The Mysteries of London; or, Lights and Shadows of London Life — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

rr gre repr erste ne em = Sms THE MYSTERIES OF LONDON, 74 tured on the painted slides of the phantasmagoria. Turks and Greeks, Saracens and crasaders, brigands, sailors, and punchinellos, all got fused down at last into one indistinguishabie mass; and then he felt the centre of his body become a pivot, round which his head and feet were spinning with indescribable velocity, as though he had been an impaled cockchafer. It was with a throat and baked with extreme thirst, and a taste of punch clinging to his palate, that he | after a brief and feverish slumber, and a stern 1 tion was immediately taken to shun the rec of such scenes for the future, and be content y life of less excitement, even if it should ap -_ ‘the dullness which Mr. Chuckers designated ag * slow.” —_——— CHAPTER XVI. DISCOVERIES, On the high road between Warrington there is an ancient mansion, originally bui time of James II., and which, deriving its, from the title of a former owner, is known throughout the neighbourhood by the name of “ Bradley Hall.” Through a thick avenue of trees that wij lodge up the sloping sides of a gentle e may be discerned a glimpse of its grey ont worn turrets, battered and blackened in t Chester t about the contest with the elements, and a closer inspection wi reveal throughout structure marked evi- dence of the neglect a a suffered that once goodly baronial at the l into ruin and decay. Among the village, close to which it was situated, 5 bad of course assigned various wenene for tha at g been ao long uptenanted, No person had lived there since the commencement of the present century, and except when the ontale Gib who came down from London twice a year, ments got ready for him in the bui gna foe ever traversed those silent and deoorted chambers, With the recollection of a certain fox-hunting squire, who had been nearly the last dweller therein, and who, in a fit of drunken delirium, had terminated his existence by blowing out his brains—thereby dis- proving the generally received opinion that he was in that respect deficient—some had given out the usual explanation ofits being haunted; others, with greater probability, alleged that the sum demanded for its purchase was more than those who had been in treaty for its occupation felt inclined to invest ; but the most likely supposition, and one that found more favour with the better informed, was a belief that the agent, who was the representative of a nobleman, to whom the property had been heavily mortgaged by a former owner, was too shrewd a man to yield possession of the premises, when the investigation into his accounts, that would attend upon the transfer of the lease, might lead to some awkward revelations of the manner in which the produce of the land adjoining had been appropriated. There was considerable excitement, therefore, in the little village of Bradley, when towards the close of a summer's afternoon, a few days after the ovents recorded in the earlier chapters, a barouche and pair rattled into the quiet hamlet; and passing through the great gates up to the very doors of the hall, caused a report to be spreal among the gaping vil- lagers that & tenant had at last been found for the answered the -—— —_—— ~~ _ —— Heedless of the animated conversation to which his unexpected entry had given rise amid the loungers outside, the gentleman who was presumed to have effected this purchase, and who was a tall personage of about forty, with features strongly marked, and of a robust, muscular figure—stepped out of the vehicle, Ushered with many an obsequious bow into the lobby, as the horses were driven onward to the he turned round to his conductor, who was an that had long resided in the lodge as gate-keeper, and «| inquired if the agent, whom he anticipated meeting there, had yet arrived. inn, man “TI am expecting Mr, Jarvis every moment,” y-headed gate-keeper, referring to a letter he held in his hand; “ he wrote me word that he should be here by five o’clock, but it is now more sn ang ei ; and may I ask,” he added, in a w interrupted by the short asthmatic cough of us are the hing» ete sir, Oe hen ae look at the hall, and be most likely our or” By is Sir John A Areas. | “ Barrington,” ? Let me see—the name the other, relieving the old man from the ity which his indifferent eye- sight caused him, If I approve of the house and grounds, upon a further marvey to-morrow, I shall no doubt become the “Ah! gig, the rooms are sadly out of repair,” » | groaned the crhepery 4 Oh, alas! it is a long time since Squire orcell aad merry-makings in them. I was only a young cee he a hat I used to help the gardener to work in the gro b a I Te eationies him very well, He was Ay =F enough; a little to 18 the bay en 3 kind, liberal nate fo a his employ.” ‘‘ And forty years, I beligye, have elapsed since the ball was last inhabited as 9 family residence?” pur- suec the stranger, inquiringly, and contemplating, with keen, piorcing eyes, ruinous condition to which the place was reduced; ‘are the visits of Mr. Jarvis frequent oo re?” * Frequent! oh! dear no, sir,” was the reply, ac- companied by a regretful shake of the head; “he seldom comes more than twice a year, to receive the rents of some farms that belong to the estate. This is the period when he applies for the Midsummer quarter. There are a few rooms in the east wing which are less damaged than the rest, and we haye fitted up two of these against his arrival, according to: the orders he has sent us,” | The sound of a gig travelling quickly over, the gravelly ground leading up to the mansion here. an- nounced the approach of the agent himself, “ This is Mr. Jarvis, I dare say,” remarked the. keeper, hobbling towards the portico, Lm i wih him, Sir John, that you have arriy . “Do so,” answered the stranger, briefly ; “and ‘add that I wish to speak with him the moment he has leisure. I will amuse myself with a saunter over the building until he becomes disengaged.” ‘The speaker, with this intention, ascended the broad rambling staircase, and passed on tothe upper rooms, which had that day been unlocked and thrown open for the purposes of ventilation. There was, however, a cold and cheerless look about. that yast Nae ture which left a melancholy i rode a grandeur on the mind. i once richly embossed paper that decorated the walls had either peeled off in huge flaky fragments, or got stained and effaced by damp and dirt, The gilt mouldings and carved cor- nices were worn crumbling away, and the floor was mMiGcbooks:com | - _ (EO)