The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 298: what you’re looking at

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

THE DEED OF A NIGHT 281 breathing zephyr, which carried the blithe song of birds upon its wing, and, penetrating to every ear, might have infused serene happiness into every heart. But, ah! what horrible rumour is this which toward nine o’clock begins to circulate like wildfire throughout the pala- tial mansion? Has murder been doing its dread work dur- ing the darkness of the past night? Or is it some frightful error? No; it is all but too true, and the unfortunate Earl of Lascelles has been made the victim of a foul and mysterious assassination. It appeared, from the statement of Makepeace, that he went as usual to his master’s suite of rooms a little before nine o’clock, and that on entering the bedchamber, he was horrified on beholding the sheet deluged with blood. He approached, and found the earl lying on his back, with his throat literally cut from ear to ear. Seized with a mortal terror, he rushed forth on the landing, and raised that cry of murder, which awaking such terrible echoes, speedily reverberated throughout the mansion. Then the- other servants began flocking thither, with ghastly horror depicted on their countenances; Adolphus, the countess, and Isabella, from their own respective chambers, sped with wild dis- tracted looks in the same direction, and that morning of such serene blissfulness out of doors was one fraught with dread confusion, trouble, mystery, and affright within those walls. Who could have done the deed? Where was the weapon with which it was accomplished? This was not to be found. The nearest surgeon of the neighbourhood, who was quickly sent for, and who was speedily on the spot, declared that the earl must have been dead some hours, and that it was con- sequently in the depth of the night when the red right arm of Murder bared itself for this tremendous deed. Further- more, the medical authority affirmed that the fatal wound was inflicted by some very sharp instrument, but that from certain appearances, he was convinced it was not with a razor, — his opinion being that it was a large knife. What- ever the instrument were, death must have been instan- taneous; the unfortunate old nobleman must have died almost without a groan. But that instrument, as we have already said, was not to be found, and when the police arrived upon the spot, nothing was discovered to attach suspicion to any particular individual. Every room throughout the _* CONnNIELDOOKS (SO)