The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 321: what you’re looking at

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

a nee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. a 307 NN ee eee er eeEeEEEEEEEEEeeE—e——e———————————_————— ree posing form of the inanimate maiden: but she did not fail to appreciate all the touching softness and all the tender interest that enveloped the fair stranger as with a halo; so that when she had re- moved the bonnet and beheld all that silken rich- ness of the flaxen hair, setting off a countenance of virginal innocence—shoulders _ beautifully rounded and gently sloping —and a bust whose nascent onarms were proportioned like a Grecian statue,—the young womau threw upon Bencull a look of delight, as she whispered, “This is in- deed a prize that you have brought here !” “Well, you may thank the night-coach for up- setting just at the brow of Shooter’s Hill,” returned Bencull. *“ What on earth do you mean?” demanded Nell Gibson, surveying him with a look of astonishment at such a singular remark. “J mean just this,” answered the man: “that as me and the two pals reached the hill in search of that feller Huntingdon, we heard a noise of voices calling out, horses plunging, and all kind of con- fusion; while lights was dancing about on the spot that the noise came from. So we crept up to the place; and we soon found out what it was. The night-coach for Dover had upset ; and there was a rare scene, ifso be all that took place in the dark can be called a scene at all. Butit wasn’t quite in the dark neither; for the coachman and guard had got down the lamps and was moving about to see the extent of the mischief done. ‘ Here's this sweet young gal,’ says the guard, ‘which sat next to me just now : she’s pitched right on this bank, and is either stunned or dead :’—and as he spoke he threw the light on her face and figure in such a manner that me and the two pals caught a full view of her, for she was laying within a couple of yards of the spot where we was hidin the shade. We saw quite enough of her to convince us that she waS a sweet pretty creature; and the Mushroom Faker whis- pered in my ear, ‘My eyes! 7f Nell Gibson only had that young galinher hands fur a week or so.’ These words was a hint; and without any more ado I took the young gal up in my arms the moment the guard turned away to attend to a inside passenger. Finding that her heart beat, I carried her right clean away from the spot, no one seeing the dodge in the darkness and the confusion. The Mushroom Faker kicked against a bundle which he accord. ingly picked up and brought with him; and as it was quite close to the place where the young girl was lying, I suppose it 1s her’s.” * Well, the occurrence is a fortunate one,” ob- served Nell Gibson: “for Mrs. Gale will pay hand. somely for this young creature. She’s delicate looking but beautiful as an angel, though I say it who know so little about angels —and perhaps never shall know any more. But what about the Baronet?” she demanded abruptly. * Oh! he’s a Baronet, is he?” exclaimed Ben- cull. “Yes—to be sure, I recollect there is a Baronet of the name of Huntingdon at the West Eud—I’ve heard of him afore: he's a pal of the Prince's. Well, I suppose he has got clean off: and precious awkward it is, too. I must go down Stairs and see what our pals say about it. So I'll leave you to take care of this young gal.” With these words the rvtfiau quitted the chari- ber: and when the door had closed behind him, Nell Gibson took some water and sprinkled it rr a a oe — SEE en . ~~ - _ —= upon the young damsel’s countenance. The effect was soon visible—and slowly did the fair being begin to recover: her bosom rose and fell with the long and painful undulations of returning con- sciousness ;—and opening a pair of the finest azure eyes that ever reflected the pure soul’s lizht of innocence, she gazed up with a look of vagant inquiry into the countenance that was bending over her. Then, as her recollection gradually re- vived, and all the circumstances of the recent ac- cident were recalled to her mind, she glanced around with an expression rather of gratitude than astonishment: for it naturally occurred to her that she was experiencing the hospitality of some humble dwelling near the scene of the coach- accident. “Are you injured?—do you feel hurt?” in- quired Nell Gibson, in a tone so kind and re- assuring that it precluded the springing up of any immediate alarm or suspicion in the maiden’s mind, “No—I do not feel that I have sustained any serious injury, beyond a severe shock,” answered the beauteous stranger, in a voice of the most touching melody: and as the colour came back with the delicate tinge of the rose-leaf to hercheeks, | but with the deepest hue of that blushing flower to her exquisitely chiselled lips,—and as these lips revealed teeth white as oriental pearls, and exhaled the balmiest breath,—Nell Gibson could not help thinking that she had never seen a lovelier crea- ture than this fair girl. ————— i ll SS SE “You are welcome where you are, young lady,” | said Neil: “and if you can put up with such poor accommodation as lam able to afford, I shall be truly happy.” “My best thanks are due for your kindness,” answered the damsel: and it was with a sort of ill-subdued shudder that she cast her eyes around that wretched, cheerless, poverty-stricken cham- ber. “But I must pursue my journey this night —I must return to the coach, which will no doubt continue its way——” “The coach is so much injured,” interrupted Nell, “that it will not be able to go on till the moraing: and therefore you must make up your mind to stay here. Is that your bundle, Miss ?” * Yes—I thank you,” was the answer, as the fair stranger glanced towards the object thus indicated. “But indeed—oh ! indeed,” she cried, in accents that bespoke a painful and increasing agitation, “I must even pursue my way on foot—for I have pro- mised to be at Dover by a certain hour to-mor- row :’—and as she thus spoke, she endeavoured to rise from the flock bed: but sinking back again with the weakness and exhaustion consequent upon her fall from the cuach-top, she clasped her hands in a despairing manner—murmuring, “ God! what will he think ?” Then a faintness came over her—and she sank down again upon the wretched couch, deprived of consciousness. 4 : & ” 3 i * * w » Meantime, in the apartment down stairs, Bob the Durrynacker and the Mushroom Faker had ex- plained to the Buttoner the accident relative to the night-coach, and the manner in which the fair dam- sel had fallen into their hands. “Well, I’ve no doubt but what my young woman MICLOOOKS (CO) (©)