The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 159: what you’re looking at

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at ee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT, 144 upon the carpet as if stricken dead with apo- plexy. “Now for the alarm!” ejaculated Lady Saxondale as she sprang up from her seat. But at the same instant she heard the sudden rush of footsteps; and glancing round in affright, she found herself confronted by Chiffin the Canni- bal, whom she had supposed to be by that time busily engaged in plundering her bed-chamber. The hideous rage of ten thousand demons ap- peared to be gathering in his infuriate looks, as he aimed a tremendous blow at Lady Saxondale with the bludgeon which he had taken from underneath his coat: but she avoided it by instinctively sinking | on her knees—and stricken dumb with terror, she extende« ner arms in mute appeal for mercy. Had she not thus abruptly fallen down to that suppliant posture, there would have been an end of the bril- liant and magnificent Lady Saxondale then and there ! “Make a noise, and by Satan! I’ll do for you!” growled the Cannibal in a deep ferocious tone: and he again raised his bludgeon menacingly. “No, no—I will not say a word,” murmured Lady Saxondale, whose fortitude appeared to have all given way. “But spare my life—do not kill me— for God’s sake do not kill me!” “That all depends,’ was the Cannibal’s brutal response. “Come, get up from your knees—but don’t speak louder than a whisper, and don’t move without my telling vou, or I’ll make devilish light work of it, you may be sure! Now then, what have you done to my mate here? Is he dead?” “No, no—not dead—only stupified,” answered Lady Saxondale. “He will come to himself again presently.” “So much the better for you,” said the Cannibal. | rienced a heavy and oppressive feeling about the head, All this while Lady Saxondale remained standing in the middle of the room, on the very spot where she had previously knelt: for the pistol continued to be levelled at her, and she had already seen enough of the desperate and determined character of Chiffin the Cannibal to be warned how she trifled with him, Unperceived by her ladyship, and while kneeling down by the side of Tony Wilkins, Chiffin gathered up the white handkerchief, which was im- pregnated with that powerful and stupifying essence; and tucking it partially up his sleeve and holding the remainder in his hand, so that it was altogether concealed from her ladyship’s view, he rose up from his kneeling posture “What’s all this here mean? what’s been done?” asked Tony Wilkins. “TI feels all no-how c “Nothing has been done as yet. You remain quiet and recover yourself, while I finish talking to her ladyship ¥ “Ladyship indeed! she’s a witch,” muttered Tony Wilkins angrily, “to be able to knock down a chap with a ankercher in this here way.’’ “Now, ma’am,” resumed Chiffin, accosting Lady Saxondale, “about this money-business. But I say!’ he exclaimed with a sudden start; “‘ whose that coming in ?” Instinctively did Lady Saxondale look round; and at the same moment the white cambric hana- kerchief—her own handkerchief—was thrust up to her face. The scream that rose to her lips, was stifled ere it found vent by the sudden paralyzation of all her faculties and senses; and she dropped down upon the floor in the same way as Tony Wilkins had ere now fallen. When Lady Saxondale became aware of return- “A pretty kind of a woman you are, to be able to ing consciousness, the glimmering of dawn stealing play such a precious tricky part!” ‘into the room through the curtains, was mingling “Was it not natural ?” observed Lady Saxondale, | with the light of the wax-tapers that had nearly now somewhat regaining her self-possession. | “Oh! don’t bother like that,” interrupted Chiffin | burnt down to their sockets; and as her ladyship’s reminiscences gradually settled themselves in her fiercely: then, as he gazed down upon the prostrate | brain, she looked around in the dread anticipation and motionless form of Tony Wilkins, his look grew | of beholding the hideous forms of the burglars. But serious as if he were revolving something of im- portance in his mind. “ By jingo, after all,” he suddenly exclaimed, “ I’m deuced glad this business has happened—it’s given me an idea. ’Pon my soul, I’m uncommonly indebted to your ladyship! she found herself alone. Raising herself up from the carpet—but painfully and feebly, for she ex- perienced a heaviness in the head and a languor all over her form—she threw herself upon a sofa, pressed her hand to her throbbing brows, and then Why, robbing will become quite an easy matter. | reviewed everything that had taken place. Rising with nothing like risk in it, if so be you’ve told me | true that this here stuff,”. and he pointed to the phial upon the table, “takes away the senses just | by smelling it. And now, ma’am please to tell me | how a person is to be recovered?” . : “The individual will presently revive naturally,” | answered Lady Saxondale; “ and if not, by shaking iim, sprinkling water on his face, and the usual | ' own person had been plundered—her rings had dis- means adopted in cases of swoon——” “Oh! if that’s the case, then we'll try. the experi- ment,” said Chiffin. ‘“ Bnt mind you, ma’am, stay where you are—don’t budge an inch—or . And without finishing the sentence, he pointed — his pistol at Lady Saxondale. Then kneeling by the side uf Tony Wilkins, and all the time keeping the pistol still pointed at the lady, he gently shook his prostrate companion. With a deep gasp Wil- kins began to revive: and in a few minutes he completely recovered his senses, though he expe- | | | ee es ee I amount of disaimy. again from the sofa, she approached the table to take a wax-light; and she observed that the bottle of powerful essence was gone. She looked on the mantel—she looked all round the room—but it was not to be seen. In the course of this survey, rapid though it was, she soon discovered that a great number of articles of value had been taken away; and now for the first time she perceived that her appeared from her fingers—her watch, necklace, and other ornaments, had all vanished! She now, in great trepidation and alarm, hurried away from the room, and sped to the chan_ber of one of the lady’s-maids. There she aroused the sleeping domestic with the startling intelligence that the house had been broken into; and the other servants were speedily called up. In a few minutes all was bustie and cenfusion, together with no sraali Lord Saxondale’s valet was MICLOOOKKS (C(O) (E©)