The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 209: what you’re looking at

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198 miss it: but finding that she did not, he dropped his handkerchief as if quite accidentally. Picking it up again, he took up tho key with it: for he had so managed the fall of the kerchief that it alighted immediately over the key itself. Another dance was now about to cemmence. Lady Anastatia, rising from her seat, hastened to introduce Christian to a partner; we some oung scion of the aristocr engage hristina’s hand” for that quadrille. ‘Lord ushbrook was now at liberty to act according to the evil prompt- ings of his own unprincipled mind. He felt tolerably well assured that he possessed the key of the safe. In the first place, he thought that he recollected it, as it was a key of peculiar conatryc- tion; and in the second place the words which he had .overheard his sister hastily whisper to her husband, strengthened the belief that he held in his possession the means of supplying his neoces- sities. As for compunction, he hed none: his only thought now was how to achieve his object without being observed or interrupted. He sauntered through the rooms with a fashion- able lounging air: he passed out upon the land- ing; and watching a favourable opportunity, he glided down the stairs. On reaching the hall, accident again served his disreputable purpose; for it happened that none of the domestica were within view at the moment. In less than a minute the Viscount wae in: his brother-in-law’s atudy, where the light had been left burning after Anastatia’s brief interview with her husband there. To open the safe and take out the cash- box was now the work of an instant. A hasty glance at the contents of the box showed the Viscount that they must consist of at least fifteen or sixteen hundred pounds; and he secured every golden coin and every bank-note about his own person. On closing the safe—to which he of course re- turned the cash-box—he happened to glance to- wards the window, the blind of which was not pulled down; and at that very same moment it struck the nobleman that a human countenance was withdrawn. Yes—a human countenance which had evidently been looking upon him, and which had observed this act of robbery unless in- deed it were a delusion—a phantom conjured up by his own guilty conscience at the instant. Rushbrook felt the blood congeal into ice in his veins; he could not have been more dismayed if his brother-in-law had suddenly made his appear- ance—or if a police-constable had that moment placed a hand upon his shoulder. For several in- stants he stood completely transfixed; and then he rushed to the window. It was a moonlight night : the window looked upon a grass plat at the side of the house : no human being was to be seen—no gliding figure amongst the trees. Still there was ample titme during the Viscount’s cansternation for any individual to disappear round the angle of _ the building ; and thus because he saw no one he dared not come to the conclusion that no one had looked into the study. Rushbrook was irresolute how to act. Should he return the notes and gold to the cash-box and drop the key somewhere? or should he keep his plunder and run every risk ? Prudence suggested the former course—his dire necessities commanded the latter; so that at length—with that reckless- THE MYSTERIES OF THE OOURT. ness, half flippant, half desperate, which charac- terizes unscrupulous individuals in certain circume- stances—be said to himself, “ Well, at all risks I will keep the money !” Ho stole forth unperceived from the study, and reascended to the ball-raom, There, still ungb- served, he dropped the key near the very chair in which Anastatia had been seated when it glided down from the bosom of her dress. He continued to lounge about the rooms: but there was s pre- sentiment of evil floating in his mind : the pos- seasion of the money did not contribute to his bap- piness, nor relieve him from the apprebension that the mode in which it had come into his bands might he discovered. As for the countenance itaelf, he had no definite idea of it: he hed no sooner caught a glimpee of it than it wae gone : as soon as seen, it vanished. Yet that he had really beheld that countenance, he could not conceal from himself: he dared not flatter his mind that it was a mere delusion. Christina danced the quadrille with the young scion of the aristocracy ; and when it was over she was conducted back to a seat. Scarcely had her late partner quitted her side, than Lord Octavian Meredith rejoined her. He looked pale: but still there was a certain expression of decisiveness in his regards and on his lips, which immediately struck Christina—for an instant even elarming her; for he had on this night repeated that which he had said to her before—namely, that she would drive him to despair. “Will you favour me with a few minutes’ con versation somewhere ?” he asked, in a voice which, though low, sounded strange and even as if the speaker were under the influence of feel- ings tensely wrung—painfully wrought up. “For what purpose, my lord ?” asked our young heroine: and there was a tremulousness in her own voice. “Not to repeat anything which you may not hear,” he quickly responded. “My mina is made up! The resolution I have adopted will, [ know, afford you satisfaction”—he paused, and added, “perhaps pleasure !” Christina hesitated for an instant; and then— self-reliant, conscious that she had the power to perform her duty as she had already performed it an hour and a half back on this game evening —she said, “ Yes, my lord—I will grant you a few minutes’ private conversation, if you know where we oan have it.” She took his arm; and he said not another word as he led her forth fram the ball-room to the re- freshment-room, where several other ladies and gentlemen were assembled ; and two or three were at the time returning from the conservatory, which opened from that apartment. Into this conserva- tory Meredith led Christine: and we should ob- serve that it was lighted with lamps—for it had been thrown open in order that the guests might admire the choice exotics, the fruit-trees, and the flowers, which from tropical climes bad been trans- ferred thither. Octavian and Christina were now alone toge- ther in the conservatory ; and the young maiden, gently disengaging her hand from her companion’s arm, glanced for a moment at his countenance, as much as to inquire for what purpose she had been brought hither and what he bad to commanicate. COMMEOOO Spee