The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 360: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES. dady—or, ia vulgar terma, my wife. How lung will ‘supper be before it’s ready ?” “ Halfan-hour, sir,” was the answer: “ leastways, "three quartevs at the outside—'cause there's a bit -of bam a-biling. to eat with tho fowl.” * Well, then,” said Mr. Page, in a masing tone as pe turned towards his wife, who had been admis- ing the statues aad vases in the marble hall while the preeeding colloquy took plase between her hus- band:and the ancient domestis: “I think we may ~as well cemmence our work this evening. At all events, I should like to-sort and seal up the papers to-night.” “ What's ta prevent.us?” demanded Julia. “ You have heard that there’s three quarters of an hour till supper-time—and we may. doa great deal io Bhat interval. For gied yon, I don't mean to aleep in this house to-morrow night. It’s enough, in all -eamseiones; to. sleep here one night—with the re- tieu thea the. place has:gat.” “Oh! that’s all nonsense, Julia!’ enclaimed Mr. Page. “I only wieh Six Riebard would make you and me a present of the Manor:on condition that we snast live in it nine menths out of every year: I don’t think we should forfeit possessien, let it beever eo desperately baunted.” “ Haunted indeed!" egaculated Mrs. Bryan,. cateh- ing at the word as a new pivot whereon her garrulity had an opportunity of turning. “There's no doubt about its being haunted Why—after the terrible business took place, and her ladyship died, the servants left one after another, ’oause it was soon knowed that the sperret of her ladyship walked—-—” “ Trash !|—nonsense!” exclaimed Mr. Page. ‘‘ An enlightened man—gentleman, I mean—like me, ecoms such si:ly notions. But how happens it that if her ladyship watks, as you call it,—how bappens 4t, I should like to know, that you have courage enough to liveall alone in the house?” “ N ot exactty:all alone, sir,” replied Mrs. Bryan: “"eause my busband’s with me—and he takes care | of the grounds. But if we wasn’t poor people and giad to earn an honest penny any-how, I'm sure we shouldn't have undertook the charze of the Manor when the regular serpvants—housekesper, gardener, footmen, cook, maids, and all—deserted it in the fashion they did. Leastways——” “Pray cease to inflict your ‘leastwaye’ upon us, my good: woman,” said the pragmetical Mr. Page; ond tell us honestly and truly whether you ever aaw the ghost of her ladyship ?” “TI can’t say that I ever seed: anything, sir,” an- | Swered Mrs. Bryan : “ bat I’ve heerd a many strange - Qoises which has quite freezed the blood in my ' veins and made my ’air stand ap——”’ . Why, you arrant old hambag,” ejaculated Mr. _ Page; “ you wear a wig! Hew can you look me in - the face, and talk about your hair standing on end ? i suppose you will be telling us sext that your teeth ) ' chattered?” he added, the point of lis: remark ex- ' Asting in the fact that the ancieut dame had no teeth at all. | « Well, sir—I didn’t mean no offence,” she said, ) with a good humour that was -irwporturbable. } ‘ When I epoke of my air standing on. on:}, & was | What i’ve heerd called a figger of spnech:~-er some- thing of that kind. Dut raly and tralg, ane aul my husband have heerd strange noises at times;—and if 1¢ wasn’t an object to us to live rent-frer, have the use of the wegitables, and ten shillings a-week into service of them as becomes the owners of the estate after the sale,—if it wasn’t for all this, I was eaying, we shouldn’t remain here no longer—or yet have stayed eo long.” “ Then you know that the Manor and the park are to be sald by private eontract—eb ?” said Page. “To be sure, sir. A many gentlemen and ladies has been to look at it. They tell us that the.cale’s to take place next week,” said Mrs, Bryan. “I don’t know how true the report may be—-—” “It is quite trues,” observed Mr. Page. “ Sir Riohard Stamford feels that he ean never live here again after all that bas cecusred—and he wants to dispose of the place as-scen as possible. Next week, ae you have been informed, the sale will moet pro- bably be accomplished. I and my indy are intimate friends of Sir Richard’s—indeed, I may say we are bosem friends,” contmned the ex-trayeller pom- pously; “asd he has teatified his regard for us by honouring.us with his confidence on the present 00- casion, For I suppose you are aware of our pur pose in visiting the Manor, my good woman “Sie Richard tells my hasband and me in his letter that you're going to take away all the papers and wallyables——”" “Say valuables, if you please,” interrupted Mr. Page: “it is more claasical.” “ Well—how much longer is this.nensense going to continue ” asked Julia. “If you mean to look over the papers this evening, we had better begin at once.” “True, my dear spouse,” observed Mr. Page. “Now, my good woman, have the kindness to con- duct us to the study or library, as the case may be—and if you get supper ready in about tliree quarters of an hoar, it will be time enough. We will attend to business first, and enjoy ourselves afterwards.” Mra Beyan lighted a parlourdamp by means of the candle which she carried in her hand ; and she then led the way to the library. Placing the lamp on a handsome desk which steod in the room, shu would have renewed the conversation with all the pertinacity of her garralous temperament, had not Julia unceremoniously bade her rctire—an order which she obeyed with perfect good humour and a low curteey. Mr. Page deposited his hat and cloak on a chair, while Julia likewise laid aside her bonnet and . mantle; and, having taken a rapid survey of the apartment and its namereus shelves filled with ele- gantiy: bound books, they proceeded to inspect the contents of the desk, the keys of which the ex-tra- “You remember,” said Mra. Page, “that all the dence which’ ever passed between Sir Richard and the bankers is to.be preserved.” “ F have forgotten none of the instructions which the baronet gave us, my dear,” retarned Page. “ You are qiite::right—the letters you mention are to be preserved, in cams they should be wanted for the winding wp of the affairs of the bank. Well, it’s a lucky thing for Sir Richard that he will have saved from the wreck of bis property eo much more than he at first anticipated. I: made me quite happy to see him in such good spirits. yesterday at Windsor. But what isa that bundle of papers you have just taken out of the little drawer there?’ demanded bee Page of his wife Dp teas. e &5\ the bargain—with the chanes of being retained inthe ( an EOMICHOOOKS.Com