The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

56 REYNOLDS’ WORKS however that I perceived the countenance of that form; it was merely the figure itself, and it was gliding along noiselessly as if with shoeless feet, as you yourself have just explained it. I was staggered; methought it was an hallucination. I passed my hand across my eyes, and when I looked again, the figure was gone. I proceeded to my chamber, en- deavouring to persuade myself that it was mere fancy on my part, but the idea haunted me. I repaired to the gardener’s room, to assure myself that it could not have been that man thus roaming stealthily about; I entered, he was sleep- ing soundly, I retired without awakening him. Then it occurred to me that some evil-intentioned individual might have got into the chateau. The night being windy and un- usually bleak for the season of the year, I enveloped myself in my cloak, secured a brace of pistols about my person, and prepared to issue forth to make the round of the premises. As you are perhaps aware, there is a stairease at each ex- tremity of the gallery, and doors are at the bottom of those staircases. I descended the stairs of that extremity where I had seen the form; the door at the bottom was locked, as usual, but a general pass-key which I have about me at once opened it. I went forth; I made the circuit of the building; I could distinguish no signs of any burglarious entry. I re- turned by a private staircase opening into this chapel, and the door of which is just behind that farther suit of armour. You may conceive my astonishment on beholding your lady- ship here.” Zoe had listened with the deepest attention to his narra- tive, — a narrative which appeared most materially to con- firm her own belief that what she had seen was very far from being a delusion. There was asilence of some minutes, dur- ing which both herself and Monsieur Volney were buried in profound thought, but it was at length broken by that gentle- man, who said, ‘‘ It is impossible, Lady Octavian, we can blind ourselves to the fact that we have indeed seen some- thing. But it were useless to inspire others beneath this roof with any apprehensions. Such I have already ascer- tained to be your ladyship’s own considerate idea, and there- fore I need not suggest that we keep silent on these points.” Zoe readily gave Monsieur Volney an assurance to a similar effect, and they separated. But when Lady Octavian once more found herself alone in her own chamber, she expe- CORNICLIOOKS (E(0)