trembling with affright into | the easy chair, which was the nearest to her at the | monient. Her heart beat with such loud palpitations that | she could hear them as if a clenched hand were thumping against the cushioned side of the chair in which she was now reclining. Every fibre and nerve in her frame seemed galvanized with the sen- sation of terror. But gradually this feeling sub- sided; and she thought to herself that instead of ex- periencing alarm on her own account, she ought to feel sympathy on that of the unhappy wretch whose lament and shriek she had heard. All continued still and tranquil: the silence which had followed that appalling cry had something dread and stupen- dous in it. Henrietta sat in the easy chair, wonder- ing what it could all mean, and associating in her mind those lamentations and that cry with the noises to which Mrs. Martin had alluded, and the whole with the visitations she had received in her chamber. There is a terror the excess of which produces a re-action that merges into a lulling effect,—the na- tural stupor which inevitably follows the extreme tension of all the nerves. Thus was it with Hen- rietta Leyden, and insensibly did a sort of dredmy repose steal upon her as she reclined in that arm- chair to which she had in the first instance been so fearful of entrusting herself. Her sleep was not however sound, It was that kind of dozing in which consciousness is not alto- gether lost, but confused and hazy,—a sort of semi- sleep from which the slightest sound will startle one. And thus was Henrietta all in a moment aroused into complete wakefulness ; and springing up from the chair, she beheld some one in her room. But it was not the mysterious figure of the two former nights : it was Lord Everton. “Wretch!” cried Henrietta im wildest alarm; a passion will not serve you. Foolish girl that you are to refuse all the brilliant advantages which I offer you, but which nevertheless shall be yours in spite of yourself ——” “Coupled with infamy !” a hoarse but resolute voice. never !”’ “Let us sit down and converse tranquilly,” said the nobleman. “ You perceive that you are in my power a “Lord Everton, I command you to quit this murmured Henrietta in “No, my lord—never, 'room!” interrupted Henrietta, flmging round her ‘eyes in search of some weapon of defence. “ You may use force, my lord—but the struggle will bea desperate one.” “In which you must succumb!” exclaimed the old nobleman: and maddened by his passion, he suddenly sprang forward and caught the young captive in his arms. At that instant a third person appeared upon the ~ scene—gliding in swift as a fleeting shadow — so suddenly, so quickly, that Henrietta, especially in the trouble and excitement of her mind, saw not whence he came and observed not how. But she did in an instant recognize this shape: it was the one she had twice seen before—the one enveloped in the flowing gown and with the pale sad face; but the features now wore a ficrce and terrible expres- sion. “Monster!” was the single word which fell upon Henrietta’s ear, and which was addressed to Lord Everton, who had instantaneously relinquished his hold on her: and the utterance of that word was accompanied by a terrific blow dealt by the new comer, and which laid the old nobleman prostrate and senseless on the floor. “This way, this way!” said the stranger, quickly grasping Henrietta’s wrist, and thus proving that he was indeed a being of flesh and blood. Then quick as thought he led her round the foot of the bed to an opening in the wall, through which they both darted; and now Henrietta found her- self in a corridor communicating with a staircase which she saw at a glance was not the principal one of the mansion, nor one which she had seen before. A lamp burnt in that corridor, and another on the staircase, down which Henrietta was hurried by her companion. With such mad precipitation did he proceed, that it was a wonder he was not hurled to the bottom, dragging her along with him; and full evident was it that he knew it to be a desperate attempt at escape which they were thus making. A vain one too! Forall in amoment the rushing noise of several footsteps was heard. “Seize them! seize them!” were the words which reached the ears of the fugitives; and in another moment they were encountered by Mark Bellamy, the footman, Mrs. Martin, Susan, and the gardener, who all emerged ~ from another corridor joining that same staircase or the lower storey. With a desperate blow from his clenched fist, Mark Bellamy struck down Henrietta’s companion ; ECORNICLOO SS (CO)