The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 275: what you’re looking at

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

= )0lUlUlUlUltltCtCUOECOOO OO! SI to curdle in her veins—the pulsations of her heart stood still—and an appalling consternation seized spell-like upon her. A form in human shape was stretched upon the huge oaken chest wherein the silver plate of the altar and the gar- ments of the priests were wont to be kept in the Catholic period of that chapel’s existence. But only for an instant Jasted the superstitious na- ture of her horror :—transient as any human fecling can be, it was succeeded or another though scarcely less fearful of consterna- tiun, as she recognised in that recumbent sleep- ing figure the unmistakable form and featares of Cbiffin the Cannibal ! CHAPTER LV. THE VESTIARY OF THE CIIAPET. Lapy Saxorpaxz’s first impulso was to fly—to raise an alarm—aend to heve the villain arreste1: but all in a moment the light of the lamp flashing upon his eyes, awoke him—and he started up. He had slept with a loaded pistol by his side, which he instinctively clutched and presented at her ladyship, eo that she still remained petrified with horror: but imomodiately recognising her, he lowered the weapon, and giving vent to a subdued chuckling laugh, said in his usual growling tone, “ Why, what on carth brings you here, ma‘am, at this bour ?” Lady Saxondale, recovering somewhat of her pre- sence of mind, glanced around to assure herself that the ruffian had no companions with him; and per- ceiving that he was alone, she grew more cour- ageous—eo that it was even with a return of her ecoustomed haughtiness of look and manner, that she eaid, “ Rather should I ask bow dare you sot foot within these walls ?”’ “ For want of a better home at the present,” replied Chiffin, as coolly as if there were not the slightest cause for alarm on his own account: and indeed such was his conviction. “But what is to prevent me from summoning my domostics and handing you over to the grasp of justice?” demanded Ledy Sexondale, wishing to ascertain the precise grounds of the man’s self- sufficiency: for she could not help seeing that.he considered her to be to a certain extent in his power “What shoul prevent your” he said: “why, several things, to be sure—and I dare say you ain’t far off from guessing some of “em.” “Namo them,” rejoined Lady Saxondale, ab- ruptly: for the terrible suspicion flashed to her mind that perhaps Madge Somers had betrayed her sccret to the Cannibal, although the woman had po- sitively sworn to her ladyship in the morning of that day, at Saxondale House, that she had treasured it closely in her own breast until it was inveigled from her by Juliana—but that to Juliana alone had she ever mentioned it. “Name them—eh?” echwed the Cannibal. “Woll, in the first place, it was rather a rum thing the way that my friend and employer Mr. Ralph Fare- field ———” “Ah!” ejaculated Lady Saxondale, starting as if a viper had suddenly plunged its fangs into her wg: and then she glanced instinctively towards the dvor leading down to the subterrancan vaults, =) ae THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “Oh! then you didn’t know that me and Mr Farefield was intimate?” said the Cannibal: “but such was the case. I should have thought Madge Somers would have mentioned that circumstance to your ladyship. I told her all about it one night not very long ago; and as of course I know she’s been in communication with b your ladyship, I thought she might have spoke on that “She never did,” observed Lady Saxondale, with nervous petulance. “Do you know why she has been in communication with me?”—and she fixed her eyes earnestly upon the Cannibal. “Why, I suppose because she saved your son’s life that night up at her cottage—for what reason though I never could tell, as I shouldn’t have spared him—and that’s the truth.” “Yes, yes—you are right,” said Lady Sazondale hastily, “That is the reason why the woman Somers asserts a claim upon my gratitude :”—and with a secret foeling of indescribable relief and satis- faction she mentally added, “ He does sof know the secret. Madge has proved faithful.” “Well, but as I was saying,” resumed “wasn’t it rather suspicious that Mr. Farefieid should havo met his death in so queer away? It isn’t likely heawent down into that vault and drowned him- self of his own accord: he wasn’t the man to do it— partickler as when the old lord was dead, there was only the bantling betwixt Ralph and the title as well as the estate—and he knowed that I was ready to lend him a helping hand in the matter. But to tell your ladyship the truth, I never had any sus- picion that Ralph met his death by foul means—I always thought it was an accident—till tother night, when I took the little liberty of introducing myself to your ladyship at Saxondale House by the aid of a skeleton key and a crow-bar: for them’s generally my letters of introduction.’ “And why, on that night, did you begin to think otherwise concerning Mr. Fareficld’s death P” asked Lady Saxondale, pale and motionless as a statae, but her eyes burning like living coals as she kept them fixed upon the Cannibal. “ Because it struck me when I come to think of it afterwards,” replied the man, with a look of sardonic si , “that for a lady to have that scent-bottle filled with stupifying etuff was a queer thing enow; and that if she had it, it could only be to use it—and that if she was bold enough to use it, it couldn’t be for the very best of purposes. So putting two and two together, and remembering that your ladyship might have had good reasons for putting Mr. Ralph Farefield out of the way nine- teen yoars ‘You dare not throw such an accusation at me!” exclaimed Lady Saxondale. “Ah! but I dv though—and within the last few minutes your own conduct has confirmed the suspicion.” “ My conduct ?” echoed her ladyship m mingled astonishment and alarm; for she was at a loss 4 conjecture the man’s meaning, but feared that she had unknowingly committed herselé. “Why, the moment I spoke of Mr. Ralph Fare- Geld, you turned round and looked at that door be- hind you,” answered Chiffin, with a still more satanic significancy of look than he had ere now worn. “Where does that door lead to? Down into the vaults. And what have the vaults got COMM NOOK ee CO