The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

sutward & man may pass off for years as a saint, whereas in his heart he ie a very demon all the time ?” “But whet hes all this to do with Sir Richard Stamford 2” demanded several voices. “ Whet hes i all to de with him /” cried Page, casting a etiH more selemn and mysterious glance around upom the company : “ why, just this—that when J came down to in the ooffee-Tro0om at the inn whore I put up at Aylesbury, I heard thet the whole town was in consternation; for sach a complication of crimes —” “* Crimes repeated several of the commercial travellers, drawing thele chairs searer to the “ What '—and in connexion with Sir Richard Btamford 2” demanded the individual who had pre- viously expressed his interest in all that concerned Ayleebary. “ Yee—crimes, and in connexion with Sir Richard Stamford,” resumed Page : “for this baronet whe, gentleman of whom every body entertained such a high . bd] “ Well—well : what has he done ?” cried several impatient voices. “Rather ask me what he has not dono,” said Page: “ for surety all possible crimes are summed up in fraud—forgery—murder—and arson [” “Goed heaven [” ejaculated the bag-men, literally bounding wpon their chairs; while the sentiments “I never was more in earnest in my life, friends,” | responded Page, emphatically. “But explain—tell us how it happened,” exelaimed one. “So many orinzes (* observed another. * And all to be perpetrated by one man ” cried third. “it is scarcely probable {” remarked a fourth. “You will cease to be sceptical when you see to- morrow morning's newspapers,” said Page, shaking | ius nead solemaly. “1 tell you that Sir Richard country * God help us f” cried many voices. “I did not suecoed in obtaining many particulars restive to this fearful catalogue of crimes,” oon- tinued Mr. Page ; “for the persons with whom I conversed im the coffee-room at Aylesbary, were all talking et once, each giving ais own version of the complicated affair, and every one of these tales from the rest. But the ontiine of the atraight off to Stamford Manor to demand explana- tiona, but that the baronet being out at the time, he commmnioated the object of his visit to Lady Stemford,—that a little after midnight Sir Richard returned heme, and was assailed by violent ro- proaches on the part of Mr, Ramacy and bitter up- dings from her ladyship, who was half distracted at the tersiblo discovery of her husband’s guilt,— end that in his rage the baronet forcibly expelled Ramsey from the honse, killed his wife in a pa- roxysm of fury, and haying set fire to the Manor, doubtless fer the purpose of cencealing the deed of bleod, immediately absconded.” “The man must be a perfect monster !” ejacu- lated the commercial. tpayellor who was 60 well ac- quainted with Aylesbury. “I have often seen Mr. Ramecy at the bank: he is 9 handsome young man of some eight or nine and twenty, and very affable. At his father’s death he became head of the firm, and is universally beloved in the town and dis- trict.” “J suppose there will be a reward offered for the apprehension of the baronet /” observed another of the bag-men, “Of course there will,” responded Mr. Page ;— and a full description of his person will be pub- ed.” “Have you ever seen him ?” inguired the pre- vious speaker. “Two or three times,” answered Page. “He bears a remarkable likeness to the Royal Family ; and people do say that when his Gracious Majesty was Prince of Wales and so mysteriously connected with the beautiful Quakeress Hannah Lighifoot——” The remainder of the sentence was interrupted by the sndden entrance ef the waiter laden with the dinner which Mr. Page had ordered; and as this worthy gentleman hed bean rendered almost ravenous by the sharp frosty air, he desisted from farther ob- ; servations in order to addraes himeeclf to the succulent steak, rich ren and smoking potatoes which were now The presence of the weiter reminded those bag-inen who were to set ont that evening of the necessity of calling for their bills without delay; and the con- versation relative to the tragical occurrences nesr Aylesbury wes accordingly interrupted by the bustle attendant on settling scores, remunerating Waiters and eparture. At length the room was cleared of two-thirds of the commercial travellers ; and as some of those who had just returned from their journeys were compelled to retire to their chambers in order to prepare their accounts and papers for inspection by their employers | on the morrow, Mr. Page shortly found himself left with only two companions out of a dozen. With those friends however he presently renewed the conversation, one of them having asked him what he was about to say when the appearance of the waiter had interrupted him. “Oh! I remember the topie on which [ was epeaking,” exclaimed the talkative Mr. Page, push- ing away his plate after having made a hearty dinner: “I was going to obsorve that when his Majesty was ; Prince of W alee, he became connected with a certain ‘1 Quakeress, named Hannah Lightfoot. Some say he privately married ber ; and it has also been rumouzed COmIGc Doo S COMM