The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 233: what you’re looking at

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

EEE ag ge tart te 218 TILE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “ZI have not seen the newspaper yet,” returned | “ Petersfield and Marlow here—eh? They nodonbt Lady Saxondale. think that they will dispose of me just as they “JT don’t think it is im the newspaper—in fact it | choose: but perhaps they will find the difference can’t be; for it was only discovered this morning:” | However, I must not delay.” --and Edmund then proceeded to retail such par-| Thus speaking, he hastened from the apartment— ticulars as he had learnt at the tradesman’s shop. | rushed up the stairs—and re-entered his mother’s Lady Saxondale made some remark upon the | private chambers. The keys, of which he had pos- horrible nature of the case, and then appeared to | sessed himself, opened the locks that had previously bestow all her attention upon her book. resisted his endeavours. He examined wardrobe, “There will be a hanging-affair for that, I dare | cupboard, closet, and drawers—he scrutinized the say,” resumed Edmund with a negligent yawn. | various costumes and packages contained therein: “For although there seems.as yet to be no clue to but no Spanish dress could he discover. His in- the murderers, I have no doubt they will be found | vestigation had lasted at least half-an-hour, and he out in the long run: because it isn’t often that a | was about to retreat frem the chambers, when he murder does go undiscovered. . Now, isn’t that observed a trunk standing in the window-recess curious though? but it’s really the case when I | of the wardrobe-room. He was some minutes be- come to think of it.” fore he could find the right key to open this trunk ; Lady Saxondale raised her eyes, and looked at her | but at length he succeeded—and lifting the lid, son, as he thought, in a somewhat peculiar manner: | observed that it contained the more costly articles but the next instant he supposed it could only be | of the family plate which were not in general use, faney on his part—and imdced her eyes were al- | but were only brought out on grand oecasions. He most immediately bent down upon the book again. | removed some of the articles, and at length caught “ When is old Mabel to be buried?” he inquired | sight of the object of his search at the bottom of after a pause. the trunk. With an ejaculation of joy he drew “ Why do youask P” said Lady Saxondale quickly. | forth the dress, unrolled it, and became convinced “Oh! only out of curiosity. I suppose by way of | beyond the possibility of doubt that it was the same saying something—for you don’t appear to be very | one which he had seen worn by the lady who had much inclined for conversation.” joined Lord Harold Staunton at the masquerade. “Tam sorry to say that your conversation is scl-| He was now all in a flutter of trepidation and dom of a very entertaining or edifying character.” | excitement lest Lady Saxondale or any of the maid- “Thank you, my dear mother, for the compli- | servants should appear to interrupt his proceedings; ment. The ladies don’t think so generally: for I | and it was with no very great care that he replaced know I am a precious great favourite amongst | in the trunk the massive silver articles which he had them.” removed. This being done he locked the trunk “ With what-class of ladies?” asked Lady Saxon- | again; and folding up the dress into as small a dale, her lips curling with a contempt she made. no | compass as possible, wrapped it in his handkerchief, endeavour to coneeal. and flew away with it to his own room. There he Edmund was about to give some impertinent re- | leit it for a moment; and descending to the apart- ply, when a footman entered the apartment to an- | ment whence he had taken the keys, deposited them nouuee that Lord Petersficld and Mr. Marlow had | on the table where he had found them. He then just arrived, and hud been shown into the Green| sped back to his own chamber, and enveloping the Drawing-room. dress in a large sheet of paper, fastened it with a “Whew!” was the prolonged sound which Lord | string. Summoning kis valet, he ordered the do- Saxondale sent out from his lips at this intelligence: | mestie to follow him with the pareel; agd issuing then, as the footman retired, he said, ‘“There’s not | from the house, proeeeded to the nearest cab-stand, much difficulty in guessing what that old fogy and| where he entered a vehicle—took charge of the that bustling pettifogger have come here for.” packet—and sent his servant back home. “ How dare you speak thus of your guardians?” | It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when exclaimed her ladyship. ‘ You ought to treat them | Lord Saxondale returned to Evergreen Villa; and with respect.” the moment Lord Harold Staunton and Emily “Oh, yes! fine respect indeed, when they are | Archer beheld him rush up the front garden with plotting all kinds of things against me. But perhaps | the parcel in his hand, they knew full well that his However we shall sew:”—and he-stopped short | mission had been a successful one. The envelope abruptly. was torn off—the dress was revealed—and Staunton Lady Saxondale looked very hard at him, evi- | at once pronounced it to be that which was worn by dently to fathom his meaning, which had a sort of | his masked companionat the Duke of Harcourt’s ball. mysterious self-sufficiency and assurance in it that| “Now we have the proof!” exclaimed Saxondale, for the moment somewhat troubled her: then turn- | as proud and rejoiced as if he had accomplished one ing away with a look of disdain, as if she would not | of the noblest and best of deeds. “ You will keep condescend to bandy any more words with one | your promise, Harold, and tell us all that remains whom she certainly detested, she swept majestically | to be revealed in respect to my lady-mother. For out of the room. it now becomes more imperative than ever that I But the keys? there they were—left upon the | should have the means for defying her. Would you table! Her ladyship had forgotten them, or else | believe it? when I left Saxondale House she was in bad not dreamt of the necessity of taking them | deep consultation with that prosy hum-drum Peters- with her, field, and that talkative busy-body Marlow—all “Egad! it was high time that I should discover | three of them no doubt laying their heads together my mother’s secrets,” muttered Saxondale to him- | to dispose of me just as it suits their good will and self as he triumphantly laid hold of the keys. | pleasure.” SL ECORMCOOOKS . EO)