The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 215: what you’re looking at

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204 made by Lord Everton to provent the rescue of the ime loose dressing -gown. “Oh! do not be persuaded against a good deed, she exclaimed, in earnest tal to Lady —adl “Whoever you are, and whatever you may be, I conjure you to accomplish this night’s work tho- roughly. The unfortunate being for whom I have appealed, is under some dread coercion here—« strange mystery surrounds him--——” “Ah! this becomes more and more interesting !” exclaimed Lady Bess. “ But let us see the indi- vidual we ere speaking of. “One word in varer!* eried Lord Everton, as THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. temporary abeence some endeavour bad been | cied that from there must have descended the lamentations and that thrilling cry which she had heard one night. The door was however locked: but « crowbar from Chiffin’s pocket speedily foreed >! itepen. The room which they now entered, end which was tolorably well furnished, was found tw be wnoccupied ; bus it evidently had not been ‘long without a tenant: for the bed hai not been made since it was last slept im, while other indications if clutching nervously at some last resource. “Only | trating | one word, I beg—I entreas !* Bees accordingly approached the nobleman, and bent down her head to catch what he had to say: then turning away again after he had whie pered a few hurried syllables in her ear, sho ex- claimed aloud, “Two thousand guincas—eh ? not to interfere any further! The offer is a tempting one: but it strikes me that if it be worth ef mubh for your lordship to pay to keep the alleged lunatic in custody, it must be worth double or treble the sum for us to set him free. We will do the latter.” “ Mind what you are about,” growled Chbiffin ia a low voice, as he drew Lady Hess aside for a mo- ment. “Two thousand guineas isn’t to be sneesed at.” “ Leave me to manage,” was Lady Bese’s prompt but whispered answer. “From something I have heard suspicions are afloat in my mind: and I rather think that we may make this night's business worth many thousands of pounds to us.” “Well, you know best,” said Chiffin, yielding te added, speaking to Mat the Cadger and Spider Bill, “ will remain here for a few minutes to mount guard over the prisoness and see that these women do not leave the room.”’ “One word more!” cried Lord Eveyton; “ only one word—one last word—I “Not a word—not a yeu !” Bess: and as she passed out of the room, followed by Chiffin and Henrietta, the wretched old noble- ” exclaimed Lady | i top. It was secured by a staple and a padlock; but Chiffin’s crowbar speedily foreed these obsta- cles. The quick trampling of fect, as if some one were rushing towards the trap-door, meé¢ the ears of tha searchers: and the moment the door itealf was removed, Henrictta beheld, by the light of the lamp, tho ghastly and unmistakable countenance of her unknown friend, gazing in mingled terror and suspense down the opening. It was a long loft to which Lady Bess, the Oan- mibal, and Henrietta had thus found their way: end until the moment when the light of tha lemp developed the featurcs of the scene, the captive had been entombed in darkness. <A. truckle bedstead, a washing-stand, a table, a ohsir, end « few other “ Speak to him; he seems 40 recegnice you,” said Lady Bess to Henrietta. “We come to deliver you, if you like to go away with us,” the young maiden accondingly said, ia the gentle accents of her eweetly muusical voice. “ Yes, yee—I will ge away with yeu,” was the delivened ; CO