The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 287: what you’re looking at

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

272 “ Spies P” ejaculated the Marquis, disdainfully. “Tf there be any, they are in your employment.” The baronet said not another word, but hurried down stairs. shall, to whom he said in an angry voice, ‘* Do you permit your daughters to play tho part et eaves- droppers towards - your guests ?”’ The old man made no re ply, but Mipous. on his heel, passed into the bar-parlour—and the baronet qni!ted the house. CHAPTER LVILI INE MISSIVE ASD THE RESPONSE. {t was perfectly true that Kate Marshall had been listening at the door of the room in which the pre- ceding interview took place. It was not through any impertinent curiosity ; but because she had naturally apprehended some unpleasant scene: for although Sir John Marston had declared that it was entirely in the interest of the Marquis he had called, yet the shrewd keen-sighted Kate had not failed to observe that the French nobleman (as she now knew him to be) turned pale and looked agitated the moment the baronet’s card was put into his hand. She therefore suspected that Sir John Marston’s visit was not al- together of so friendly a character as he had wished to make it appear; and having had all her sym- pathies enlisted to an unaccountable degree on behalt of the lovers, she felt anxious to ascertain the nature of any impediment that might arise to interfere with the consummation of their happiness. Kate had therefore listened: but as the conversa-— tion progressed within that room, it gradually as- sumed the form of a revelation to herself. Asso- ciating certain observations made by the Marquis and the Baronet, with a few circumstances already knajvn to herself, she was enabled ‘‘ to put two and two together,” as the phrase is, and arrive at the | solution of a mystery. ‘Thus was it that as she, listened she became more and more interested in what was taking place, and likewise found that she In the passage below be met old Mar- | —_ THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. are nevertheless enabled to explain its meaning to our readers. The contents therefore of this billet were as follow :— ** DEAREST Faignp,—The Maruyuis of Villebelle is here on his way to France with a young lady whom he pro- poses to make his wife. Sir John Marston threatens to follow them unceasingly, and forbid the ceremony wherever they may seek to have it performed. From the various remarks let fall by them, and from some few cir- cumstances of your own life which you have on occasions | mentioned to me, I have no difficulty in recognizing your | husband in the M arquis of Villebelle. What is to be done? or is anything to be done? Has the Marquis spoken truly that you have freed him to the extent of your power? I await your instructions. ‘‘ Your affectionate, “ec ©. M. ” This note was penned i ic the most minute charac. ters upon the tiniest piece of paper that would pos- sibly serve for its contents. Kate folded it up in the smallest compass—tied a piece of silk round it —and then opening the trap-door, summoned her pigeons in a low, peculiar, but caressing ‘tune of volce,—or rather with certain sweet melodious sounds sent forth from her charming lips. Three or four beautiful doves of the carrier-breed quickly an- swered her call, and perched upon the edge of the open trap-door. Her selection was promptly made; and extending her arm, the particular bird thus chosen at once hopped upon her wrist. Drawing it in, she closed the trap-door again—addressed the bird in fondling terms—and fastened the little billet under the right wing. Then she put the feathered messenger through the trap-door again. It at once soared up perpendicularly to a great height, so that for nearly a minute she kept it in view through that trap-door of only a foot square; and then she sud- denly saw it dart off ata tangent in a north-western direction. | «if my fair friend be at home when the bird ar- rives,’ said Kate to herself, as she let the trap-door fly up again, “I shall receive an answer in a little more than a couple of hours.” She then descended to the bar-parlour, where she herself was being insensibly drawn in to play a part communicated to her parents and sisters all that — in the drama. ‘he abrupt opening of the door by | she had overheard in the room occupied by her the baronet caused her to start away like a guests—the discovery she had thence made in re- frightened deer; and not heeding the ejaculation of ; spect to a certain intimate female friend—and the “Spies!” which burst from his lips; she sped up- , message she had just sent off by one of the carrier- stairs to her own little private bed-chamber on the highest storey of the house. In this room the reader has already on a former occasion seen the gay, good-humoured, and hand- some Kate Marshall. ‘The chamber was prettily fitted up, and had an elegant French time-piece standing upon a chest of drawers. in the roof was the little trap door of a foot square, kept shut by the very slight and flexible steel spring fixed under- neath it. There was also the little tinkling bell— the rail a couple of feet below the trap door—and | in a cupboard the food requisite for the beautiful breed of pigeons which Miss Marshall possessed. pigeons. The Marshalls continued to discourse for some little time upon these matters: but it is not necessary to place their conversation upon record. Meanwhile the Marquis of Villebelle had some difficulty in solacing’ his well-beloved Constance. | The threats of Sir Johz Marston wore a very seri- ous aspect to her mind. In short, she foresaw that if they were really carried out, they would have the effect of preventing any marriage-ceremony taking ' place at all;—and that he would persevere in his obstructive course, was to be inferred from the reso- lute tone and manner which he had adopted. But what was Constance to do? She felt that she was Immediately pon entering this chamber, Kate sat | too seriously compromised to think of returning down; and taking writing materials from a drawer, | home: but on the other hand, if she remained with together with a manuscript bovk affording the | the Marquis, she feared that it could only be as his special initial letter belonging to that particular mistress. True, the marriage-ceremony could not date, she penned a note; and although to the unini- » be really looked upon as valid, if solemnized between tiated eye it would have seemed a mere jargon more them: but it would nevertheless be a means of ap- ‘acomprehensible than Egyptian hieroglyphics, we peasing her last scruples ere she abandoned herself EE CORMCOOOKS EO