The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 236: what you’re looking at

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

—_ THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 223 forbiaien ‘regtons ?* asked the royal voluptuary, How déixed with &n gqrdent Mnging to witness the effect of the galltry’s contents upén Ernestisia, whoké passiory he hoped'tp eee flame up to a thadde itch, — ' “Fo speak candidly,” she replied, “I have wished to penetrate into the secrets of those apartments : but I have never found an opportanity. The door has always been locked——” . “Ah! you liltle vixen,” exclaimed the Prince, patting her cheek: “you have tried the door, then °” “Do you not know that woman’s curiosity is as ' great as ‘her capacity for love?” said Ernestina, - “But bave yon ever visited those epartnaste—7o who are 60 intimate with my ancle?” - “J have, degrest Ernestina® responded the Prince: “and I can assure you that they contain the choicest specimens of statuary and painting. Ahf now I should rejoice to become your guide there “I¢ is impossible,” said Ernestina, rising from the sofa and trying the door. You perceive it is locked—and I dare not ask Brockman for the keys, even if my uncle had left them in his pos- session,” she added, returning to her seat. “Are you not aware that there is a secret en- trance from the dressing-room of the uis ?” inquired the Prince: then, without waiting for an: answer, he exclaimed, “ But of course you are not —otherwise you would long ago have obtained access to the apartments by that means of commu. nication.” * No doubt,” exclaimed Ernestina, laughing, and displaying the rows of pearl which embellished her mouth. “I will not affect a virtue which I do not possess: and now that you have raised my cu- rioalty, you sball indeed become my guide and companion in a visit to those rooms. But wait an instant, while I assure myself that the coast is clear.” Thus speaking, the lady again started from her seat by the Prince's side, and went to look fprth upon the landing. No one was there—and she beckoned his Roya] Highness to follow hastily. He at once obsyed—and they passed together into her veil the drcreee This they oe gad gntered the dressing-room: hut aaw no trace of g doar ip the wall which separated that dressing-ropm from the private quite of apartments. “You aye more pyszied than if you ware wil- dered in the maze at Hampton Conrt,® cried the Prinoa, laughing; thep, having pregsed his lips upon her fair shoulder ag he threw bie arm for’ a moment round her waist, he said, “ Look here.” Thus speaking, he presged hia thumb upon a perticulay spot on the ee oe a om eae y New open. Bounding past the Prince, Ernestina sped into the room thus revealed to her: but a ary of led amazement and alarm burst from her lips, her eyes encountered the er-to-be-fargo preven tos forgotten face of Daniel Coffin the CHAPTER LAI. THE PRISONER IN THE CHAYR. Ar that ejaculation of terror, the Prince sprang from the dressing-room, just in time to catch Lady Ernestina Dysart in his arms as she was recoiling from the hideous spectacle of that than whom she never saw hor thought of without associating nim with the ghastly horrors of death and the grave: for the incidents of the night at the Blackheath villa were impressed on her brain as indelibty as if seared there with a red-hot iron. “Who the devil is this fellow?” exclaimed the Prince, the moment his looks lighted upon the Hangman: but the next instant he burst out into such an ancontrollable fit of laughter that all Ernestina’s terror vanished, and she planced again towards the object of her aversion in order to discover the cause ot her royal companion’s sudden jocularity. oe And now she saw what sho had not at first per- ceived—namely, the ignominious as well as lu- dicrous manner in which Daniel Coffin was held captive in the chair: and a smile wavered upon her beauteous lips, despite the abhorrence and loathing which she entertained for that man. Tho whole trath flashed to her comprehension in a mo- ment: for she was not so innocent nor so igex- perienced as to remain long in donbt as to the real uses Which that treacherous chair was intended to servo :—and it likewise struck her that the Hang- man, instead of leaving the house on the pre- ceding evening, bad stolen up into this suite of apartments and had fallen into a trap which her precious uncle was wont to set for a fairer and lovelier prey than that which it had now caught. On his side, the Hangman had ingtantaneously recognised the Prince Regent, whose person was no stranger to him: and, momentarily aghast with dismay, the wretch sate glaring wildly on hig Royal Highness. But speedily recovering his wonted presence of mind—especially when he saw that the Prince treated the affair as such a capital joke—he growled forth, “ Well, can't you release @ poor devii? I have been fast here ever since ten o’clock last night!” } “Oh! the fellow Will kill me—positively kill me with laughing !° cried the Prince, actually writhing with paroxysms of mirth as he leant against the wall for support, while the tears streamed down his cheeks now purple from the same cause, “Qhf this is too good—too rich! Ernestina, why don's you enjoy it as I do?” “Enjoy it, by goles!” growled the Hangman, savagely. “X don’t think your Ro al Highness would enjoy it very much either! Its no joke to pass a night locked up in an infernal chair tna is worse than the stocks, barring the pelting o. the rotten ergs.” “ Well, I never laughed so much in all my Ufe!* exclaimed the Prince, the humorous fit now gra- dually seBuiding : then, as he closed the door open- ieg from the dressing-room, he said, “ Ernestina, do you know our captive friend here? I can’t congratalate him upon the pleasantness of his aspect—and if men’s countenances were to be taken as bail, I am very sure his would never be accepted, een ant GOnMGoOO CO