The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 276: what you’re looking at

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ee nn 270 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ——— eg over bheis leaks at this most andcnestan and planted against the door, he instantaneously fancied ominous proposal: but Isabella turned pale and | there was something wrong. trembled. Fortunately however her countenance; “Don’t be alarmed, Mr. Ashton,” said the was not at the instant towards her uncle; and he | valet: “I am here to befriend you. You must perceived not her emotion. But the Countess did | not enter the garden this evening: Lord Os. notice it; and hastening to assist Isabella with | mond bade me come hither to warn you against her shawl, she whispered rapidly, “ Fear nothing ! | te Adolphus will make. everything right.” ~ “For heayen’s sake tell me,’ exclaimed Chris- The Earl gave his arm to the Countess, while | tian, “whether anything * and then he Lord Osmond escorted his cousin Isabella. They | abruptly stopped short, fearing lest the valet was descended the stairs and reached the hall,—Adol- | acting as the Barl’s spy. phus the while racking his brain for some pretext Fé Do not be afraid of me, Mr. Ashton,” con- to speak aside to Makepeace. As fortune would | tinued Makepeace: “I am secretly disposed in have it, Makepeace himself was at the instant | your fayour. The best proof is that it was I who crossing the hall, with a chamber-candle in his | procured the duplicate key for you, and left it hand. 'with Lord Osmond’s note at your lodgings yester- “With your permission, Bella,’ said Lord | day. Ican full well understand the reason you Osmond, “I will smoke a cigar in the garden. | are not to enter the grounds this evening: it is Here, Makepeace! give me a light. ¢ | | simply because the Earl has taken it into his head The valet stopped short accordingly : Adolphus | to join the party in their walk.” approached him; and while stooping towards the; “Thank you for this assurance!” replied Chris- candle, he said in a low rapid whisper, “ Hasten | tian, his mind now infinitely relieved : for his first round and prevent young Ashton from entering and very natural misgiving was that Isabella might by the gate this evening.’ | have become involved in fresh trouble on his ac- The cigar was lighted—Adolphus gave Isabella | count. his arm again—and the party issued forth. The | He then bade Makepeace “good night,” and Barl was determined that Adolphus and Isabella | returned to his lodging,—much disappointed how- should not wander away from himself and the | ever at not being enabled to meet Isabelia. Make- Countess; and therefore, on entering the garden, | peace hastily re- -entered the grounds, and at once he kept his son in continued conversation. But , proceeded to the spot just inside the garden-gate Lord Osmond had really no intention of straying: | where he had heard the footsteps, the muttered he had provided against the entrance of Christian ejaculations, and ‘the grating metallic sounds, Ashton—and that was the only thing he cared for. | which had so much perplexed him. At first, he He fancied that there must be some suspicion in | could see nothing: but a closer scrutiny showed his father’s mind: but what its precise nature | him a man-trap, ‘with its teethed jaws wide apart, was, he could not conjecture. As for the Earl, | ready to receive and to close upon any unfortunate he was naturally led to imagine that this repetition | leg that might step between. Indeed the valet’s of the evening walk might be in connexion with | own leg experienced but a narrow escape from an expected visit from Christian; and that, after | being caught therein, as he was searching about all, Adolphus was really favouring the discarded upon the spot. secretary’s suit towards Miss Vincent. The Harl| “This is extraordinary!” thought Makepeace however chatted gaily, as if there were nothing to | to himself: but his knowledge of the Harl’s charac- disturb his humour,—and all the more gaily, too, | ter speedily made him aware that it was a device because he inwardly chuckled at the hope of! of that nobleman’s fertile brain. “It is pretty wreaking a speedy vengeance on the presumptuous | clear that the old man suspects or knows some- youth who dared aspire to the hand of his niece | thing: but how the deuce could it have come to and stealthily intrude upon his crounds. | his knowledge ? At all events £ am not sus- Meantime Makepeace, in pursuance of Lord | pected: for his lordship was as kind to me to-day Osmond’s hint, had issued from the principal | as ever—and I know the old bird too well to be entrance of the grounds; and rapidly skirting the | deceived by such kindness if if were not perfectly wall he reached the private door, against which | natural. The cunning dog !—he thought he would he planted himself to await the coming “of Christian _keep this entirely to himself. He expects to Ashton. While standing there, he caught the | catch young Ashton; and he will come here pre- sounds of heavy footsteps moving about just inside sen tly to see whether his victim is fast in the the garden door: then he heard a strange grating | trap.” noise, as of some iron mechanism being acted; Makepeace was strolling away from the gate, upon; and this was followed by a sharp click— ‘when a mischievous idea struck him. while a voice just audible to the valet’s ears, mut- “ Wouldn’t he be astonished,’ thought the valet tered, “ Botheration take this cursed thing! Ah, | to himself, “if he came and found no trap at all? that’s right at last!” He would fancy that Christian had been caught, This latter ejaculation was accompanied by | and had climbed over the wall, dragging the trap another grating metallic noise ; and then the foot- | with him. Capital! I'll hide it!” steps moved away from the neighbourhood of the| So Makepeace, carefully lifting the machine in door. The words were spoken in so low a tone— | such a way as to avoid getting his arms between being merely in a musing strain to the man’s own | its gaping jaws, carried the trap to some little self—that Makepeace could not recognise who he | distance, and deposited it amongst a group of was; and he was totally at a loss to comprehend shrubs,—having done which he re-entered the what the proceeding meant. He had not however | mansion. much time for reflection ere our young hero made| In the meanwhile the Earl of Lascelles and his his appearance; and on beholding Makepeace.| wife, Adolphus and Isabella, had been rambling RE pepe CORNICLOOOKS —— i |