The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

0 female highwaymanturned round in her couch and coinposed herself off to sleep as calmly and tran- quiily as if there were not even the remotest chance of being brought imto collision with the authorities. _— --— CHAPTER XX. THE RESULT. Ir was'a little after mid-day when a short, elderly, bustling gentleman, accompanied by one of the Dover police-constables, entered the Admiral’s Head, and proceeding straight up to"the bar, in- quired for the landlord. Old Marshall, who from the window of his parlour behind the bar imme- diately observed the visitors and of course guessed their errand, came forth with the coolest self- possession imagipable; and the police-officer at once said, ‘‘ Mr. Marshall, we want to have a few minutes’ conversation with you, if you please.” “ I'o be sure: stepin here,” responded the land- lord: and he accordingly admitted the bustling gentleman and the constable into the bar-parlour, where his wife and three daughters were seated. “ But if it’s private,” the old man immediately ex- claimed, ‘‘ we can go into another room.” The constable looked at Mr. Marlow,—for he the gentleman was,—for him to give an answer ; and the London solicitor at once said, “ I presume these ladies are of your family?” “My wife and daughters, sir,” responded old Marshall. ‘Then there can be no harm in my putting before them the questions which I have to ask. In a word, do you happen to have an individual —or to be more explicit, a woman in male attire, beneath your roof ?” ‘Well, I never!” whispered Miss Kate to her sisters: but purposely loud enough to be heard by the lawyer and constable. ‘A what, sir?” exclaimed old Marshall, af- fecting the utmost astonishment. “ Well, then, I see that she is not here,” ob- served Mr. Marlow, turning to the constable. “This is the eighth or ninth tavern we have visited, and every where the same negative answer. But I am determined to inquire at all the taverns in Dover, sooner than give up the chase.” “ But why do you persist in thinking, sir,” asked the constable, ‘ that she zs in Dover ?” ‘‘T have no reason beyond my belief that she will try and get over to France. However, we have set a watch for the railway trains——” At this moment the doctor’s boy made his ap- pearance at the bar; and depositing a bottle on the counter shouted out, “ Mis. Chandos !” and then hurried away to deliver the remaining con- tents of his Yasket. “ Mrs. Chavdos?” ejaculated Mr. Marlow. “ By _heaven, it is she !” “ Yes, sir,” old Marshall promptly observed, ‘ there is a lady of that name in the house.” “Enough, enough!” cried the excitable attorney. “Show us up to her room! Come along, con- stable—the bird’s caught at last!”"—and he was already rushing with frantic haste out of the bar When old Marshail’s voice called him back. ‘Where are you going, sir—and with this con- THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. stable too? The lady isin bedandil!? But is there anything wrong about her? I’m gbure I took her for a most respectable person ——™ “Wrong about her ? respectable person ?” ejacu- lated Mr. Marlow. “ Why, she’s a robber—a thief ——” “Good heavens, girls'” shrieked forth Mrs. Marshall; ‘do go and count the plate. A thief did you say#@ir ?” ‘“Yes—but a most daring thief, too—a high- waynan—or rather a highway-woman!” “Oh, dear, dear!” cried Mrs. Marshall, ap- pearing to be dreadfully alarmed. ‘Only think of our having had such a desperate character in the house all night!” | “Tt’s fortunate we have not every one had our throats cut,” said Kate, making herself shudder from head to foot, while her two sisters likewise gave vent to their pretended feelings of terror and dismay. “Oh! if she’s all that!” said old Marshall, “ the sooner she’s out of the house the better. Go up, one of you girls, and show this gentleman and the constable which is her room. But I hope she will pay her bill, though—and her doctov’s, too, for that matter.” “There must be some mistake,” said Mr. Mar- low, who for the last few moments had been look- ing quite bewildered. ‘One of you talked of her having slept here all night. Why, she can’t have been in the house above an hour or two, even if she travelled post the. whole way from London: for we know she didu’t come by the railway—we have already made in- quiries about her there.” *“ There must be some mistake then,” said old Marshall; “for the Mrs. Chandos we are talking of, has been here ever since six or seven o'clock last evening.” “Then it’s not.the same,” ejaculated Marlow. “ How singular !—a coincidence of names! But what sort of a looking woman is she?” The Mrs. Chandos I mean must be about six-and- twenty—though when dressed as a man, she of course looks several years younger. Complexion, delicate olive—a rich colour on the cheeks —large black eyes—very bright black hair, beautifully curling—full lips, the least thing coarse—splendid teeth—stands about five feet ten, [ should thiuk—excellent figure, upright as a dart—and fine voice, strong for a woman but not harsh !” “Well, I declare,” exclaimed Kate, knowing that Lady Bess wanted to be arrested at Dover so as to get the affair terminated in that town, * this description exactly answers the lady up-stairs.” — “The deuce it does!’ quickly ejaculated Mr. Marlow. “Then I am on the right scent again. But she didn't come in male attire ?” “Oh! no, sir.” responded Kate, with an indig- nant toss of the head; ‘“‘or Iam sure that she wouldn’t have been received into this house. The constable there can tell you that the Admiral’s © Head is of the highest respectability.” “ Yes, Miss—that I will warrant,” remarked the officer, who had received many a gratuitous drink at the bar of the establishment. “ Well, well, I meant no offence, young lady ” quickly rejoined Mr. Marlow. “But do let us endeavour to clear up one point—when did this lady arrive ?” ECOMMICLOOKS GO