The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 305: what you’re looking at

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

274 THE COURT OF LONDON of Bellenden, and other noble personages. Other inquiries which I afterward made led to the information that this Fernanda Aylmer is now Lady Holderness; and from what I have gleaned of her personal appearance, her hair is of a dark glossy brown, her eyes a deep blue, her complexion is brilhantly fair — ” | | “ Just the description of the masked lady of our adven- ture so far as we could catch a glimpse of her features at all,”’ exclaimed the Magsman. “ There can be no doubt that you have hit upon the right Fernanda, Poll; besides, the name is SO very uncommon — ”’ ‘And more than that,” interrupted the red-haired young woman, “ the crest on the signet-ring which you gave me is that of the Bellenden family, to which Lady Holderness is related.”’ ‘Ah! now we are indeed getting into the right track,” said the Magsman. ‘“‘ What do you think, Stephen, if Poll was to go straight to Lady Holderness’s house, demand an interview with her, accuse her pointblank of being the lady who enticed the young gentleman from the farmhouse, and whose name he called out in his anguish just before we threw him into the hollow buttress of the bridge — ”’ ‘No, no,” interrupted the Big Beggarman; ‘‘ we mustn’t adopt any plan without mature consideration. I don’t approve of Poll’s going on a mere haphazard adventure to Lady Holderness — ”’ ‘Well, let us think over it until to-morrow, Stephen,” said the Magsman. “ At all events I feel pretty sure we’re upon the right track to unravel the mystery of the murder at the bridge, the shifting of the coffin-plates in the vault, and the altering of the register in the vestry. I really can’t help recapitulating all those incidents, they were so very singular.” ‘““T was told this morning,”’ said Poll, ‘‘ that Lady Holder- ness is engaged with her cousin Lord Montgomery in carrying on a lawsuit against that same Lady Bellenden whose crest is on the signet-ring. The suit is all about the family estates of the Bellendens in Warwickshire — ”’ “ And who can tell but that the forgery committed by the masked lord in the vestry was somehow or another connected with this lawsuit? ”’ exclaimed the Big Beggar- man. EGOmicsdooks (E()