The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 241: what you’re looking at

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

212 THE COURT OF LONDON walls, and that the stains of murder met her looks on every side. Naturally of a strong and decisive character, the young princess endeavoured to cast off this superstitious feeling which was gaining upon her. But she could not. Recent experience, together with the dark, mysterious hints that in various ways and at different times met her ears, had made her aware that the royal personages of the present age were fully capable of abhorrent perfidies, base con- spiracies, and most probably of flagrant crimes, and if such were the case at the beginning of the nineteenth century and in an age of civilization, of what horrors and of what atrocities might former royal families have been guilty, in earlier periods and in darker times? Oh, had not the walls of Windsor Castle been witnesses of scenes whereof no memory remained and no record was kept, save in the eternal registers of heaven’s chancery? And was it not probable that every room, every chamber, every nook, and every corner of that castellated abode of England’s kings had been the theatre of some remorseless deed or foul midnight murder? | These were the ideas that came trooping through the brain of the princess, producing upon her the same effect as if a procession of shrouded spectres passed before her view, and, unable to endure the awful nature of her thoughts, she rose from her seat and advanced toward the fireplace. But as her eyes fell upon the mirror above the mantel, it struck her that some horrible countenance was looking over her shoulder. A shriek rose to her very lips as she turned abruptly around with a strong recoil, but the scream died instantaneously away ere it found vent, for there was nought near her, nothing palpable to alarm her, and she saw that she was the prey of a fevered fancy. ‘Terror, however, parched her tongue and made her throat feel as dry as if she had swallowed ashes, and advancing toward a table, she filled a glass with water and conveyed it to her lips. But at that moment a gust of wind swept with such violence against the window that the casement rattled as 1 some intruder were trying to force an entry, and the splendid draperies waved backward and forward with the draught as if some one were concealed behind and purposely shaking them. ECORNIECLOOKS EO)