The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

12 REYNOLDS’ WORKS chateau belonged fled to England, and for a few years the building remained shut up. At length the chateau and estate were given by the republican government to a gentle- man named Lenoir, and who had rendered some signal services by placing in the hands of the authorities certain correspondence that fell in his way, and which proved the existence of a great royalist conspiracy. Monsieur Lenoir was quite young, not above three or four and twenty; he was a staunch Republican, and, as I have said, he was rewarded for his services by having this chateau and the domain then be- longing to it conceded to him. He came to take possession, accompanied by an uncle with whom he had always lived, for he had been left an orphan at an early age. The uncle, your ladyship understands, was therefore young Monsieur Lenoir’s heir in case of his dying childless. About a year passed, and one day the inmates of the chateau were thrown into a state of alarm by the report that the young gentleman had been found dead in his bed. This was found to be only too true; he lay stretched upon the couch with his clothes on, and it was first supposed that he had died ina fit. But for some reason or another which the gardener does not recollect, suspicion of foul play attached itself to the uncle. The corpse of the deceased Lenoir was opened, and it was ascertained that he had been poisoned. “The uncle was arrested, tried, and condemned. Before his execution he confessed the crime, and explained that he had mixed the poison in a night-draught which his nephew was in the habit of taking for a feverish thirst which op- pressed him. From that period no tenant ever could be found for the chateau until about five years. ago, when Monsieur Volney took it. And now, my lady, for the point of the story. It is said that the spirit of young Lenoir has been seen in different parts of the building, and that sometimes an un- earthly sound, like a continuous wailing moan, has been heard. At first there was an old couple left in charge of the chateau, but they soon resigned their post, for they were nearly frightened to death. Others succeeded them; they saw the same spectacle, and heard the same noise. They therefore left also, until at last no one could be induced to take charge of the premises. Ah! I forgot to say that it is chiefly in this very passage young Lenoir has been seen, for it was in a room a little farther on, just be- ECORMICLIOOKS (E(0)