The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 178: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG BARONET 155 but still the young maiden clung to Edgar as if she were yet without a positive idea of safety. The attorney saw that the new baronet was in no con- dition of mind to issue such commands as were requisite under the circumstances, and he therefore undertook that duty himself. ‘““ Remove the body of your late master, begone from the room, every one of you, let Mr. Ashton, who is a prisoner down-stairs, be immediately liberated, tell him what has occurred, and show him the way hither. As for you, vile wretch,” he added, turning to the negress, “‘ tramp! and if you take yourself off from the mansion at once, there will be no harm done.”’ Then the lawyer’s eyes settled sternly upon Mrs. Oxenden, as if he meant to issue the same imperious advice to her, but she looked as 1f she were about to sink down on the carpet in a fit, and Mr. Andrews left the words unspoken. The commands which he had uttered were however promptly obeyed; the negress disappeared in afiright, the corpse of the deceased baronet was borne from the apartment, the document on which the blood gushed forth was likewise removed, the posse of domestics withdrew, and in a few moments afterward Christian Ashton entered the drawing- room. | ‘‘ Laura, dearest Laura,’ exclaimed Sir Edgar Beverley, “give your hand in welcome to this, my best and dearest friend, — the being whom next to yourself I must love the most sincerely. You have yet to learn the immensity of obligation which is due from us both to Mr. Ashton.”’ The young maiden — who by this time had recovered a sufficiency of her self-possession, if not of positive mental composure, to understand that it was not all a dream, but a startling reality — at once gave her hand to our young hero, whom she then recognized as the same individual that had lent his succour when the accident occurred to the carriage. Christian’s countenance was exceedingly pale, for the news of Sir John Steward’s death had been com- municated as abruptly as the incident itself had occurred; and much as he had loathed and abhorred the man, yet he could not remain unsusceptible of horror at his awful fate. “You experience, my dear Ashton,” said Beverley, “the same feeling as myself. I am shocked and appalled, , CORMICLOO© <S (CO)