The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 171: what you’re looking at

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

160 TIE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. evident this new thought was tending towards a dosperate resolve. Mabel was still too much a prey to her irritated feelings to notice the ominous ex- pression which Lady Saxondale’s countenance had gradually assumed; and after giving vent to some more of her ill-humour, she abruptly withdrew. ‘ This matter is a/so coming to a crisis!” muttered Lady Saxondale to herself as the door closed behind the housekeeper. “Mabel is now the most danger- ous of all those with whom I have to contend. But——” And she stopped suddenly short, while the sinis- ter lowering of her brows, the firm compression of her lips, and the decided air with which she turned towards the window, sufficiently indicated the adop- tion of some energetic resolve. Soon afterwards a footman entered to announce that dinner was served up. Lady Saxondale accord- ingly descended to the dining-room, where Juliana and Constance had already met. The three ladies dined alone together that day: there was no com- pany invited—and such a dinner was always held as the dullest thing in the world amongst people in high life. For the families of the aristocracy have seldom any resources of their own—while the frivo- lities and platitudes of fashionable life become weari- some to a degree, stale and flat beyond measure, when practised amongst themselves. Thus it is that they seldom dine without guests at their table. On the t occasion, therofore, the dinner-scene was tedious andinsipid to a degree: but little conversa- tion passed, and that was of a languid description. Nevertheless Lady Saxondale was the whole time watching Juliana’s countenance, without appearing to take any unusual notice of her. She looked, with the keen eye of a mother, to probe the young lady’s secret to the very uttermost, and ascertain if there were any indications to confirm her worst suspicion: The cloth was removed and the dessert was upon the table, when Francis Paton entered the room; and accosting Lady Saxondale, bent down and whis- pered something in a low voice. Her ladyship gave an involuntary start, and even turned pale for a mo- ment—all of which was observed by Juliana, though she appeared to be deeply oecupied at the moment in cutting off the rind from a slice of pine- apple. “Tell the person I will seo her in a few minutes,” said Lady Saxondale aloud. Francis Paton bowed and withdrew ; and her lady- “ Nonsense!” ejaculated Juliana. “We are get- ting too old for such mawkish sentimentaliem; and I for one mean in future to be my own mistress. But this woman——lI seueé go and ascertain if it be - she.” With these words Julians tripped forth from the dining-room which opened into the hall. On the opposite side was the parlour into which persons calling on any private business were usually shown; and it was in that parlour the young lady knew her mother to be now closetted with the woman whose arrival had been announced by Francis. No one was in the hall at the moment; and Juliana, unabie to resist the opportunity and the temptation, ap- proached the pariour-door. She heard a female voice speaking at the moment. “ Bat I insist upon it,” said this voices, in a per- emptory manner and with loud accents. “I insist upon it, I repeat.” “ Hush! do not be so violent,” immediately an- swered Lady Saxondaele in an imploring tone, which sounded si indeed when coming from her haughty lips. “How can J possibly do it? The police have got the matter in haad——” “ Yes: they have, and you have put them tee much on the right scent,” at once retorted the woman. “Chiffin—for that’s the name of the prin- cipal one—is a man too usefal to me af times to be parted with eo easily———” “But consider, my good woman,” urged Lady Saxondale, “how extraordinary it will seem if I send for the officer who has this matter in hand, and tell him that I would rather put up with the loss of my property than have him proceed farther in the matter. I cannot do it: it would compromise me seriously. Ask what you will fur yourself—I will give you more money——" “No—I am bent on this, and wil? have it dona,” rejoined the woman, in a still more tone than before. “ Don’t thwart me, Lady Saxondale: or else——” At this moment Juliana’s ear caught thesounds of footeteps ascending the stairs from the servants’ offices below ; and she was compelled to make a precipitate retreat into the dining-room. Terribly annoyed she was at being thus disturbed in the middle of listening to a discourse so fraught with a strange wild ‘interest, and of which she had just caught a sufficiency of the topic to excite her hve- liest curiosity. The little she had heard she at once repeated to her sister; and Constance was as- ehip, who evidently remained only for the sake of | tonished at the circumstance of any one possessing not appearing to be flurried by the announcement she had received, affected to talk eo little more blithely than she had ere now done. But ina few that she should retern almost directly. “IT am convinced,” said Juliana to Constance the moment the door closed behind their mother, “that the message she received was from the same old woman who called the night of the great dinner- | ' the power to dictate in such a way to her mother. Indeed, both the sisters were well nigh confinnded at what had taken place. The object of the woman, even from the little which had been said, was apparent enough: namely, to compel Lady Sexondale to put @ stop to the search which was being instituted by the police after the men who hed broken into the house. Then this woman must be intimately con- nected with those men? She had indeed said so! party. Iam certain it is. What would I give to Heavens! by what strange circumstance had such possible to go and listen at the parlour-door.” “No—do not risk it, dear Juliana,” stance. had not listened to-day when Mr. discover her business! But I do not see how jt is a woman acquired any power or influence over the haughty Lady Sexondale? Vain and bewildering Con. conjectures! “To tell you the truth, I almost wish we | * Constance,” said Juliana, in a tone far more called. serious and grave than she was often wont to adopt, 8 is so shocking a thing to have one’s confidence “I like this circumstance less than anything which | as over yet ocearred. The revelations our ears re- easken in one’s ewn mother |” COMM DOO (CO