The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 364: what you’re looking at

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

—" THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 249 immediately after daybreak in the morning. He | except a parcel which by its size and description had narrowly searched all about to discover, if pos- | probably contained some dress or articles of clothing. sible, any trace which might afford a clue to the | The gentlemen moreover give a prompt alarm, ren- unravelling of the mystery. He had searched for | der all possible assistance, and voluntarily come the marks of footsteps farther along the bank than | forward to tender their evidence at this inquest. where the murder had been perpetrated: but the | One of these gentlemen recently saved the life of a torrents of rain which fell during the night, had | female in that very river on the bank of which the obliterated all traces of footmarks everywhere round | present tragedy took place—thus exhibiting a mag- about. He had likewise searched in the adjacent | nanimity and generosity of conduct deserving all fields for any evidence to prove that the parcel had our admiration. Gentlemen of the jury, I hope been opened—if brown paper or string, for instance, | that you will not consider these remarks to be mis- had been thrown away: but nothing had transpired | placed, as it might have happened to any two of us to show the track which the murderer or murderers | here to have been on that spot and at that hour last had pursued after committing the crime. He had | night to make the fearful discovery which was made likewise made inquiries at some of the cottages as | by those two gentlemen.” to whether any suspicious-looking individuals had | When the coroner had concluded his address, the been seen lurking about the neighbourhood: but | jury deliberated but for a few minutes, and came to he could obtain no positive information upon the | a verdict of “ Wilful Murder against some person subject. or persons unknown.” The surgeon gave his evidence last of all. It| Thus terminated the proceedings of the coroner's was to the effect that Mademoiselle d’Alembert had | inquest. Mr. Gunthorpe and Deveril returned to been shot in the head—her servant through the | the hotel at which they were staying; and there heart. From certain indications, it was evident ) they deliberated together what course they should that the pistol cr pistols must have been fired close now pursue. The oid gentleman at first proposed to them, and that death must have been imstan- | that being in the neighbourhood, he should pay one taneous in both cases. more visit to Lady Saxondale, in the hope of being The examination, which lasted three hours, was | able to induce her to do justice to William Deveril, now concluded so far as the depositions of the wit- | in respect to the calumnies she had propagated nesses were concerned; and the coroner summed | against him; for he thought that he might frighten up to the jury. He represented the deed as one | her into this course by revealing the fact of the dis- of those mysterious tragedies which occasionally covery that sue was in correspondence with such a occur, without leaving the slightest clue to the | person as Mr. Chiffin. But upon mature reflection, diabolical perpetrators. In the present instance it | Mr. Gunthorpe concluded that Lady Saxondale wat would appear, judging by all the evidence given, | a woman of such strong effrontery and brazen har- that the author or authors of the crime had been | dihood, as not to be intimidated by such means— disturbed immediately after its perpetration by the | and that she would indignantly deny the circum- ejaculations of alarm sent forth by Mr. Deveril and stance of the alleged communication with Mr. Mr. Gunthorpe—and that not having time to rifle Chiffin. He therefore resolved toreturn to London the victims, the murderer or murderers had snatched with Deveril, and take time to settle the course up the parcel and fled precipitately with it. The which was now to be adopted towards her lady- coroner went very carefully through all the evi- | ship. dence; and one portion of his summing up was too| “ But Florina?” suggested William, when his old remarkable, for several reasons, not to be recorded friend had thus imparted his decision. ‘“ Will you here :-— leave her in the odious atmosphere of Lady “ I can conceive, gentlemen, no position more un- Saxondale’s iniquity? Ob, my dear sir! if you do pleasant for any persons to be placed in, than that indeed possess any influence in that quarter——” of Mr. Gunthorpe and Mr Deveril in the present | “Enough, William!” interrupted Mr. Gunthorpe. instance. It is too frequently the case that thought- | “ I can take no step until 1 return to London. It less individuals, and those who are in the habit of must be from thence that I shall write to Lady arriving at rash and hasty conclusions, greedily Macdonald: but I faithfully promise you, Wilham, seize upon the slightest circumstances which seem that within a very few days Florina and her aunt to be suspicious, and thus do at once aflix the taint shall cease to be inmates of Saxondale Castle. Will of suspicion upon innocent persons. I feel it to be that suffice ?” my duty to make these remarks upon the present | ‘“ It will—it must,” answered Deveril. “I submit occasion, inasmuch as the discoverers of a crime may to your opinion and judgment in all things. But not incur the risk of being identified with the crimi- when, sir, do you propose to depart?” nals. In the present case we have two gentlemen! ‘We will go across to Lincoln presently, after who, so far from being in needy circumstances, dinner,” responded Mr. Gunthorpe ; ‘‘and to-morrow bounteously reward a poor peasant family for hospi- morning we will start by rail for London. Ah! you talities and services previously vouchsafed. Accident rogue, you wish to have an opportunity of seeing brings them for the moment in contact with those Florina for a few minutes ?—but it cannot be on the persons whom they are destined shortly afterwards present occasion, William. I have many things re- to find stretched lifeless upon the ground. But it is quiring my presence in London.” clear that these gentlemen and those victims were Mr. Gunthorpe had indeed fathomed our hero’s previously unacquainted with each other, and that an desire: for was it pot natural that he should wish invitation was given by the lady to one of these to see his well-beloved Florina, if only for a few gentlomen to visit her in London—which he how- minutes? and would he not cheerfully have walked ever civilly declined. When these gentlemen dis- across to the grounds of Saxondale Castle in that cover the bodics, nothing is plundered from them hope? But he was compelled to bow to Mr. Gun- ECOMmMiclboooks (CO)