The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 368: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES. ee ee es Keak ——— wt wit ; Ahh) ( 7 oF Vf \U ge | (RAE: Vignes, Sr, S ee ee mn , ——__ 353 [THE DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE. | CHAPTER CI. ARRIVALS AT THE MANOR. Tre fact was that the room into which Mr. and Mrs. Page thus suddenly burst, was the one oc- cupied by Mrs. Bryan and her husband, and where this worthy couple were at the moment partaking of a salubrious and frugal supper of bread and cheese, onions, and home-brewed ale. The shriek emanated from Mrs. Bryan, who was terribly startled at the violent and unceremonious manner in which the door was thrown open; and Mr. and Mrs. Page explained the cause of their own alarm by giving vent to the ejaculation of “A ghost! a ghost !” Mr. Bryan, the gardener, who was an old man with a face as red and shrivelled as a wind-fall pippin, bounded from his seat— caught up the poker—and threw a fierce look around, as much as 45 ea esas Sessa amnscthinsnstnapagstiites <s to imply that the ghost had better mind what it was about. His wife set up a piteous moaning, in- terspersed with such expressions as “ Dearey me! dearey me !” and “ Lauk-a-day! what will become of us ?”—while Mrs. Page sank exhausted upon a chair—and her hasband cast a rapid and frightened look behind, to ascertain whether any hideous spectre was in pursuit of them. But observing nothing, Mr. Page became a trifle more courageous ; and, mustering up valour enough to shut the door, he said to the gardener, “ Put down the poker, my good man: the spirit has not followed us—and even if he had, it would be of no use to take up the fire-irons against him.” Mr. Bryan accordingly replaced the poker on the hearth, and resumed his seat,—saying, “ What was it you thought you saw, sir ?” “Thought!” ejaculated Page, completely be- wildered: “by heaven! there was no thinking in the matter! Iam not inclined to superstition—I CoOnnicloo (C CS n(CO)