The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 161: what you’re looking at

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

150 THE MYSTERIES. ; pis persou—his valet, William Dudiey. Bat this individual had been in the service of the family for several years ; and his character was considered te be unim Besides, did net William Dad- ley testify the most affectionate interest towards his young master ?—did he not even weep at times when Arther spoke in his preseace of the unknown malady that was carrying him silently and rapidly to the tomb? Yes—but human nature is capable of such vile hypocrisy ! These were the thoughts which now occupied the Hon. Arthur Eaton; and they bewildered him sorely. He had read of wretches living in the middle ages, and who were euch adepts ia compounding secret poisons that the agua tophana, one ef the most mysterious and deadly venoms ever invented by any votary of that detestable school, was repre- vented to have produced upon jts victims effects similar to this malady which was undermining him- self. Was it possible that the appalling secret could ‘ave been revived in the present age?—and was it in the keeping of that old midwife hag ? The presumption was that an affirmative might be given to these questions. Nevertheless, was it not probable that his ears had deceived him, and that the word “ aztidote” had not been uttered as he was recovering from his swoon ?— was it not likely that the reminiscence of the two receipts was uppermost in his mind as he returned to consciousness, and that the earliest idea which then dawned in apon him had been mistaken by his fevered fancy for a word breathed by the lips of those near him?—or, again, was it not possible that, even if that word had been spoken, it was used by an old hag ignorant of its true meaning and applied by her te some specific medicine of her own? Then came the conviction that it was Fernanda’s lips which had breathed this word ;—and Eaton felt the assurance growing stroager and stronger in his mind that accident had placed him in the way to unravel mysterious and terrible things. At all events the copies of the receipts were in his possession ; and a skilfal chemist would explain to him the real nature and tendency of each. It being now eleven o’elock, he rang the bell ; and his valet almost immediately answered the summons, ' Without appearing te regard him more atten- tively than usnal, Mr. Baton nevertheless scanned william Dadiey’s countenance with covert keen- : but not a lincament—not a feature—not a took betrayed anything sinister on the part of that man. Of middle age, florid complexion, light hair, good figure, and most respectable appearance, the valet seemed to be a person incapable of doing a dishonest deed, much more of perpetrating a crime of the blackest dye. Eaton was again baffled and bewildered: but he resolved to permit his mind to come to no decisive opinion until he should have fathomed those mys- teries of which he had as yet only commenced the bare initiative study. Haviny laid aside his garments, Arthur retired to rest; and the valet arranged the night-table as usual hy the sije of the couch. A lamp, the means of procuring a speedy light, a book, a decanter of water, and a tumbler were invariably placed in this manner within his reach. He could not bear a hght in thc room when he felt inclined w sleep: but he chose to have the materials for pamnek vetio® | one, inasmoch as be frequently | boers, which he endearotred to while away by reading. He suffered much from thirst; et was ne unosual thing for him to empty canter of water daring the night. At all events bo never failed to drink at least one tumbler | The valet, having arranged the nignt-table in the manner described, quitted the reom. Sleep did not immediately visit Arthur's = | it and as he lay meditating upon the singular inci- dents of the evening, it suddenly ocourred to him that the fluid which had been poured down his throat by Mrs. Lindley, and which was denominated the antidote, was tasteless. By a nataral sequence in his ideas, he reflected that such a Said, if it were white,—for he did mot catch a glimpse of the botie that was applied to his lips,—would easily be ad. ministered in pare water. Then came the thought | that if his valet actually were the wretch through , whose poison had been given to him, the , decanter nightly placed by his side was the means » by which the deadly potion was conveyed into his eystem., But a chemist would give him explanations on | this head as well as with respect to the copies of the two receipts. Slumber at length fell upon the eyes of the Hon. Mr. Eaton; and, awaking at an earlier hour than usual, he fancied that he felt the least thing better. The reader may be sure that he had not touched the water in the decanter during the night: but now, rising from his bed, he emptied its contents inte a bottle, which he looked up in one of his drawers. First, however, he poured a few drops into the tumbler, so as to give the glase the ap- pearance of having been used, Retarning to his couch, he rang the bell for his valet; and when that individual appeared, Eaton, who watched him narrowly without seeming to do 60, observed that he cast an immediate and hasty look towards the decanter. Nevertheless, there might be nothing in this: it was perhaps accidental ~—~and moreover Eaton’s suspicions were calculated to invest very trivial ocourrences with the import- ance of proofs of guilt. At all events the time had not come to acouse William Dadley; and he therefore behaved towards him with his wonted urbanity and kindness. Having risen and perforned his toilette, Arthur sent a verbal apology to his father, Lord March- mont, for absenting himself from the breakfast- table, on the plea that he was engaged to partake of that meal with a friend, The fact was that he could restrain his curiosity uo longer—he fel: that he should be anable to eat another mouthful of food until he bad consulted a chemist: for he had the strengest hope, amounting almost to a presen- timent, that the matters which he was about to in- vestigate were of the importance of life or death to himeelf! With the copy of the receipts in his pocset, and the bottle of water beneath his cloak, Arthur Eaton sallied forth from his father’s noble mansion in Hanover Square; and directing his steps towards Bond Street, he entered the shop of a celebrated chemist who supplied the family with the medicine made up according to a physician's prescription. Mr, Beadford—for such was the chemist’s name —was surprised at receiving so early a visit from AOC COMM @