The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

THE CATASTROPHE 117 ‘“ And in what state of mind was he at the time, my lord? ” asked the coroner. ‘‘ He was much excited,’”’ responded the duke, “ for cir- cumstances had occurred— But doubtless the rumour has reached your ears? My poor brother protested his innocence — ”’ ‘‘ And did your Grace leave him in the village? ”’ asked the coroner. “No,” returned Hugh. ‘I sought to comfort and con- sole him, but when he learned that the duchess had left the mansion, he burst away from me in a sort of frenzy. Oh, I fear that his brain was turned — that madness had seized upon it. But still — still I cannot bring myself to think for a moment that he would have been guilty of this crime.” ‘We shall not trouble your Grace any farther,” said the coroner. The Duke of Marchmont rose from his seat, bowed to the assemblage, and passed slowly from the room, followed by the sincerest sympathies of all present. The landlord of the village inn was next examined as a witness. He deposed to the fact of Bertram having passed about three hours at the tavern in the afternoon and evening of the day preceding the night of the murder, that he was violently excited the whole time, and that he had rushed away in the frenzied state of which his brother had just spoken. Two of the housemaids belonging to the mansion were next examined in succession, and their statement was to the effect that while arranging the chamber occupied by Bertram during his stay at Oaklands, they had seen the dagger lying amongst a few other curiosities, which, as they understood, Bertram had brought with him from the United States. The man servant who had especially attended upon Bertram during his visit was the next witness, and he de- posed to the fact that Bertram had shown him the dagger, explaining at the time that it had been long in the possession of some celebrated Indian chief who died a few months previous to Bertram’s departure from Washington. The dagger, we should observe, was of very peculiar workmanship, and once seen, could not possibly have been mistaken. Witnesses were now examined to relate the particulars in respect to the dog. It had been found that Pluto was mortally wounded by a pistol-bullet, but the weapon itself Com a LOOKS (C(O)