The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 388: what you’re looking at

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

THE SECRET EXPEDITION | 355 stealing over her. It even seemed as if Mrs. Ranger herseli were some evil genius leading her to destruction; and the very sounds of their footfalls, gentle though the tread of ladies always is, sounded through the stupendous silence of the night dread and terrible to her ears. At length, just as Agatha’s terrors were so increasing upon her that she felt as if she must cry out, they reached a gate- way over which the light was burning in the form of a dull oil lamp that only just rendered the outlines of a sombre- looking house discernible amidst the darkness. The build- ing was not large, but certainly had a most gaollike appear- ance, and when the door was opened by an old woman and Agatha was led by Mrs. Ranger into a vestibule, or hall, of dark-coloured wood elaborately carved, it seemed to the young lady as if she were entering the precincts of a church. A chill more icy than any she had this night experienced struck to the very marrow of her bones, and when a low and deeply set door opened from the side of the hall, showing a light within as feebly glimmering as the lamp outside, Agatha really fancied that 1t was the interior of a vault thus suddenly revealed to her. But at the same instant that doorway was darkened by the appearance of a thin, pale, keen-eyed individual, of middle age, and whose black -costume denoted the physician. The first glance thrown upon him at once created the impression that he was a clever man, but an unprincipled one, — a man who would as soon take a life as save it, and as readily administer a cup of poison as the balm of anodyne, provided the murderous employer’s bribe was greater than the victim-patient’s fee. ‘““ Walk in, ladies,’’ he said, assuming as courteous a tone as possible, and accompanying it with two or three low bows. “ I was expecting you according to appointment. You may retire, Mavolta.”’ This intimation was addressed to the old woman who had. opened the gate, and who now withdrew accordingly, while Agatha, accompanied by Mrs. Ranger, entered the place where the lamp was burning, and which was a little parlour fitted up in a manner so sombre as to wear quite a funeral appearance. The doctor, however, hastily made a motion as 1f about to light another lamp, but Mrs. Ranger at once said, in a significant tone, “‘ Spare yourself that trouble, sir; did I not charge you when I last saw you, that if I brought CoOnniclooolks (C(O)