The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 248: what you’re looking at

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a A a. es THR MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 937 Lord Octavian Meredith was now presented to the Viscount and Viscountess Delorme ; and from both did he receive a cordial weloome. The Vis- count then proceeded to introduce him to the other persons present; and Clarine availed herself of this opportunity to draw Zoe aside and to offer her felicitations that her husband was restored to ber. Meanwhile the other introductions to which we have just alluded took place. First of all Octavian was presented to the notary and his wife, who were a middle-aged couple, of very excellent dis- itions and very pleasing manners. _ “ And now, wy lord,” said the Viscount Delorme, thus addressing Octavian, “ permit me to present you to my friend the Baron De Margaux—a gen- tleman whom [ have for some time known, and from whom I have on various occasions received great kindnesses.” The introduction was effected ; and we may here obeerve that the Baron De Margaux was about forty years of age—of tall figure—and if not exactly handsome, at least very prepossessing in his looks. He was elegantly dressed: he had dark hair; and a glossy moustache gave him a certain military appearance. He was considered to be ex- ceedingly fascinating in his manners,—one of those men who have the power uf rendering themselves agreeable without any visible effort, or without any study after effect. He immediately began conversing in an affable strain with Lord Octavian Meredith, until the Viscount Delorme’s valet en- tered to announce that the equipages were now in readiness. The Viscount at once gave Lord Octavian a pressing invitation to accompany the party to Fontainebleau and make his mansion a home 60 long as he might find it agreeable. Tho offer was ‘accompanied by the intimation that a seat in one of the carriages was also at Octavian’s service ; and the young nobleman accepted all these pro- posals with grateful acknowledgments. ‘ J must however observe,” said Meredith, “ that I join your party under circumstances alike pecu- liar and painful. I have neither valet in attend- ance upon me, nor a change of garments; and the very money which I now have in my purse is a loan which I procured. Last night a horrible crime was perpetrated in a forest some thirty miles distant: murder’s dreadful work was done— my faithful domestic and the two postilions of the vehicle in which I journeyed, fell by the hands of brigands !” Ejaculations of horror burst from several lips as this intelligence was imperted by Lord Octavian. “I myself was stricken down senseless,” con- tinued the young nobleman ; “and I was indebted to a poor old peasant-woman living in the forest for an asylum for the night. Atan early hour this morning I bent my way to the village that was nearest to the scene of the tragedy; and on representing my position to a person in that place, I procured the money for a draft upon my London banker.” “ And is there no clue to the miscreants who trated this crime?” asked Alfred Delorme, his countenance expressing mingled horror and in- dignation. *You may conjecture,” responded Octavian, “* how little was the trace which the villains left behing them, when they assassinated my valet and the two postilions, and left me for dead upon the spot.” “ And that is the very forest,” observed the Vis- count Delorme, “which we shall have to traverse presently.” “Tt will be in the broad daylight,” observed Lord Octavian: “and consequently there is no- thing to fear. Besides, our party is too numerous ——and moreover the villains would scarcely venture upon an attempt at another crime so close on the heels of the former. I did not men- tion those dreadful circumstances with the idea of making you alter your previously arranged p ang-———”’ “A portion of these plans,” interjected the Vis- count Delorme, “ was to the effect that we sbould halt for the night at a town about ten miles beyond the forest.” “ And by all means keep to your arrangements,’’ said Lord Octavian. “It were downright pusil- lanimity on my part to counsel you otherwise ; and it were unnecessary for you to think of a change in your projects.” “ Most unquestionably,” said the Baron De Margaux; “for if I understood you aright, my dear friend, the people of the hotel at the town where you have all along purposed to stop, bave received their instructions to prepare for the re- ception of this large party which we now form.” Finally, after a little more discussion, it was agreed that the journey should be continued, and the plan should remain precisely the same as if Lord Octavian Meredith's fearful intelligence had not been communicated at all. CHAPTER CXXXL THE BARON DEB MARGAUX. It was three o'clock when the equipages started in continuation of the journey. The first carriage contained the Viscount and Viscountess Delorme, Lord and Lady Octavian Meredith: the second contained the Baron De Margaux, the notary and his wife. The three male domestics and three lady’s-maids (two belonging to Zoe, and one to the Viscountess) were distributed on the dickies of the two vehicles. We should observe, in order to avoid leaving anything unaccounted for, that im- mediately after the Viscount Delorme had received the assent of M. Vulney to his marriage with Clarine, he had sent for these equipages from Fontainebleau to that village which was in the neighbourhood of the old Chateau. It was about six o'clock when the carriages halted at a village at the extremity of the forest in which the dreadful tragedy of the previous night had been enacted. On driving up to the post-house, the travellors were informed that they must wait about half-an-hour for Lorses, there haviog been an unusual number of equipages passing along that road for the last day or two; and as the whole posting arrangements are a monopoly in the hands of the French Government, it is forbidden for any private enterprise to inter- fere therewith: so that it is by no means a rare occurrence for travellers to be thus temporarily in- COMME HOG cS) (CO