The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 27 adventure, that the instant the party had burst forth from the hedges,—half emerging from one side of the road, and the remainder from the other,—two of them had seized the horses’ heads—four had clambered up on the box to secure the coachman and valet,—and the other two had guarded the windows of the vehicle in the manner already described. There was conse- quently so much method in the whole proceeding, and the blow was struck with such promptitude and such acomplete absence of anything bordering on hesi- tation or confusion, that all the details of the affair had been evidently pre-arranged. The men wore crape masks over their countenances: each one was well armed ;—and the individual who had given the order to cut the traces, appeared to be the chief of the gang. But to resume the details of the narrative. Im- mediately on the royal equipage thus falling into the power of the desperadoes, the coachman and valet, with their hands bound, were thrust inside the vehicle, the leader of the masked band entering it also. “T beg your Royal Highness’s pardon,” said this individual, “for placing these menials in your com. pany, and also for obtruding myself upon your pre- sence. But certain little precautions are necessary: and these of which I have just spoken are amongst them. Another is to draw up the wooden blinds of the vehicle,” he added, suiting the action to the word. “ But pray don’t let any of ycu entertain so foolish an idea as to offer resistance or think of overpowering me: because I hold the check-string in one hand—and a loaded pistol in the other. The string, if pulled, would instantaneously convey the alarm to my com- rades, who are seated upon the box; and the pistol shall be discharged without hesitation or remorse if a hostile finger be laid upon me.” Thus spoke the leader of the band: and though there was a sort of free-and-easy familiarity in his tone and manner of delivery, it was rather the off- handed expression of confidence in his proceedings and certainty in his power to carry them out, than the jaunty insolence of a vulgar braggart. Indeed, there was a refined correctness in his language and a gentility in his pronunciation which showed that he had been well educated and that his position in life eould not always have been an inferior or degrading one, whatever it was now. By drawing up the blinds, he plunged the interior of the carriage into the most pitchy blackness: and he was therefore unable to observe the effect which his speech had produced upon the Regent and the Marquis. But as no reply was vouchsafed, and as each remained motionless in his seat, the desperado naturally concluded that his warnings and menaces had not failed to make the desired impression. Meantime, his men were not inactive in the road. By the aid of some cord, the traces were repaired and the horses once more attached to the vehicle, the bright | lamps of which were put out. Two of the fellows | mounted the box—one of them undertaking the | functions of coachman ;—and the equipage drove ra- pidly on. . wa, : | But what became of the other five desperadoes? They had horses concealed in a thicket close at hand: and mounting their steeds, they followed the carnage at a short distance. That they should not however attract the special notice and arouse the suspicions of any other travellers whom they might happen to meet, they parted company to a certain extent, by falling into the rear of one another and thus riding along singly, but with short intervals between them. But in a few minutes the whole procession turned into a bye-road, where there was less necessity to adopt so much precaution. By a sudden turn to the right which the carriage thus took, instead of proceeding straight forward as it ought to have doneif it had continued in the direc- tion of Kew, the captives inside were enabled to judge that they had diverged from the main road. “Will you explain the object of this outrage, and the extent to which it is likely to reach 2” demanded the Prince, now thinking it high time to make some inquiries of the sort, and indeed feeling himself unable to subdue any longer the alarms which were rapidly gaining upon him. “Your Royal Highness need apprehend no personal ill-treatment,” replied the leader of the gang: “ but beyond this assurance I can say nothing more at present.” The Prince was about to give utterance to some threat: but remembering how powerless he was at the moment, and reflecting that the band probably consisted of the most desperate ruffians, who would as soon slit the wind-pipe of a Regent as of the humblest individual, he smothered his rage and resentment so far as to hold his peace. A-solemn silence accordingly prevailed inside the carriage, which continued to roll on at a rapid pace: but as to the direction it was now taking, this was a point that utterly bafiled all conjecture. At the ex- piration of about half-an-hour it stopped: then fol- lowed a noise, as of massive gates unfolding upon their creaking hinges ;—and the vehicle moved again, but only to turn into some place which, by the echoes raised, appeared to be the entrance to the paved court or stable yard of a mansion. The instant the carriage had thus reached its destination, attended by all the mounted desperadoes, the huge gates were closed again. The door of the vehicle was now opened—and while the leader of the band retained his seat inside, he bade the prisoners descend. The Prince went first —the Marquis stepped out next—the coachman and valet followed—and then the masked chicftain of the desperadoes brought up the ver. Qe place was in- volved in pitchy darkness, unretieyed by even the faintest glimmer: but a door was almost immediately thrown open within a coupie ef yards of the spot where the party had aligited—and a lantern standing upon the floor just inside the threshold, revealed the interior of an apartinent wranped im funcreal gloom. An ejaculation of alarin fell from tke lins of the Prince Regent; and a erv of dismsy burst from the tongue of the Marquis of lLevesou—while the two domestics were themselyes not less ferried thau their royal master and his noble friend. but the com- manding voice of the chief bade them proceed: and the peremptory sternness of his tone producing a sort of galvanic effect, the prisoners at once passed into the room the appearance of which was indeed sufii- ciently sombre to strike terror to their souls. For it was completely hung around with black drapery—and the floor was covered with the same sable cloth. If there were any windows, they were not visible—the dark surface of the funereal hangings being uniform on all the four walls and unbroken by any casement, fire-place, or mantel. Indeed, the instant the Prince, the Marquis, the two servants, and the leader of the gang had entered this place, the very door itself LT LT a which had admitted them disanpeared. _‘That is. to RE IRS RR a a VERA A, ae