The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

_ J am sorry to have disturbed you THE MYSYERIES OF THE COURT. — like the wind. ' The little bird has performed its message well: for the two marks were made in; the corner of the paper —were they not ?” ‘“ Yes —in the usual way,” responded Kate ‘‘and therefore there is no doubt that the pigeon stopped both at Gravesend and Boughton.” “ Well, you can go up to bed again, Kate,” said her father. “ But be up by six o'clock, ana then we will arrange what is to be said.” “ Yes—but did you not observe,” asked the young woman, “that something is to be done at once, to prove “'Ty be sure! [ have it,” exclaimed the astnte Marshall. ‘I know what I will.do. Leave it all to me—and you go up to bed, Kate.” His daughter accordingly left the room, and Mr. Marshall at once proceeded to dress himself with the utmost despatch. He then quitted the chamber, telling his wife that he should not be many minutes absent. Descending the stairs, he opened the front door of the tavern, taking the key in his pocket so as to be able to let himself in again; and hurrying along the street, at length stopped at a house where the coloured lamp burn- ‘nig over the door indicated the abode of a surgeon. Marshall rang the night-bell with some degree of violence; and in a few minutes the door was opened by the medical man’s assist- aut. “ Hallo! is that you, Mr. Marshall?” he ex- claimed, immediately recognizing the tavern- keeper. ‘“ Is there anything the matter up at the Admirals Head ?” “ Yes—a lady who arrived last evening has been seized with a fit. She’s a little better now, as my daughters are attending upon her: but I want you to give me a composing draught, or something of the kind, so as tu prevent a relapse. ”? ‘¢ Don’t mention it, Mr. Marshall,” immediately exclaimed the assistant: ‘it’s all in the way of business. Come into the surgery, and I will see what I can do for you—unless you think it isa case for which I had better call up Mr. Hood :”— alluding to his master. ** No, not atall,” rejoined thetavern-keeper. ‘I dare say you can give something that will answer the purpose, if I describe what sort of a fit it was.” * Oh, certainly !” replied the assistant; “ and then Mr. Hood will call round in the morning and see the lady.” : While thus speaking, the assistant led the way into the surgery; and old Marshall described the ordinary symptoms of an hysterical fit. The assistant speedily compounded a draught; and as he wrote out the. label to put upon the bottle, he asked, ‘‘ What name shall I say ?” * Mrs. Chandos,” was old Marshall's prompt answer. The jpame was accordingly written upon the label; and Marshall, thanking the assistant for his attention, took his departure. Returning to his house, he ascended to his chamber, un- dressed himself again, and went to bed. i LLL CHAPTER XIX. THE JOURNEY. We must now return to Lady Bess, whom we left at the moment when seated on her gallant steed she fled from her cottage in the manner already described. Making the best of her way into London, she crossed Blackfriar’s Bridge, and proceeded straight for the Kent Road. In an hour and aquarter from the time she had quitted the cottage she entered upon Blackheath. ‘There she walked her horse—although the noble animal, as if instinctively aware of its mistress’s need, appeared impatient to career onward again. The dauntless amazon was in the highest pos- sible spirits, not only at the achievement she had already performed in effecting her escape from the lawyers, but likewise at the measures she had taken to disentangle herself in the long run from the meshes of the law and be able to turn round and laugh in their faces. She thought of j ur- pin’s memorable ride to York—an exploit which had saved him from the strong arm of justice on that occasion, it being held impossible for a man who appeared at York at daybreak to have committed a crime in London on the preceding evening —the distance being close on two hun- dred miles! But Lady Bess’s stratagem, as she had devised it, was if possible still more inge- nious ; and the evidence to be eventually given in her favour, would be still more conclusive, as the reader will presently see. It- was now three o'clock in the morning—and she had sixty-four miles to ride! But this dis- tance she was confident of being able to achieve within a very few hours, although it formed no part of her plan to imitate Dick Turpin in the astounding feat of accomplishing the journey with the same horse. Having breathed her gallant courser for a few minutes on Blackheath, Lady Bess gave it the rein ; and away, away it flew with an astonishing velocity. “ Fifteen miles from this point to Gravesend— or rather sixteen hence to the Dancing Bear—and I must do the distance in an hour!” Thus she spoke aloud, her flute-like voice sounding melodiously through the fresh air of morning. The twilight was glimmering in the east—very faintly as yet, but still it was appear- ing: and she thought to herself that she would yet ride many a mile ere the sun rose—aye, and many a long mile more too, ere it should be very high above the horizon. The exhilaration which she felt amounted almost to an intoxica- tion. She was as happy asif not the slightest danger hung over her head,—happier indeed, for it was in consequence of that danger she was now pursuing an adventure so thoroughly con- genial to her daring, dauntless, reckless character. Her horse needed not the touch of spur or whip : an occasional caress with the hand and the en- couraging voice of its mistress impelled the animal to the development of all its powers of swiftness— and never did the lithe and graceful Arab courser dash with a more lightning speed over the arid desert than Lady Bess’s gallant horse along the high road to Dover. ‘The weather at that hour in the morning and in the genial month of June was Go JOO Cc CS (CO)