The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 338: what you’re looking at

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(eee eae 324 masses of the partition wall kept falling in; and it seemed as if the whole building were about to give way and bury himself and Ariadne in the smoking, burning ruins. Great pieces of timber—especially rude planks belonging to the lofts above the stables —came crashing down: aud thus, in the space of three or four short minutes, did the Baronet and the unconscious Ariadne pass through countless perils of an appalling character. But at length the damsel’s brave deliverer reached the foot of the staircase: and as he rushed with his burthen through the hall and appeared with her at the street door, a tremendous shout of applause arose from the assembled multitudes, - At the very iastant that Sir Douglas Hunting- dou thus reached the threshold of the mansion with the still inanimate Ariadne in his arms, and in the strong glare of the terrific conflagration, the maiden was recognised by Bencull. This dis- covery of the fair stranger of the hut was in a moment communicated by the ruffian in a hurried whisper to the Buttoner and the Hangman: and they all three iustinctively pressed forward towards the front-door steps. At that very instant Sir Douglas Huntingdon felt a sudden faintness come over him,—doubtiess in consequence of the tre-~ mendous excitement as well as painful exertions through which he had just passed. ‘ Who will take care of this young lady?” he cried, as one of his footmen threw an ample cloak over the half-naked form of Ariadne. But scarcely were the words spoken by the Baronet, when some large portion of the interior of the mansion fell in with such a terrific crash that the crowd retreated in sudden dismay and with cries of alarm: while those who were remov- ing the furniture, rushed out of the house with such haste that the Baronet was thrown violently for- ward. Inthat moment of confusion, Bencull caught Ariadne Varian in his arms: and as if it were written In the book of destiny that circum- stances were to favour the ruffian’s designs in car- rying off the still inanimate maiden, the whole roof of the house feil in at the very instant that he seized upon her. The consequence was that the fire was extinguisbed, or rather smothered, for the moment as completely as if a deluge of water were poured upon it: and darkness fell upon the scene —a darkness all the more intense through suc- ceeding the glare of the conflagration. Confusion became worse confounded amongst the crowd : and while thy whole living mass fell back from the vicinage of the falling house, as the sea sweeps away from the shore upon which it has just dashed its boiling billows, it was no difficult matter for Bencull to hurry away with Ariadne in his arms. ‘he Hangman and the Buttoner kept close at his heels—an empty hackney-coach was encountered at the corner of the street—and the three villains entered it with their lovely burden. But when the driver asked whither he was to go, the men were thrown into a sudden perplexity. Bencull, however, hastily whispered, “ Didn’t Nell Gibson talk of a certain Marquis of Leveson who was Mrs, Gale’s best customer?” “To be sure,’ whispered the Buttoner. not take her direct to him ?” “Ah! do you think of selling her to that Mar- quis?” said the Hangman. “ Well, I know where he lives—J. have been in his house :’—then turn- “Why a ee 2 ee ms ea es eee eee ee Oem A er THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ing to the coachman who stood at the duor, and thrusting some silver into his hand, Daniel Coffin ordered him to drive to Albemarle Street. In a few minutes the vehicle stopped at the door of Leveson House: and it happened that just at the same moment Brockman, the favourite valet of the Marquis, was entering the mansion. Seeing the hackney coach stop, he inquired of those inside what their business was: and as it — was pitch dark within the vehicle, the valet did not observe how villanous were the countenan- ces of the fellows whom he thus addressed, “The fact is,” said the Hangman in a rapid whisper, ‘we have got a young gal that is in- tended for his lordship. She’s in a fit: and so you can just lift her into the house without fear- ing any noise—and one of us will call for the re- © compense the first thing to-morrow morning.” Brockman raturally concluded from this state- ment that the fellows had been hired by his master, orelse by some one in his lordship’s interest, to perform this particular service: and he therefore — at ouce consented to receive the maiden without asking another questien. was sitting up for Brockman, was summoned: and The housekeeper who | with her aid the valet lifted Ariadne out of the © coach and carried her into the mansion. The vehicle then drove away, the three ruffians congratulating themselves not only on haying | done something to annoy Sir Douglas Hunting- don, whom they regarded as a sort of enemy, but | likewise on having adopted so bold a step as to convey the damsel direct to the spot where her charms were marketable, instead of conducting the bargain through the medium of a middle-woman, such as Mrs. Gale. But not fora moment did those ruffians experience the slightest remorse for having eaused so terrible a conflagration in that house beneath the ruins of which the charred and blackened remains of the unfortunate groom were indubitably buried. Meantime Sir Douglas Huntingdon, who had been thrown down and stunned by the rush of people from the front door of his mansion, was borne to a neighbour’s house, where immediate restoratives were applied. On coming to himself his first inquiry was for Ariadne: but those by whom he was surrounded, could give him no In- formation on the subject. Supposing that she had been taken to some other house in the vici- nage, he sallied forth into the street again to make further inquiries,on the subject. But nei- ther from his own servants, who were watching over the property removed out of the house—nor from avy of the crowd—could he obtain a satis- factory answer. In fact, no tidings could he glean of Ariadne from the moment that he sank down insensible in front of his own door, Tortured with cruel misgivings, he sped from house to house prosecuting his inquiries, up and down the street—but all in vain. At length he was compelled, through sheer exhaustion, to aban- don any farther research for the present, and retire to a neighbouring hotel where he took up his temporary quarters. —_— eq LLL LLL ett eat ee eee —— - -- —— ee EORNICLOO (C S (E(0)