The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 252: what you’re looking at

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

THE CONFESSION 225 “ Procure writing materials,’ said Mr. Slater to the con- stable. ‘‘ Return with them, that you may act as a witness of the confession which this remorse-stricken being is about to make.” The constable withdrew, and during his temporary absence a profound silence reigned in the cell, the eyes of Makepeace being bent downward, and the light of the lantern left by the officer playing with a ghastly effect upon his pallid, haggard countenance, which wore an air of the deepest de- jection. The constable returned, and Mr. Slater arranged the writing materials in a manner as convenient as the cir- cumstances of the cell would permit. Makepeace continued to be absorbed in his solemnly awful reverie for some minutes before he broke silence, and when he did again speak, his voice was lower and sounded more hollow, more sepulchral than hitherto. ‘““T mean at once to speak of the particular night when the crime was committed,’’ began the murderer. ‘‘ His lordship the late earl had for some time slept apart from her ladyship, and it was my duty to attend upon him in his dressing-room whensoever he performed his toilet. On the evening in question I attended his lordship in that dressing-room, as usual, when he was about to retire for the night; and this, as near as I can recollect, was a quarter to eleven o’clock. There was evidently something which the earl wanted to say to me, and which I knew by his manner was affording him gratification to contemplate. Presently he began by observing that there would shortly be a bridal in the family, and that we should all be very busy for the next few days in making preparations for it; and then he added, ‘ Yes, there can be no doubt, Makepeace, everything is going on very comfortably; matters are coming to an issue at last. Lord Osmond and Miss Vincent will go together to the altar.’ ‘“‘ His lordship then proceeded, in his own peculiar style, to descant upon a variety of arrangements which he had already thought of for the bridal, and amongst other things he spoke of the wedding-presents which he intended to make to his niece Miss Vincent. ‘ Makepeace,’ he said, ‘ the eve- ning before the wedding-day we will have all the gifts ar- ranged upon the table in Isabella’s dressing-room. She shall not know anything about it previously, so that when she retires for the night she will be most agreeably surprised. CORNICLOO© <S (CO)