The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

a aa cc a a a el - s TAE MYETKRIKR OF THE COURT. This occupied her until nearly mid-day—for she penned a very long letter, full of the tenderest and Aoudest expressions of sisterly love: and when it was finished ahe determined upon taking it herself to the post-office in Canterbury and changing the Bank-note at the same time. It was not often that Louisa quitted the cottage: but when she did, it was in the fall conviction that her poor helpless aunt would be properly attended to by the maid-servant. For Mary was a good- tempered, honest, and trustworthy young woman, —very simple-minded and even ignorant - but devoted to the ladies in whose service she had heen for four or five years, and especially attached to Miss Louisa. , Inher plain but tasteful apparel did the maiden sally forth—and in a quarter of an hour she entered the old eity of Canterbury. Her first care was to deposit the letter at the post-office; and thence she repaired to the establishment of the friendly banker of whom we have spvken in our First In- troductury Chapter. To this gentleman she explained the success of her sister's mission, upon which he offered his oon- gratulations : and, having procured change for the pute, she took her leave. At the same moment a person, dressed in a clerical suit of black, and who liad been receiving cash fur a cheque at the bank- ing- house, followed her out;—and. unnoticed by the maiden, he continued to watch her along two or three streets until she entered a grocer’s shop at which she was accustomed to deal. There she re- nuained for a few minutes, in order to make some tequisite purchases; aud on i-suing forth again she found herself face to face with the clerivally- dresred gentleman whom she had observed at the bankers. He politely made way for her to pass: but instead of entering the shop, he immediatly addressed her. “Pardon me, young lady,” he said, “but I wish to give you a friendly hint. I saw you receive a considerable suin of money just now; and you placed the roll of small Bank-notes which you ob- tained, in that pocket-bouk which you are now carrying in your hand. Might you not drop it— or leave it inadvertently behind you in some tradesman’s shop ?” “] thank youu, sir, for your kindness,” said Louisa, naturally supposing the advice to be prof- fered in a friendly and disinterested spirit—espe- cially as the gentleman evidently belonged to the church: and having secured the pocket-book about her person, the young lady saluted the struuyer with a graceful inclination of the head, and pas-ed on. But in a few minutes he was again by her eide: and in a voice that was full of benevolence and a manner that denoted a sort of paternal interest, he said, “ It seems that we are walking in the same direction: and if you do not demu, I will afford myself the pleasure of escorting you so far as our ways are identical.” Now, in sy ite of her inexperience, the teachings of her aunt, previous t) that goud relative’s afitic- tion—the education she had received—the results of her uscful readinga—and her own innate sense of propriety, all made Louisa aware that there was sumething singular and unusual, if not absolutely | a true dignity as maidenly as it was lady-like, she said, “I thank you, sir—but I am abont to visit several shops:” and she instantaneously eutered the establishment of another tradesman with whom she dealt. In the attention which Louisa now devoted to the purchases which she had to make at this shop, she almost immediately ceased to think of the little incident that had just occurred: but the stranger was all the while waiting at a short dis- tance, until she should come forth again. He was a man of about furty years of age, and would have been remarkably handsome.were it not for the sinister expressidn of his countenance and the lines which evil passions and dissipation had traced upon his features. His look was there- fore disagreeable—or at all events, not prepossess- ing: bat the world believed that it was profound study and deep thought that had fixed an air of settled seriousness upon his face and prematurely marked it with those harsh lines. For, as his ap- parel denoted, he was a clergyman: and although he had been but a short time resident iu Canter- bury, yet as his appointment to ecclesiastical pre- ferment in this city had arixen from strony interest in high quarters and frua aristucratic connexions, he had uot failed to find sycuphants and parasites ready to trumpet forth. his praises fur piety, honour, and moral worth, even before he had given a single proof that he was deserving of such adu- lation. That he was eloquent as a preacher, was however speedily shown ; and eluquence iu a par- son is frequently tuken as a guarantee for godli- ness likewise. Then, inasmuch as he was often exploring the antique nvoks, the subterranean Vaults or crypt, and the cloistral curiosities of the fine old cathedral, his reputstion as a man of an inquiring disposition and studious cast of mind was confirmed: aud thus was he looked upon wit! respect and veneration by the citizens of Canten bury geuerally. He was aumarried, and dwelt in an old but spa cious house in the immediate vicinage of the cathe, dral. This house had onoe belunged to the monastic establishment which was attached i. former times to the venerable pile; aud as it steod in a sort of court that was eutered by arched pas. sages in one direction, and an old gate-way in another, its site was as gloomy as its aspect. Tra- ditionary superatition declared that the place was haunted; aud assurediy, if the shades of the de- parted ever return to the soenes that were ouce familiar ty them upon earth, the house and the cuurt of which we are speaking appeared precisely. thuse where such spectra! visitatiuus would uccur. We have sliready said that the clergyman’s features were handsume: we may add that in per- son he was tall and well built. He possessed o splendid voice, which he could so modulate as to suit any style of discourse: thus was it sonur..us aud deep when in the most impressive parts of bis se:mouns or his conversation—melancholy aid softs when he wished to appeal to the finer feelings of his listenera—loud and thendering when he chose to be denunciatory—benevolent aud plaintive when he spoke as a kind pastor to a ducile flock. In the pulpit, eepecially, he appeared to the atmost : for there, being at too great a distance mdiscreet and improper, in the proposal of the | to allow the congregation to observe the true ex- everend geutieman. es em © eee Accordingly, with an air of | pression of his features, that countenance seemed Ts) i i i COMuicooOolkxs.conrn