The Mysteries of London; or, Lights and Shadows of London Life — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

——— reenter THE MYSTERIES OF LONDON, er ee - ——e a ee OO EEE ‘Sf7 LA ~ YU 41, ALT], 3 Bes SES = “ ‘GF "CLA, LTA pf My 4, Laity, 4 Atty Vf 44}, , Ney } / ‘* ** 4 t, - Bo” "te A a» SEL Sb Om > ae j Sansom # I "G4; ) } “Oh, pray do,” pleaded Celestine, coaxingly, “ and I will never breathe a syllable of it again without your permission.” “Then should the nature of my communication appear so strange, 80 marvellous in the chief incident upon which if turns, that-you should even doubt its reality ?” “ Still I would pledge myself to retain it inviolate,” added Celestine; “but from your lips what could I doubt?” “And should any future circumstances occur that may recal what I am about to state to your memory, you will never betray the confidence I am about to repose in you?” “ Never.” “Well, then, although, as [ have before hinted fo you, my taste is not for the marvellous, and this, as you will find, has a strong dash of the super- natural about it, I will relate to you what has been hitherto considered the most important of the family | secRets of the Winterton family.” “Now you have fairly roused my curiosity, and ~ =f ' ‘ ANY /} ii | SUG j , ’ i/ Ws PELE - ‘Mp NaS mee wif. ( UU AN ANNE rl —_— — - ee with it, though in what way I cannot possibly ima- gine ;” and the fair listener, folding her slendef hands and suffering them to rest upon the shoulder of her lover, whilst she preserved an attitude of profound attention, heard the following :-— “To make this remarkable narrative quite clear to you,” began Lord Walsingham, “I should tell you that, as among many families of the aristocraey, there exists, in the house of Winterton, a strange tradition, which has been handed down from father to son, with the most scrupulous care, through all the various changes of successive generations. From what I have heard at different times, for I do not pretend to be even now in possession of the entire facts of the mat- ter, it would appear that, about a century and a-half ago, Godfrey, an ancestor of the present earl, had the misfortune, in a fit of furious passion, to take the life ofa certain baronet named Bradley, whom he sus- pected, and unjustly, as it was afterwards discovered, of intriguing with his countess, ~The earl, who was of a very jealous and excitable temperament, had been residing in Scotland for a few months, and, on his especially as you have stated I am slightly connected | sudden return, the sight of a young stranger kneeling a2 FOURTS SERIES, CONMUC OOO) CS (C@) es — ~ ———<— : 4 ( A =