The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 337: what you’re looking at

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326 currei until tho grand disclosure at Oaklands, to excite in their minds a suspicion that this story of their birth was otherwise than completely true. They were born at tho end of May, 1830; and their birthday had always been regularly kept by Mr. Ashton. Some time before he died, he had given them certain relics which he represented as having belonged to their dodeased mother; and these Christian produced. There was a long tress of raven hair: next there was a beautifal gold watch of delicate fashion and extuisite workmanship, with the cipher E graven upon the case: then there were two rings, one of which was a wedding-ring—the other of peculiar work: manship, with the cipher B gravén upon a stoné. Christian proceeded to relate that about three years previously Mr. Ashton had died suddenly, being stricken with an apoplectic fit; and for some little while after his death the twins continued to reside at the eame house in the village. Then a certain Mr. Joseph Preston—of whom they had somo little previous acquaintance, as he whs & friend of Mr. Ashton’s—signified to them that they muét repair to London, so that théy might be in the same city where he dwelt and that he might be enabled to attend to their welfare. He made them a liberal allowance, considering that their wants were small and that their habits were the very reverse of being extravagant: but he never gave them any information relative to their private affairs nor the pecuniary circumstances in which they had been left; nor did he explain the views which, if any, he entertained with regard te their future position. At the expiration of a few months Mr. Preston suddenly disappeared; and the twins were reduced to considerable temporary difficulties. In answer to eertain leading questions which were purposely put in order to elicit all the parti- culars that might bear upon his case,—Christian stated that he had recently been shown some papers represented to be in the handwriting of the late Mr. Ashton, and which regarded the citcumstanced of the birth of himself and sister; and he could vouch that these papers were positively in the handwriting of the said deceased Mr. Ashton. Depositions of all that had occurred at Oaklands in the month of September and beginning of Oc- tober 1829, were now pat in and read before thd Lords forming the Committee of Privileges. The next witness who wascalled, was a female answering to the name of Jane Barclay. This was none other than she whom the reader has previously known as Crazy Jane: but she deserved the epithet no longer. Under a judicious system of treatment in the house of an eminent péycho- logical physician, ehe had completely regained her intellect; and the poor mad wanderer of many years had, through the liberality and kindness of Lord Clandon, become restored to the possession of all her reasoning faculties. She was now de- cently, indeed handsomely apparelled ; and though care, and suffering, and fatigues during that errant life which she had led, had destroyed the beauty with which in her youth she was endowed,—yet was her aspect marvellously improved, and no une who had known her as Crazy Jane would have re: ' cognised her now as Miss Barclay. She deposed THE MYSTERIZS OF THE COURT. the Duchess Eliza had intimated to her that she fancied she was in a way to becomes & mother—bat that she should not immediately inform the Duke thereof, as she could not be altogether oértain in so early a stage of pregnancy. In answer to ques tions that were put to her, Jane Barclay was posi- tively enabled to state that if the Duchess were correct in her idea, and if she had really lived te beeome a mother, the time of her confnement must have been about the very date mentioned by our young hero as that of the birthdsy of himeeif and his twin sister. Jant Barclay was enabled to swear that the watch marked with the letter E had belonged to the Duchess Eliza: but she did not remember ever to have seen the ring graves with the letter Bin the ion of her Grace. As for the wedding-ring, she could not of course pretehd to assert that it was her ladyahip’s, as there is so much similitude between the generality of such rings. The next witness who appeared before the Com- mittee; was a respéctable-looking siderly woman, who deposed that her name was Mrs. Hatton, and that she had for many years resided in Cimber. land near the Scottish border: She petfectly well recollected that in the Autumn of 1829, a gentle. man and a indy arrived at hér houses, and that the lady made hn arrhnjgement for her unovcuplied apart. ments. The lady seemed plunged into the deepest distress: the gentioman had a strange wild look— and both were young. The gentleman took his departure almost immediately after the engage ment for thé rooms was made. As the new ludger came totally unptovided with ary affents beyond those which she had on her—arnd as the circam- stahoed of their arrival, as well as their looks ex- cited her suspicion that there was sdmothing wrong —Mrs. Hutton listened at the door of the periour where ¢ e each other farewell. She distinctly heard the young gentléman say, “ Adieu, Blisa, for ever ”’—bat shd could not eatch the reply which the lady madé. The gentleman went away. For some hours after he was gone, thé lady sat statue-like as if planyed into the deepest despair. After a while she inquired for a needle and thread : she took a sthall piece of velvet—and therewith she made a little bag. Into this she put her watch and her wedding-ring, as well as another ring, which she teok from her bosom: she cut off a long lock of her hair—which was of raven darkness; and this likewise she pat into the little bag—which she then sowed up. To the bag she attached a black ribbon, which she pus round her neck, securing the bag in her bosom. All this she did in the presence of Mrs. Hatton — not amidst weeping, but in the silence of cold blank despair. When her task was finished, she raised her couhtenance, looked at Mrs. Hutton, and eaid, “ This shali be for my babe, if I live to give birth to it. The contents of that bag may some day serve aa a clue, if ever euch be needed, when I shall be dead and gone {—Mrsa, Htton gently asked, “A clue to what 7''--whereat the lady sud- dealy started up and fixed upon her a look so full of wild suspicion that she was frightened lest the unfortunate being was goiug mad. In the middle of the ensuing night the stranger lady—for she had given no name—abruptly quitted the house to the fact that only a few days before the terrible ; leaving the front door wide open; so that scenes took place at Oaklands, in the year 1829; | Mrs. Hutton now felt convinced that grief had ElOOO (CO COM